Chapter 1: Prologue
Chapter Text
“Awwww come on man, how much farther is it? My feet hurt….” Kaminari said in a long whine. He was walking behind Bakugo, dragging his feet.
“I didn’t even invite you! You can go back to the dorms if you want!” Bakugo barked back at him. He quickened his pace, leaving Kaminari to walk faster to keep up and unfortunately to whine more.
Bakugo spotted the sign of the shop he was looking for ahead. As they entered the florist shop, Kaminari sighed. “This is the third shop, man. Please, just pick something…. Anything….”
Bakugo went straight to the counter and immediately started to bark orders at the poor elderly woman who looked like she had been taking a nap before they had entered.
“Do you have any orchids? Sub-genus Phalaenopsis. Species Aphrodite.” Bakugo’s tone was impatient but he waited for the little woman to answer. She seemed taken aback by his question and took her time to gather her thoughts and reply.
“Well honey…. Let me think a moment. Ah yes, I do have some Phalaenopsis.” She motioned for the two boys to follow her. “I have two different plants right over here.”
Bakugo glanced at the plants and then turned back to the elderly, frail woman with a smug look on his face. “No, these aren’t what I asked for. These are Species Amabilis. Their petals are fatter and more rounded than Aphrodite. Look lady, don’t waste my time, do you have them or not?”
“My, my. Aren’t you a regular anthophile? Let me call my cousin. She has a shop out west and may have had better luck getting that species. ” The little woman waddled back to the counter.
“Dude, she called you an ant lover,” Kaminari giggled under his breath.
“No, you idiot. An anthophile is someone who loves flowers, not ants,” Bakugo sneered. He walked up to the counter and leaned against it and sighed.
“I don’t know why you’re being so picky. I just told the lady back at the first shop Kyoka’s favorite colors. Black and Purple. And then told the florist lady to make the wrist thingy however she wanted, ” Kaminari said matter-of-factly.
“So. You and Kyoka, then? Took you guys long enough,” Bakugo said, a smile playing on his lips.
“Dude, Kyoka can’t stand me half the time. We’re just going as friends. Like we do to almost everything, ” Kaminari said as he fiddled with the fronds of a fern that was sitting on the counter by the register.
Bakugo chuckled under his breath. “You really are an idiot.”
Before Kaminari could say anything back to Bakugo, the elderly florist had finished her call.
“So, my cousin does have some. She is going to send me three plants so you can choose which one you like the best. They will be here in four days. Does that work?”
Bakugo nodded.
“Lady, is that a ‘for sure’ time frame? Because this guy will likely burn your shop to the ground if he comes back and there are no phaliopsis afro thingies,” Kaminari asked with real concern in his voice.
The elderly woman gave a knowing smile. “I don’t think the hero Dynamight would ever do such a thing.” Defying her tiny, frail frame, the woman reached over the counter and pinched Bakugo’s right cheek. He immediately started to turn red and his cheeks began to puff out in anger.
Kaminari grabbed him by the elbow and immediately started pulling him towards the front door.
“Thanks ma’am! Oh… do you do the flower wrist thingies?” Kaminari asked still pulling a fuming Bakugo behind him.
“Yes, hun, we make wrist corsages.”
“Yeah, can you make the phalopis afro thing one of those?” Kaminari bellowed out as they exited.
“Of course! Anything for Dynamight!” the elderly woman said to the retreating boys as she waved goodbye.
Chapter 2: Part 1: Blow Up
Chapter Text
1 WEEK PREVIOUS to Prologue
Yaoyorozu
“I can’t believe you’ve already been asked to the Winter Formal Yao-momo! They only just announced it a couple of hours ago!” Mina Ashido was jumping up and down excitedly, a big grin on her face. Momo Yaoyorozu had a deep blush on her cheeks and a slight look of trepidation on her face.
“Well, considering the last couple of years, it makes sense the school would announce it with no warning and give very little preparation time for the event. Less likely any villains will be able to crash the party, so to speak. Ribbit,” Tsuyu Asui said thoughtfully.
“The third years have a winter formal every year, but honestly I’m surprised they are letting our year have one. We seem to be snakebitten with every school event,” Ochaco Uraraka added, jumping onto Tsuyu’s train of thought. Ochaco was sitting on the couch, her legs drawn underneath her. She rested her head on Izuku Midoriya’s shoulder, watching him writing manically in a notebook on his lap. Tsuyu, who was seated next to Ochaco, gave her a questioning look. “Oh, Izuku is working on some ideas for security for the formal. He’s … uh… a little worried about it happening now. He thinks the event will be a target for some of the lingering Paranormal Liberation Front groups that still haven’t been caught.” Momo, Mina, Ochaco, and Tsuyu all stared at him. Midoriya seemed to not notice anything Ochaco was saying. He must have felt the lull in the conversation or all the eyes upon him, however, because he suddenly looked up.
“Oh, sorry guys. Just a little preoccupied.” He glanced down at Ochaco, leaned towards her, and kissed her on the cheek. He then retreated back to his notebook. Ochaco looked at Tsuyu and shrugged.
“So, I guess you two will obviously be going to the formal together. Ribbit,” Tsuyu said to Ochaco.
“Yeah, but I think Izuku will probably be spending most of it patrolling the school grounds, it seems!”
Mina grabbed Momo by the hand and pulled her over to sit on the couch. “So spill! What did you say to Awase?! I can’t believe he came over here to ask you so soon! On the porch in the moonlight! So romantic! I can just swoon!”
“Well, it was supposed to be a private conversation, Mina. I can’t believe you were eavesdropping. Pretty sure everyone in our class knows now.” Momo started looking around at the different groups of teens in the living area. She was embarrassed.
There were a handful of students at the dining tables nearby. Across from the girls and Midoriya on the other side of the square mahogany coffee table was another large couch that had a group of kids half-heartedly listening to the present conversation. Denki Kaminari and Eijiro Kirishima were playing a game of cards, and Katsuki Bakugo was seated at the end of the couch, his chin propped on his hand. He looked calm and passive. Momo had noticed him sitting there in that same position ever since she had returned from the porch after saying goodbye to Awase. It wasn’t like Bakugo to be still and thoughtful for very long. He would usually be on his phone, reading a book, studying, or watching TV. He was even known to join in board games from time to time, much to the disappointment of most of their classmates. He was very competitive even when it came to board games and almost always won.
“So, Momo, what did you say to him?” Kirishima asked looking up from his hand of cards.
Momo sighed. “I told him I would think about it.”
Kaminari flashed a mischievous grin. “And? What are you thinking?”
Momo looked down at her hands, which held a hair tie she was absentmindedly tugging. “I don’t know….”
“You guys need to quit bugging her,” rang an annoyed, raspy voice. Everyone in the living area, including the distracted Midoriya, looked at Bakugo. He hadn’t moved. He wasn’t looking at anyone in particular when he spoke, his eyes were unfocused as if he was thinking about something else.
“We’re not bugging her; Momo’s always chill. We’re not bugging you, are we, Momo?” Kaminari asked, looking over at her. All eyes were on Momo. Normally she WAS very “chill.” But she had not liked Mina blabbing about Awase. He obviously asked her in private for a reason. But she knew Mina cared for her and was just excited. So instead of being disagreeable, she just went along with it. Mina’s intentions were good, however immature and boy-crazy she was.
“No, it’s fine,” Momo said, giving Kaminari a reassuring smile.
“Well, if I were you, I’d make him wait a bit. You don’t want to seem too eager!” Mina chimed in.
“Yeah, I think Awase’s had a crush on you ever since the training camp our first year,” Kaminari said bluntly. “It’s kinda obvious…”
Bakugo suddenly stood up, his face neutral and his tone loud, but without its usual edge.
“Momo, ” he said looking at her.
“Yes, Bakugo?” she asked nervously.
He put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head slightly back. Midoriya winced. He had grown very accustomed to this stance of Bakugo’s over the years and it usually didn’t bode well. The pencil dropped out of his hand. No one had noticed, not even Ochaco, because all eyes were on Bakugo.
“I want to ask if you’ll go to the Winter Formal with me. There's no pressure to answer. If you don’t say anything to me, I can take a hint. And if you want to, you can tell me in private later since these guys don’t know how to respect people’s privacy.” Mina and Kaminari’s jaws dropped. Midoriya gave a sigh of relief. Ochaco blinked a few times. A very weak sounding “Ribbit” was expressed. Momo was still and silent. She stared at Bakugo. He nodded at her and turned away, walking towards the stairway that led to the dorm rooms.
Kirishima stood up and followed Bakugo, barking at his retreating back. “Dude! You just don’t ask a girl out like that in front of a group, it’s embarrassing!” By this time Kirishima’s loud voice had attracted the attention of Tenya Iida, Hanto Sero, and Kyoka Jiro who had been sitting at one of the large dining tables adjacent to the couch area.
Bakugo turned on Kirishima. “No, what’s embarrassing is that you guys continue to harass her about Awase. Momo doesn’t want to talk about it, but she’s too nice to say so. And you guys are too dense to pick up on her feelings. I asked her out in front of everyone because I’m not afraid if she rejects me. I’m not ashamed to hide my intent because Momo deserves that respect. I’m not someone skulking around, fearful of what people might think.” Bakugo walked away, heading to his room for the night. Kirishima sat on the couch next to Kaminari.
“He has a point. That proposal was pretty manly,” Kirishima said wistfully.
“Dude, Bakugo wanting to go to a formal event? A dance? That’s crazy! Our little boy is growing up!” Kaminari said punching Kirishima lightly on the shoulder.
Kyoka walked towards the couches. “Wait…. What just happened? Did Bakugo just ask Momo to the Winter Formal?” she asked, her eyes locking with Mina. Mina let out a huge squeal and ran over to Kyoka to tell her exactly what had happened.
“Well, all this yelling isn’t good for our circadian rhythms! Everyone needs to just calm down! We won’t be able to fall asleep with all this excitement, and it’s past nine!” Iida expressed loudly, his right arm gesturing up and down frenetically.
“Iida, you’re the only one yelling now. Chill, bro,” Sero said, patting Iida on the back. Most of the teens were talking excitedly now, but not yelling; Iida made sure of it. Deku’s eyes were looking down the hall where Bakugo had retreated,
“Kacchan…. That was a bit of a surprise,” he said quietly under his breath. Ochaco and Tsuyu however were quietly looking at Momo, who had suddenly been forgotten by most of the other teens because of Bakugo’s outburst.
“Ribbit, I think now is a good time to escape, Yao-momo.”
Ochaco smiled at Momo. Momo nodded at Tsuyu and went to her dorm room. None of the other teens noticed her departure.
“Bakugo did that in front of everyone to get them off of Momo’s back too, ribbit.”
“Yeah, that might have been the main reason he did it publicly in the first place,” Midoriya replied.
Chapter 3: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Momo shut her door behind her and locked it. Her room had become the unofficial hangout for the class 3A girls over the last 2 years and normally she loved it. The girls would just open the door, come in, and make themselves at home, especially Kyoka, Toru Hagakure, and Mina. Tsu and Ochaco would always knock first at least. But she wanted privacy for a change. She laid on her four poster bed and let out a long breath. Her stomach was in knots with several different emotions wreaking havoc on her system. Exhilaration, at the moment, was overtaking fear, reluctance, hope, and embarrassment. After several minutes, she heard her door knob rattle. She heard a simply stated, “Momo?” through the door. It was Kyoka. Momo didn’t answer. She grabbed a pillow above her head and wrapped her arms around it. She glanced at her clock on the nightstand. It was 9:30. Maybe Kyoka would assume she was in bed for the night. After about a minute she heard her retreating footsteps.
What do I do? What do I want to do? What do I want? her mind raced. Momo overthought things like this. With academics and decisions on the battle field, she had become a quick, rational decision maker. She no longer picked things apart and mulled over them like she had done in the past. But in daily, mundane life decisions she still would overthink. She left her bed and went to her chest of drawers. She opened the top drawer and ran her hand under her socks and stockings to the bottom left corner. She retrieved a small card. On the cover of the card was a drawing of an orchid. It had 5 white petals that were shaped to make the flower look like a star. The labellum, or center part, of the orchid had a white base with yellow sections and dark red stripes along the sides. There were faint red specks along the labellum as well. This orchid had been drawn with a charcoal pencil and then colored faintly with pastels. It was her favorite flower ever since she was a little girl. She must have mentioned it at school at some point during the first few months she had attended UA, but she didn’t remember ever saying anything. She opened the card. In tiny writing were the words, “Thank you,” written in black ink. She ran her fingers over the small black script. The card had been slipped under her door the very first night their class had moved to the dorms a little over 2 years ago. She had never shown or even spoke of this card to anyone. It was one of her most favored possessions.
Hours passed. Momo couldn’t sleep. She had tossed and turned in her bed, her bottom fitted sheet had come loose and her sheets and blankets were now a mess. She sat up and took off her t—shirt revealing a bra underneath. She looked down at her chest, subtle sparks and lights appeared on the surface of the skin above her bra. Suddenly a small card appeared from her skin and she caught it carefully with her right hand; she didn’t want it to get bent. On the front of the card was the orchid. Phalaenopsis Aphrodite. A fitting name Momo thought. It was an exact copy of the card hiding in her sock drawer, except the inside was blank. She went to her desk, grabbed a black pen, opened the card, and wrote one small word inside. She glanced at her clock and saw it was 2am. Everyone should still be asleep. Or had finally gone to bed depending on one’s perspective. Her dorm room was directly by the stairs. She went down one flight quietly, her heart racing madly in her chest. She walked out onto the fourth floor and peaked to see if the hallway was empty. She tiptoed over to the third door on the right and slipped the card under the door. She made it back to her room and had not been seen. She took a deep breath and flopped on her bed. She fell asleep almost immediately.
*
Momo’s alarm sounded at 6:00 am. She was exhausted from lack of sleep. She normally would sleep in another half hour since it was Sunday, but it was Kaminari’s turn to make breakfast. He always forgot so she and Iida took turns covering him and some of the other class 3A loafers. Even though Lunch Rush served breakfast, many students preferred to eat earlier than the time Lunch Rush provided. And some students didn’t want to walk all the way to the other side of campus for a bite to eat and then have to backtrack quite a ways back for homeroom or all the way back to the dorm. And Lunch Rush was closed on Sundays anyhow. Momo changed into casual clothes and then grabbed her small bag with her toiletries. When she made it to the bottom floor she found the kitchen and living and dining areas empty. She quickly went into the girl’s bathroom, brushed her teeth and hair, and washed her face. As she looked into the mirror to check her appearance, her stomach started to twist in knots. Most mornings she, Iida, Shouto Todoroki, and Bakugo were the first ones up. The 4 of them sat together and ate breakfast, usually, Iida and Momo would talk about school or other small talk and Bakugo and Todoroki would silently eat and study. Momo realized she was nervous to see Bakugo. And felt even more trepidation to have to put up with everyone’s interrogations about her answer to his invitation to the Formal. She walked out of the bathroom and saw Bakugo sitting at the table in his usual spot. She froze. He had his English textbook open with a notebook next to it, and his Japanese/English dictionary. He looked up and their eyes met. Momo managed to get out a “Hi, Bakugo,” but it sounded about an octave higher than her normal voice. She quickly walked over to the kitchen and tried to decide what she could make since she knew Kaminari had not picked up any supplies most likely.
“I already started rice in the large pressure cooker,” Bakugo said not looking up from his books. “When I saw Kaminari’s name on the board last night I figured he wouldn’t do it this morning. Especially since it’s Sunday. Figured you or Iida would come down. Miso soup leftover from yesterday is warming up on the stovetop.”
“Oh…well. Thanks. I’ll get fruit out of the pantry then and maybe some yogurt.” Momo was blushing. Bakugo had never made breakfast before in place of the usual loafers who shirked their duties. She tried not to read into it. After she set out some fruit, yogurt, and grabbed the milk, Momo took a banana from the fruit bowl and walked towards her usual spot at the table. Which happened to be next to Bakugo. In normal circ*mstances, they would sit in silence. Sometimes they would ask each other a question related to their studies. And why would things not be normal, Momo, she thought to herself. She grabbed her bag she had placed at the end of the table previously and sat down. She pulled out a book from her bag since her appetite had now completely escaped her. “Good morning!” chimed a chipper, sing-songy voice. It was Iida. He joined the quiet duo after grabbing a huge bowl of rice, some soup, and an apple. “The second most important meal of the day!” Iida said brightly. He said this every morning. “Thanks, Momo!”
“Actually Bakugo made most of it.”
“Oh. Well, thanks Bakugo!” Bakugo didn’t respond.
Iida immediately started to talk to Momo about decorations for the dance. Iida had heard from Aizawa-sensei the previous evening that the class reps were in charge of planning the decorations and refreshments for the Formal. The first thing they had to decide was the theme. Each class rep President, who represented one of the 11 UA 3rd year classes, was to have 3 ideas for a theme to share at the class rep meeting Monday evening.
“I think sometime today we should have Class 3A gather in the living room and brainstorm ideas. Then we can vote. I’ll let everyone know about it, you think 5 PM today sounds good?”
“Yeah, before dinner. That works, ” Momo replied.
“Well, I’ll get the word out,” Iida said excitedly.
“I’ll run the meeting then,” Momo added.
“Great initiative Class rep Vice-President!” Iida beamed. Todoroki had joined them quietly during their impromptu class rep meeting.
“So Bakugo and Todoroki! 5 PM today we’re to have a class meeting in the living quarters.”
“Yeah, sure,” Todoroki said evenly not looking up from his rice. Bakugo had given a noise which could be translated into an affirmative. After several minutes of Iida and Momo discussing a school project for history and their work-study experience the previous week, Iida headed up to his room. He had not mentioned her Formal invitations the previous evening even though Momo knew he was present last night and heard about them. Momo smiled. Iida was such a great guy. Even with all of his idiosyncrasies, he was caring, mature, and well-mannered. Things were starting to feel normal again for Momo. This morning had played out the same as so many previous mornings. Perhaps Bakugo had only asked her to the dance because he didn’t like how the others were pressing her. Bakugo was a hot-head with a nasty tone and a crude way of talking. However, he had another side that all of Class 3A had seen emerge over the last 2 years. That what he lacked in manners and niceness, he made up for in honesty and loyalty. He would be the first to lay his life down for anyone in their class. For anyone period. Now, Momo felt quite foolish. The little spark in her heart that had started two years previous had become a torch now and perhaps it was silly for her to keep carrying it. Bakugo was just a good friend. Nothing more. Nothing less.
“Well, I’m gonna hit the gym before teaching my tutoring class at 10. See you guys later.” Momo gathered her things and started walking away.
“Ponytail. What’re you teaching today?” Bakugo asked gruffly, not looking up from his book.
He called me Ponytail. Momo’s heart sank. She started to rethink the whole “good friend” inner soliloquy she had going on earlier.
“I’ll be tutoring English for the first 45 minutes, and then Calculus the last 45.” She had been holding these little study sessions for her handful of friends in 3A that struggled academically since their very first mid-term. Over the last two years, it had grown to include a couple of students from Class B, a few general studies kids, and some business class students. It ended up being about ten kids every Sunday. When it was mid-term and finals time, she had the sessions daily and that number doubled.
“I’ve been missing a lot of class due to my work-study, I’ve gotten behind in English. You’ll help me with English and to pay you back I’ll help you with creating propulsive objects for mobility and how to use them. I saw you working on that during our practical hero training last week. We can do it after your study session. I’ll get it approved by Aizawa-sensei. Gonna see if Gym Gamma is available.”
“Sure,” she said brightly. Bakugo had never attended a single study session she taught. He was one of the smartest and most studious in their class. Momo doubted he really needed the help. She tried to suppress this thought, however. She didn’t want to get her hopes up.
“Good,” Bakugo said. He slammed his books shut and threw them in his backpack. As Momo walked away, she couldn’t resist grinning. She wasn’t paying attention and bumped into Mina who was being closely followed by Sero and Kirishima. “Momo!” Mina squealed. Her eyes wandered over to Bakugo who was standing up from his seat, and then back to Momo.
“So?” Mina mouthed to her. Momo sighed. Kirishima threw himself in the chair Bakugo had been sitting in.
“Hey, Bakugo! Hey, Momo!” Kirishima said brightly.
“Yao-momo! You going to the Formal with Lord Explosion Murder?” Sero said with a laugh. Momo’s face turned scarlet, even her ears were flush.
“No teasing Sero, you and Mina are relentless,” Kirishima gave them both a disapproving look.
Before Momo could say anything, Bakugo’s voice rang out. “Yeah. We’re going to the formal together. You guys can quit pestering Momo now.”
“No way!” Kirishima bellowed with a big smile on his face. “That’s awesome!” Bakugo smacked him upside the head with his backpack purposefully, threw his backpack over his shoulder, and headed upstairs. Kirishima wasn’t deterred in the slightest.
“Tell me, tell me, tell me!! I need the deets!” Mina begged Momo.
“Sorry, Mina. I have to get to the gym now or I’ll be late for my tutoring session. I assume I’ll see you there?”
“Yeah….” Mina said weakly. “Math is killing me right now……”
“I’ll see you at 10 then!” Momo said cheerfully. She headed out of the dorm.
“Are you guys completely weirded out by this? Those two are the last couple I could imagine in our class.” Sero said.
“I think it’s pretty cool. Opposites attract maybe?” Kirishima said.
“Actually, Bakugo and Yaoyorozu as a couple aren’t that weird.” The trio all turned their heads to stare at Todoroki. They hadn’t even noticed him sitting catty-corner from Kirishima. Todoroki continued, “Bakugo and Momo have always been in one of the top 3 spots in the written exams our whole time at UA. They both work really hard. They go to bed early and they rise early to get the most out of their day. They tend to be more serious and usually don’t waste time on frivolous pursuits.” Todoroki looked back down at his book and continued reading.
“No man, it’s still weird. Can you imagine Bakugo going over to Momo’s house? And meeting her parents?” Sero replied with a laugh.
“Well I’m gonna keep my eye on them, this will be interesting for sure. Oh my gawd, I have to let everyone know!!!” Mina jumped up and headed upstairs.
Chapter 4: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Momo had to run in order to make it to her study session on time. She held her sessions in Aizawa-sensei’s classroom. They originally held it at her house, but after the students and faculty moved into dorms on campus, they were held at the dining tables at class A’s dorm. In the dorms, however, they found there were too many distractions. When Aizawa-sensei saw them one Saturday, he suggested to using his classroom on Saturdays and, when they needed it during the week, after classes ended for the day. This worked so much better. In this environment, the kids tended to pay attention better and to take the lessons more seriously. She opened the door and saw her usual group: Mina, Kaminari, Kyoka, Mashirao Ojiro, and Sero from Class A. Kuroiro, f*ckidashi, and Tsunotori from Class B, 2 business students Tanaka and Mori, and 1 general studies student Ueno. Bakugo was sitting in the front row with his English book and notebook on his desk going over notes. Just go about like you always do, Momo told herself. “Sorry I’m late guys!” She quickly proceeded to the lectern and got out her books from her bag. “So let’s start with this week. If we have time, we’ll look at past units.”
The session went smoothly. She was pleased that Mina, or any of the other class A students for that matter, didn’t bring up Bakugo’s unusual presence. Perhaps they were too wrapped up in their own stresses over school studies that it wasn’t on their minds presently. When she got to Calculus, Bakugo worked with a couple of students who needed some additional help. Momo heard him getting a bit irritated with f*ckidashi who was really struggling with a specific concept. Bakugo took a deep breath and persevered. He had learned some patience over the last 2 years, but he could definitely benefit to gain a bit more Momo thought. At 11:30 Momo’s watch sounded. Mina groaned. “I swear, I’m never going to get this! We have finals in less than 2 weeks! Ugh……”
“Your English is much better though. You just need to concentrate more on the math. Do you want to go over that last problem we didn’t get to?”
Mina sighed. “No, my brain is so fried. Maybe later tonight? After dinner at the dorms can you show me?”
“Sure,” Momo said.
“Hey Momo, a bunch of us are going down to the market for lunch. You wanna come?” Sero asked looking over at Bakugo and back at Momo.
“Actually I have some plans, thanks though,” Momo replied with a smile. Bakugo still had his books out on the desk he had been working at. He was sitting and looking at something on his phone. Mina and Kaminari were leaving, both looking pretty dejected. They were both really struggling in Calculus. Sero looked as if he was going to talk to Bakugo, but thought better of it. All the students left the room leaving Momo and Bakugo alone. She started to erase the chalkboard. Bakugo walked over to the far wall and pulled down on a lever. This mechanism caused the wall to lower into the floor and revealed 21 numbered cubbies behind it. This was where Class 3A’s hero costumes were stored. Bakugo walked over to the large lockered cubby labeled, “17.” He pressed a button that dispelled a loud release of air and pulled a large case from the cubby. “Should I get my hero costume, too?” Momo asked.
“No. Just grabbing the gauntlet. Gym clothes should work. You bring yours?” Bakugo asked. Momo nodded.
“Are we authorized for Gym Gamma?” Momo asked.
“Yeah.”
The two walked quietly towards Gym Gamma which was near the main campus building. Momo was a bit anxious and tended to default to small talk when she felt this way, but for some reason, she chose to stay silent. The gym was empty and was still set by one of Cementoss’ designs. Cementoss would control the abundant amounts of cement found in the gym to construct many shapes and settings like mountains, hills, tunnels, and buildings. Currently there were a few hills, a couple of buildings, and one large mountainous shape near the back of the gym.
“This will work,” Bakugo stated looking at the gym setup.
He unzipped his over-sized backpack and pulled out a smaller version of his gauntlet. He handed it to Momo.
“Hatsume made this. It’s similar to mine but it would use whatever standard fuel you prefer to make. It won’t work as precise, but it’s smaller and also a more simple design,” He rifled through his backpack and pulled out several papers clipped together. “These are Hatsume’s blueprints. I wasn’t sure if that would be enough for you to replicate it with your quirk or if you needed to take it apart and see how it works. I had her make it as simple as possible so it would use up less of your reserves.”
Momo took the gauntlet and blueprints from Bakugo. The gauntlet was surprisingly light. She recognized the metal and thought of a better choice of material for lightness and also keeping it cooler with use, but Hatsume or maybe Bakugo probably had their reasons for using this particular metal. She looked through the blueprints. “These prints are pretty detailed and the schematic is simple enough; I don’t think I’ll need any additional information.” Bakugo nodded. He grabbed his gym clothes from his backpack and headed to the boy’s locker room.
Momo changed in the girl’s locker room. She luckily remembered to bring her specially made exercise bra. The middle section between the cups was very durable and could be stretched very far. Only the very largest items she could make would break the fabric. The gauntlet would not be an issue. She pulled on her gym top, leaving it open.
She walked out into the gym and found Bakugo in an open section with a building-shaped cement edifice about 50 feet high at the end.
Bakugo had his gauntlet on. Momo joined him not sure what to expect. He turned to her looking her in the eyes, “So earlier this week you were using jet packs you created for mobility?” He asked.
Momo nodded and replied, “I wanted to improve my usefulness in rescue situations in large cities. Getting around on the ground isn’t too difficult, lots of things I can create, but if I need to get to the top of a building or up to an overpass, I’m pretty limited to what I can make quickly. So I was trying out some options.”
Bakugo nodded, “I think the gauntlet would give you more control and more boost than a jet pack. Probably easier to make?” Bakugo asked.
Momo nodded. “Probably. Let me see if I can create one.” Momo looked down at her chest. Colorful sparks and bright lights appeared on her skin and then the top of the gauntlet appeared under her collarbone. She grabbed it and concentrated, trying to be sure she was thinking of all the mechanisms and pieces inside. Bakugo out of habit, like most the Class A students, turned away from Momo while she created. Too many times Momo had lost clothing creating with her quirk and it could make for an awkward situation. But the undergarment held strong. She really wished she had thought of creating it much sooner than the end of her second year. She held the freshly created gauntlet in her hand. Without realizing it, she had made the colors of the outside of the gauntlet match Bakugo’s usual gauntlet instead of just the natural metal one he had brought for her to see and copy. “Oh sorry.” Momo apologized, “Didn’t really mean to paint it, just used to seeing your gauntlet I guess.” Bakugo looked at the gauntlet and shrugged.
“Okay, you’ll need fuel,” Bakugo stated. He took Momo’s gauntlet and twisted the top rim and it came off. This caused the gauntlet to be opened up in two separate pieces revealing its inner workings. “Any idea what you’d want to make?”
“Hmmm, well you create a fluid similar to nitroglycerin? That’s made by nitrating glycerol, if I had the chemical break down I could make it. I don’t have my encyclopedia….”
“You can use my reserve. Hold on…” Bakugo went diving into his backpack and surfaced with 2 objects that looked like hand grenades. He opened these up and poured an oily-looking, yellow substance into the reservoir of Momo’s gauntlet. Momo started to get nervous. She was worried she would blow them both up. She trusted Bakugo would be able to teach her how to use this new equipment adequately. She just hoped he would start small, not have the “go big or go home” mentality he often times had.
“Okay, you’re ready,” he handed the gauntlet back to Momo. “Let’s start at step one, just igniting the gauntlet.” Momo exhaled a deep breath. This was going to be fine. Baby steps to start. After over an hour, with Bakugo modeling the steps to Momo with his own, she was able to ignite the gauntlet, let out a small blast, and then propel herself off the ground about 10 feet. She was still having issues with the landing, but she wasn’t too badly bruised. She stood up and brushed herself off after her most recent attempt. She looked over at the 50 foot cement building.
“You wanna try it huh?” Bakugo asked, a slight smile on his face. Momo nodded. “Just remember, don’t pull back on the lever too much. A little goes a long way. Try not to over correct with your body. The more force you use the less forgiving over-correcting is.” Momo stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, and took a deep breath. She made a few large strides, leapt, maneuvered the blaster downward, and pulled the lever back. The force jerked her harder than the attempts before but she used the strength of her arms and her core to hold the gauntlet in the right direction. The top of the building was coming fast towards her. She worried she would come up short and hurtle into the cement. “Mid-air blast, Momo!” She heard Bakugo’s voice behind her. She pulled the lever, but nothing came out of the blaster port. Had she used up all the fuel? They had refilled it recently, that seemed unlikely. She looked up and saw she was about to slam herself into the cement wall of the building 5 feet short of the top. She suddenly felt herself jerked up by her right upper arm and swept away from the building. She was flying thru the air at immense speed. She felt rushes of air whip past her body. It was absolutely thrilling. She looked over at Bakugo beside her. His face was tense with concentration; he was looking below them and also letting out several mid -air blasts from his gauntlet. The blasts were in different directions and different burst lengths. Momo looked down and then started to feel some trepidation. Bakugo pulled her closer towards him and she dropped her gauntlet and reflexively lurched her arms around his neck and positioned herself behind him. She thought this would give him better maneuverability. She saw what his target was. Several floor mats had been laid out on the far end of the gym and they were quickly approaching it. “sh*t…” Bakugo spat under his breath. He was trying to slow them down but also keep them airborne. Landing at this speed on the cement would probably have them both in Recovery Girl’s office the rest of the day, if they were outside landing on grass it wouldn’t have been an issue. They would crash land but it looked like now they would make it to the mats. Momo let go of Bakugo right before impact and tried to relax and let her body roll as much as possible. They had actually had training on how to survive falls and how to maneuver to lessen bodily harm. She hit the mat with immense force, but was able to roll and didn’t believe she hurt herself too badly. She was laying on her back and seeing stars. “Momo?” She looked over and saw Bakugo laying a few feet away on his stomach, his arms propped below him. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I think so. What about you?”
“Yeah.”
“You guys are crazy!” they both looked up and saw Kirishima standing above them. Aizawa-sensei was running towards them several feet away. “What the heck were you guys doing?!?” Kirishima bellowed offering his hand to Momo.
Chapter 5: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Aizawa-sensei made sure that both Momo and Bakugo were not injured. Except for a few cuts and scrapes and some bruises in Momo’s case, they were unharmed. Apparently, Kirishima had been trying to get ahold of Bakugo the last couple of hours. No one in Class 3A knew where he was. He ran into Aizawa-sensei at the dorm and he told Kirishima that Bakugo was going to be running drills at Gym Gamma. Due to the lack of communication, both of them worried that perhaps Bakugo had hurt himself badly and couldn’t answer back.
Bakugo looked a little annoyed. “Just 'cause I don’t answer a text right away doesn’t mean I’m off dead somewhere…”
“Bro, you always answer my texts right away. Plus Sundays we usually study or train together. So excuse me for being a little concerned!” Kirishima grabbed Bakugo in a headlock playfully for a few moments. Bakugo growled. Momo was always surprised how far Kirishima could take things with Bakugo. Anyone else who physically messed with or teased Bakugo in the same manner would be on the floor. Or at least that is what everyone else assumed would happen so they never went there.
Bakugo surfaced from below Kirishima’s arm red-faced, his hair mashed down a bit on one side. He ran his hands through his spiky blond tufts looking a little peeved. “Didn’t know Momo was with you,” Kirishima replied. “If I had known that, I would’ve known she wouldn’t let you do anything too crazy. Of course, seeing Momo trying to clear that building! You must have put her up to that.”
“Actually, It was my idea,” Momo answered. Kirishima grinned.
“Letting loose a little bit huh Momo? You gotta be the level-headed one if we’re both gonna be at Fat Gum’s Agency in May! We can’t both be the impulsive ones!” Momo smiled. She had signed a one year contract the previous week with Fat Gum’s Agency. She had switched to his agency for her work-study half-way through her second year. It had been a better fit than her 2 previous work studies. She constantly needed food when she created with her quirk, and Fat Gum’s quirk also had him always patrolling with food in hand. It was a great match. Not to mention Fat Gum was more interested in fighting crime and going after villains than some of the other Pros. She didn’t want to sit on her laurels. Her parents were not happy with the choice. Fat Gums Agency wasn’t as prestigious as some of her other offers. But she knew what kind of hero she wanted to be. She also wanted to start her own agency in the next few years and felt with his guidance she could make that a reality.
Aizawa-sensei pointed over to a small pile of debris as they started to walk towards the Gym exit. “Looks like the gauntlet didn’t make it.” He said in a low even tone. The group walked over and assessed the damage. “I wonder why it malfunctioned…” Momo said as she picked through the wreckage. “Guess, I won’t be able to find out now. I must not have built it as carefully as I had hoped.”
“You made that? That’s pretty cool Momo,” Kirishima beamed.
“Yeah, I was working on adding some mobility to my repertoire. Bakugo suggested the gauntlet and it was going very well until the gauntlet didn’t fire.”
“Mine have failed at times. You took a lot of spills while we were training so one of those falls could have knocked the reservoir out of place. I’ve had Hatsume reinforce the reservoir inside my gauntlets to prevent mine from failing. Guess I didn’t think you’d be so rough on your gauntlet, Momo.” Momo blushed.
Kirishima lightly punched Bakugo on the shoulder. “You’re a bad influence man! Momo’s gonna start cussing and barking at everyone and giving the glare of death.” Bakugo rolled his eyes.
Aizawa interjected, “You guys done for the day?”
Momo nodded.
“Next time maybe run your drills closer to the mats?” Aizawa stated matter-of-factly. Bakugo and Momo both nodded at Aizawa-sensei. “Good. I’m going back to the faculty dorms. Don’t forget about the meeting at 5. I’ll be back up at 3A dorms at 6 tonight.”
“Thanks, sensei!” Kirishima bellowed. Aizawa-sensei left and Momo and Bakugo collected their things. As the trio left, Momo’s stomach made a large gurgling noise. Kirishima laughed. “It’s almost 2, guess you guys haven’t had lunch?” Momo shook her head. “Bakugo and I usually go to this Ramen shop on Sundays for lunch. The one down the street before you hit the market. You want to join us Momo?”
“Sure,” she answered. Kirishima wasn’t making her feel anxious. She appreciated him not prying about the Formal.
“Kiri, order my usual. I’m gonna run up to the development studio for a bit,” Bakugo said as he turned the other direction keeping a brisk pace.
Kirishima turned towards him, “No problem man, but you’re gonna pay me back this time, right?!?”
Chapter 6: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Kirishima and Momo made their way towards the front of the school. There was only one exit in and out of UA due to its heightened security. Although this school year had fewer restrictions than the previous 2 years, the school was still on high alert. Students could only leave the campus without faculty supervision on Sundays and that was only as far as the nearby market. Most students craved freedom so the market with its many small, locally-owned shops was a popular site for UA students on Sunday.
“So you and Bakugo are going to the formal, huh?” Momo’s empty stomach was now doing backflips. She felt nauseous. Kirishima surprised her with his boldness. Especially since up to this point he had not alluded to anything between them since they met up at Gym Gamma. He glanced at her while they walked. “Sorry, Momo. Didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I think in some ways I’m relieved. Bakugo’s been acting… off the last couple of weeks. Now I think I know why. Guess he was preoccupied with you,” He grinned. Momo didn’t know what to say. “Sorry, I’ll drop the subject,” Kirishima replied.
“Actually, I don’t mind,” Momo really meant this. Kirishima’s interest seemed to lie more on looking out for his best friend Bakugo than it did on just wanting the latest gossip. Also, Kirishima and Momo had a much deeper friendship than most of the class realized. They had both taken the death of one of their teachers, Nemuri Kayama, better known by her hero name Midnight, pretty badly the end of their first year. Even though Mina and Sato had also gone through similar trauma, it had affected Kirishima and Momo in a way that they had taken comfort in talking about it with each other. Even though Momo was much closer to the girls in class A, she felt Kirishima was her closest friend out of the boys. She often wondered if he valued their friendship as much as she did. He was close to many of the members of their class due to his overwhelmingly supportive and uplifting personality. He was very extroverted and always led many of the group activities, even getting Bakugo and Todoroki involved.
“Really?” Kirishima turned to her with an expectant look on his face. “We can talk about it??! So then you guys training today? How was it? I have to admit, I’m super jealous because I’ve always wanted to try using one of his gauntlets! I mean, he’s given me a lift in battle and training so I’ve flown about with him tons, and crash-landed with him. But it’d be cool to do it solo with the gauntlet.”
“It was pretty fun. Bakugo’s surprisingly a good teacher. He was actually pretty patient with me.”
“Yeah, that’s an anomaly! He’s constantly irritated with me when we train or study together! He must really like you.”
Momo blushed.
“So Momo, you’ve been crushing on Bakugo a long time, or is this a sorta sudden thing?” Kirishima asked.
Before she could stop herself she answered, “A long time.” Momo was surprised by her own brazenness. It was because it was Kirishima alone that she answered this way.
They walked in silence for a bit. “You’re full of surprises, Momo. Why didn’t you ever say something to him sooner? Or to me, I would have been more than happy to play the middle man! We got like, 5 months left of school. And you and I will be in Esuha City with Fat Gum and Hot Head will be in Tokyo with Best Jeanist 600 miles away.”
“I guess because it wasn’t something that was forefront in my mind the last couple of years. We’ve spent so much time fighting for our lives. Fighting for others’ lives. Fighting for our country. It leaves very little time for thinking about love and romance. Midoriya and Ochaco have been an item for over a year and that shocked everyone as far as them even having time for that sort of thing. Especially Midoriya with everything he’s gone through. And to still be going strong. They’ll be opening up an agency along with Mirio Togata when they graduate. They have everything figured out.”
“Well, maybe that whole thing happened with Ochaco because Midoriya was in those situations. As hard as it’s been on all of us, it’s been the roughest for him. He was always the main target for Shigaraki,” Kirishima replied thoughtfully.
Momo’s eyes went wide and she turned towards Kirishima and grabbed his forearm. “Please, promise me you won’t tell Bakugo!” She said with pleading eyes.
“Tell him what?”
“That I’ve…. cared for him a long time. I’m worried that might scare him off.”
Kirishima laughed his rough cackle. “You’re worried you might scare him off? That’s hilarious.”
“Come on Kirishima!” Momo pleaded.
“No worries! I won’t tell him about it. Or our conversation.”
“Okay good,” Momo said relieved. Kirishima was still grinning, a laugh playing on his lips still.
“Bakugo’s lucky to have you as a friend. You guys somehow hit it off from the very start. I can understand why he’d like to be your friend, but why do you like him, Kirishima? Especially that first year. He was pretty rough around the edges then.” Momo asked with a light laugh. He slowed his pace a bit and his face dropped the revelry it was relishing in moments before. His face looked serious.
He stopped walking and looked at Momo. “Well, there was a time in the past I probably liked him for the same reasons that you do now.” He then looked down at his feet and after several moments started walking again.
“I’m sorry Kirishima, I didn’t mean…..” Momo said in a small voice.
“Don’t be sorry. This is like a confessional day or something. But no worries, I’ve hung up those feelings awhile back for Bakugo knowing they aren’t realistic. And being a bestie is almost as good.”
Now it was Kirishima’s turn to look bewildered.
“Don’t tell anyone what I just told you! About Bakugo and about, well, me. You’re the only one at school that knows I’m gay. sh*t… I just came out at school.” Kirishima’s face looked terrified. He looked at Momo. “I’ve almost told you so many times during our talks. Don’t take this in a weird way but because of our talks after the battle with the League in our first year…. you are the person I’ve confided in the most at school. Bakugo’s my bestie but he isn’t one for deep conversations.”
Momo reached out and took Kirishima’s hand and gave it a squeeze, trying not to get emotional while she replied. “I think what we went through that first year and how we helped each other through it…. I feel closer to you than most. I am glad you feel the same.” Kirishima squeezed her hand back. “And I promise I won’t tell anyone what you shared with me. But maybe you should come out to everyone anyway. It can’t be good for you hiding something like that.”
Kirishima sighed. It wasn’t from sadness or anxiety. It was almost like a sigh of relief. “Well my parents know and they are super cool about it. My ‘other dad’ Fat Gum knows and Tamaki Amajiki since he is at Fat Gum’s agency and has sorta become like a big brother to me. And that’s it. I don’t know why I’ve never told Bakugo, I don’t think he’d care, but again we don’t discuss deep stuff. And… there is someone I’ve kinda been flirting with the last few weeks…. Not sure if that’s going anywhere. Too terrified to ask him to the dance because what if I’m reading things wrong… ugh… like you said this stuff we’re all hopeless with because we haven’t had the typical high school experience.”
“Well, like you said earlier, we only have 5 months. You should ask this guy to the formal. Or at least let him know how you feel,” Momo replied.
“Yeah…. I should,” They arrived at the Ramen shop. They ordered and then sat down at a table outside so they could enjoy the weather.
“Ya know, most people would have asked me who,” Kirishima said leaning back in his chair looking at Momo.
She looked at him confused, “Oh, you mean about the person you want to ask to the formal,” Momo stated. Kirishima nodded.
“You’re not going to ask?” He said flashing his sharp grin.
“No, that’s personal. I honestly feel I pressured you into revealing stuff you wouldn’t have normally because I was spilling so much myself.”
“Wow. You’re really cool, Momo. I have so much regret.”
Momo smiled at him. “Why?”
“For not coming out to you sooner. Would have been nice to have had someone to talk to all this time.”
“Well, I’m here now so fire away.”
Bakugo suddenly pulled a chair out in between Momo and Kirishima and sat down.
“Oh hey! So what’cha working on at the lab?” Kirishima said still leaning back in his chair.
Bakugo opened his backpack and pulled more blueprints out and handed them to Momo. “Stuff for Momo. These are the blueprints for my gauntlet. Took Hatsume awhile to find it in all the mess. She doesn’t have a real filing system. Anyway, reservoir reinforcements. So you won’t have the gauntlet fail.”
“Sounds good. I should be able to keep the design simple but make those changes. Thanks,” Momo smiled.
The trio had their lunch, discussed different fuels for the gauntlet (Kirishima just listened, a smile on his face most of the time), and Bakugo paid Kirishima back for lunch.
“Oh! What time is it?” Momo asked suddenly.
Bakugo glanced at his watch, “Almost 4.”
Momo let out a breath of relief. “I was worried I missed the Class meeting, I’m running it so can’t be late. I guess I just let time get away from me…”
Kirishima smiled, “That’s so unlike you Momo! Shirking your duties. Guess we should get back.”
Chapter 7: Kirishima
Chapter Text
The trio arrived back at the dorm with plenty of time for Momo to change her clothes in her dorm room and get things ready for the meeting. She mainly needed the large whiteboard that was kept in the closet off the living area and to hunt down some dry eraser markers. She quickly went up the stairs to avoid any of the questioning faces as she walked through the living area. Bakugo had gone up to change as well not caring about any of the stares and grins he received. This left poor Kirishima to be accosted by Mina, Kyoka, Toru, and Kaminari. “Okay, since those two are obviously not going to say ANYTHING, will you please tell us what’s going on!?” Mina pleaded.
“Wow, you guys don’t know when to stop,” Kirishima laughed, a large grin on his face. “There’s nothing to tell. Bakugo asked Momo to the formal. Momo said yes. That’s all I know. You guys found out about it this morning at breakfast so technically, Mina, you know as much as I do,” Kirishima said backing away from the small mob.
“You’ve been with them the last couple of hours though, right?” Kaminari smirked.
“Yeah,” Kirishima answered.
“So?” Mina chirped.
“So, we had lunch and before that Bakugo and Momo were at Gym Gamma training. You guys seriously need to get a life,” Kirishima shook his head trying to suppress a smile on his face. He walked over to the couch and plopped down onto it.
“Training at the gym…. That’s like the most boring date ever,” Toru expressed sadly.
“Dang, who would have thought watching paint dry would be more entertaining than Bakugo getting a love life.” Kaminari said as he sat next to Kirishima.
“Maybe you guys should worry less about Bakugo and Momo and more about who you’ll be taking to the formal. If you wait too long, all the good options will be taken,” Kirishima said coyly with a toothy grin.
“Oh, you’re right! We’re already 24 hours behind! Hey Kirishima, will you be my back up if I can’t find anyone decent?” Mina gave him puppy-dog eyes.
“What, you’re assuming I’m not going to ask someone or be asked!?”
“I thought maybe you would think the whole thing wasn’t ‘manly’ so you wouldn’t be that into it.”
Kirishima gave her an exasperated look. “I guess that’s a no…..” Mina groaned. “I’ve already dated all the guys at the school I had any interest in…. Wait, do you think we can bring off campus dates?”
“Nope, has to be someone from UA due to security issues,” Kyoka answered.
Over the next several minutes the couches started to fill will students. Kirishima sat quietly on the couch thinking about Bakugo and Momo. He was happy that Bakugo was thinking beyond what seemed like his one and only, all encompassing, goal of becoming a top hero. But he was a little jealous. Not towards Bakugo or Momo exactly, but just that his love life being gay was so much more complicated. And that the object of his affection may just be really friendly and not at all interested. He would make steps towards being more blunt. But what if his crush wasn’t gay? “Hey, Kirishima, you okay?” Kaminari asked. “Oh, yeah man, just thinking about the novels test tomorrow.” Kirishima joined in the conversation cheerfully. Hiding the truth was second nature to him now.
Chapter 8: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Momo finally came down with 2 dry eraser markers she ended up having to make herself. Perks of her quirk. She pulled out the large whiteboard and they were ready to start. Bakugo and Todoroki were the last ones to come down and join the meeting.
“Good afternoon Class 3A! Thanks for showing up! Looks like everyone is present. Momo will lead the meeting.” Iida sat down.
“So we called you guys here to brainstorm ideas for the Winter Formal theme. Students will be in charge of decorations so a theme is needed so we can plan. I thought the best thing would be to write down any ideas you guys had and then we can vote. The three ideas with the most votes will be the ones Iida and I will present at the Class Rep Meeting tomorrow evening. So…. What do you guys think?”
“Oh! How about Christmas? Like Christmas decorations and maybe even a small gift exchange? It will be 3 weeks before actual Christmas so it could be fun,” Toru blurted out.
Momo nodded and wrote it down. Momo was thankful Toru had given the first idea. Now they would start rolling in.
“Famous couples in History,” Ochaco said.
“Or famous couples in Literature,” Todoroki replied.
“What about just famous couples and keep it general and leave it up to people’s perspective?” Kirishima added.
“Yeah, it could be fun, like someone can dress up like bacon and their date could be eggs!” Kaminari beamed.
“No!” Ochaco, Mina, and Toru said in unison.
“Winter Wonderland! We could have sparkling snowflakes and sparkling lights, just a lot of sparkle!” Aoyama said enthusiastically.
“What about like a Runway theme? Since we don’t get a chance to dress fancy this could really up the expectations to see some real couture. Hi-end fashion,” Mina shared.
“That sounds expensive….” Ochaco said meekly.
“That sounds amazing!” Yuga Aoyama beamed.
Momo feverishly wrote the ideas down on the board trying to keep up.
“Enchanted Forest, ribbit.”
“Masquerade Ball,” Tokoyami said quietly, Momo barely caught it.
“Safari,” Koji Koda stated.
“Ooooo I like that, the girls can dress up as Furries….” Minoru Mineta said with a shudder.
Mineta was knocked back several feet by a swipe of Ojiro’s tail.
“Fire and Ice,” Ojiro said. “Todoroki could do most the décor, it’d be pretty easy.”
“Candy Land? That would make the refreshments a no brainer and it’d be colorful,” Rikido Sato shared
“This is a great list guys, keep the ideas coming!” Iida commented enthusiastically.
“Maybe a Rave theme? Lots of black lights and neon colors would make it fun on the dance floor,” Kyoka commented.
The students’ volume kept rising, they were chatting back and forth and fleshing out some of the ideas with more details. Momo watched her classmates with a smile on her face. As she glanced to the left her eyes met with Bakugo’s. Had he been watching her? He sat at the very end of the couch, his right arm resting across him, propping up his left elbow. He rested the bottom part of his left cheek on his curled up left hand. The look on his face wasn’t one she had ever seen him make before. It was serious and full of intent. It intimidated her and at the same time it lured her in. Bakugo had never intimidated Momo previously. His at times reckless behavior and his explosive words didn’t make her cower or even blink. She felt he was all bravado and bark. Although his bite was severe, he saved that for villains and criminals. When they disagreed on the battlefield, she never hesitated on calling him out if needed and speaking her mind. But the last 24 hours she had become terrified of him in a different way. Yet she didn’t want to run away. The mixture of emotions churned in her chest and stomach. Exhilaration, fear, vulnerability, and happiness. Bakugo’s lips turned up slightly at the ends. She smiled back hesitantly giving him a quizzical look.
“Earth to Momo!” Kaminari snapped her back into place. She looked quickly at Kaminari. She heard Bakugo laugh.
“Yeah, what’s up?” She answered.
Most of the teens were still chatting excitedly but Kaminari, Kyoka, Ochaco, and Midoriya were all staring at Momo with funny looks on their faces. Oh no, how long had Kaminari been calling my name? she thought. Kyoka and Midoriya glanced over at Bakugo. He was now looking at Kirishima who was talking excitedly with Iida. Momo’s face went scarlet. Kyoka looked back at Momo and had a sad expression. It dawned on her that she had been leaving her best friend out of the loop the last 24 hours. She felt like the world’s worst friend. She would have to make this right. “Momo, add Black and White to the board,” Kaminari bellowed. Momo nodded and added the idea.
After several more minutes and a few more additions, Iida stood up next to Momo by the board. “Attention class! I think we have enough ideas. It’s time to vote.” Iida and Momo grabbed several slips of blank paper and a bunch of pens and passed them around the room. Iida addressed the class, “Write the top 2 ideas you like. The idea on top will get 2 votes. The second written idea will get 1 vote. Momo and I will take the top three ideas with us. Place the slips in the blue basket on the coffee table when you’re done.”
After the votes were tallied by the two class reps, Momo announced the winners. “In third place is ‘Famous Couples.’ Second place is ‘Rave Night.” And first place is ‘Masquerade Ball.’ There were many cheers and jeers. “Great idea, Tokoyami, Ribbit!” The class seemed very excited about the formal. Afterward, they lounged around talking about the décor in case ‘Masquerade Ball’ got chosen at the Class Rep meeting. “Masks should be mandatory!” “The color scheme should be black and gold!” Sato and Midoriya were in charge of dinner and there was much anticipation for that evening since Sato was an excellent baker and cook. He was making a chiffon cake and macaroons and Midoriya was making a Hayashi rice stew under the guidance of Sato of course. Midoriya wasn’t a very good cook so he was happy he got matched with someone as talented as Sato. The living area started to fill with delicious smells. Momo had been straightening up from the meeting, putting away the whiteboard and basket, and the used and unused paper strips into the recycling bin. She had stepped into the kitchen to see if help was needed. She was shooed out by Midoriya. “You always help with dinner, go enjoy yourself for a change,” He said giving her a sly grin as he glanced at Bakugo. She was starting to get tired of the sly “knowing” grins from people. She glanced over and saw the back of Bakugo’s head. He was still sitting on the couch by Kirishima. She saw Kyoka sitting on the living area rug talking with Mezo Shoji. She realized now was as good a time as ever to talk with her. Since she was near the stairway she walked up to the fifth floor and texted Kyoka to meet her in her dorm room.
Chapter 9: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Momo sat crossed-legged on her bed. 3 minutes later Kyoka came in, locking the door behind her. “Thanks for that. If Mina had been with you I would have escaped out the window.” Momo said trying to lighten the mood. Kyoka didn’t look happy.
“I’m sorry. I should have let you in my room last night. I was just really embarrassed and kinda overwhelmed.”
“Well, I would have been embarrassed, too, the way Bakugo asked you,” Kyoka replied in an annoyed tone.
“Actually it wasn’t that, it was everyone talking about me and Awase. Bakugo actually diverted the attention.”
“Well maybe at the moment he asked you, but since then it’s made you both a huge target. Everyone is talking about it. Even Class B and general studies.” Momo groaned. “People are convinced you two have been secretly seeing each other for weeks or months.” Momo now threw herself on her bed and buried her face in her comforter.
“Well? Have you guys?” Kyoka asked a little irritated.
Momo sat up, her face bright red and her black ponytail now disheveled. “No, we haven’t, that’s ridiculous.”
“Okay. Well, that’s what I figured. I mean we spend a lot of time together so I thought I would have noticed a change in your personality or that you were missing from your normal activities.”
Kyoka sat on Momo’s bed and sighed.
“What’s wrong? I promise, he asked me and I was completely surprised. There really hasn’t been anything going on," Momo reassured her.
“But you like him. Downstairs the way you were staring at him…...” Momo cringed. Kyoka continued undeterred, “You aren’t just going with him on a whim. You’ve liked him awhile haven’t you?”
Momo hesitated. No, she had to be honest with Kyoka. She was her closest friend and had confided in her about many things. She felt so lost navigating this new territory on her own and a friend in the know would make this easier. Although now she realized Kirishima could be a great sounding board. Not just being Bakugo’s best friend, but he seemed to know people better than they knew themselves. She had really enjoyed visiting with him earlier that day.
“Yes, I have,” Momo replied looking down at her hands.
“Why?!? He’s just so… Bakugo. He’s arrogant and prideful and… crude! You’re so different from him, it’s so strange. If you’re going just by looks, I mean honestly Awase is better looking!” Kyoka looked exasperated.
Momo sighed. “Honestly I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense but … wait that’s not fair. Yeah, Bakugo is all those things but he is also fiercely loyal and honest. He does the right thing even when it isn’t easy. He’s so focused, he’s really smart, and a natural problem solver. And, he can be gracious….”
Kyoka looked at her doubtfully. “Well that is a side very few have seen.”
“It’s there,” Momo replied softly.
“Bakugo being gracious….It’s still all so weird. How long have you liked him this way?”
A few moments passed until Momo had the will to answer. “Since we moved into the dorms.” Momo said it so low it was barely audible.
Kyoka’s jaw dropped. “That’s was like forever ago!”
“Listen, at first it was just small. I just started to see his good qualities over the negative, but it grew over time. And now… I’m just…. Crazy about him." Momo flopped backward onto her bed looking up at the ivory canopy overhead. Kyoka laid down next to her.
Momo swallowed hard, trying to suppress her emotions. It was a strange sensation, she was normally so calm and collected. “I’ve had these feelings but just pushed them to the side. I thought nothing would come of it. Bakugo has shown zero interest in anyone except Kirishima and I thought, well if he’s gay then I really have zero chance. So it was easy to just talk myself into not saying anything to anyone and it would just eventually die away. Especially once we graduate from UA. We’ll all be scattered over the country. I was so convinced that nothing could happen, so now that’s it’s happening, I’m thrilled and kinda terrified at the same time.”
Kyoka sat up and hovered over Momo. “Bakugo gay?” Kyoka grinned. “That’s an interesting thought…. I would have thought maybe asexual, or is there maybe a sexuality that is attracted to explosions and death?” Kyoka started to laugh. Momo grabbed a pillow and smacked her with it. “Okay, okay jeez,” Kyoka said, adjusting her skewed headphones laughing. “I can’t believe you’ve been carrying this around for so long! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I’m an idiot. I’m sorry Kyoka.”
“No, I just wasn’t a good enough friend. I should have sensed it long before.”
“No! This is all on me, I am good at hiding things. You’ve confided in me about things, I should have done the same.”
“Yeah …. About my silly frivolous crushes, I had such a huge crush on Todoroki the first year….” Kyoka said the last part in an overly wistful voice trying to be funny.
“You and half the girls at this school….” Momo grinned.
“And now Kaminari. He’s definitely not just a crush now, it’s beyond that. But he’s so clueless. Either that or he just isn’t interested.” Momo knew that Kyoka had liked Kaminari for some time. She would talk about it when the two of them were alone. The other girls didn’t know.
“You should tell him how you feel. You’re running out of time. And it’s Kaminari so you have to blatantly spell it out.” Momo smiled.
“Maybe your right. Y’know you were super cute downstairs by the way.”
Momo looked at her quizzically.
“You and Bakugo staring at each other, and Kaminari had called your name like 4 times until you turned away,” Kyoka said with a smirk on her face.
Momo cringed.
“Have you guys held hands… or kissed! Omigawd, I bet he is an amazing kisser! You know the whole explosion thing and his aggressiveness!”
Momo’s jaw dropped. “No! Nothing like that! We’re not really anything other than just going to the dance together. Honestly, I am still not convinced about his… intentions. Plus I thought you said you thought he was asexual…”
“Well yeah… until he proves he isn’t now, so with that in mind, I’m thinking he could be pretty passionate…..”
“No, I can’t even think about it. It makes me almost physically ill from nerves, ” Momo said trying to not seem embarrassed. Kyoka shook her head.
“Well, anyway, I don’t think Bakugo would just ask anyone to something like a dance.”
Momo’s dorm room doorknob rattled loudly. “Oh come on guys! I hear you both in there! No fair! I want to hear!” Mina’s voice whined from the other side.
Chapter 10: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Mina had come up to let them know it was time for dinner and then was moping because she knew they had to have been talking about Bakugo and she missed it.
The three girls headed downstairs. Momo promising her that nothing other than their training session at gym gamma had happened. Kyoka smirked. Momo felt some relief talking to Kyoka. She realized that she needed to perhaps play a little matchmaker herself with Kaminari and Kyoka. It was obvious Kaminari liked Kyoka, but Kyoka couldn’t see it. And Kyoka’s sarcasm and humor were probably being misconstrued by Kaminari sending him mixed signals. This had been going on since first year. It was time for that ship to sail so to speak. Everyone else in the class saw it. As they entered the living area they were met with wonderful smells and loud, happy conversation. Laughter and camaraderie. Class 3A needed this. The whole class was sitting at the dining tables enjoying food and company. Aizawa-sensei was in the kitchen with Sato helping him finish up the desserts. Although he had not been their homeroom teacher since 1st year, Aizawa-sensei was still heavily involved with their class. The last 2 school years he had taken on the position of Combat Coordinator. Instead of being class 1A’s homeroom teacher, he now worked solely with all 6 hero classes twice a week concentrating on combat. This course was added after the Paranormal Liberation Front Battle near the end of their first year due to its need to expedite their hero training specifically in combat. It had been an invaluable addition. Although they did have Hero Class lessons three times a week, administration felt it wasn’t enough due to the hard times they found themselves in as a society. Even though All For One and Shigaraki were no longer a threat, crime was still higher than it had been in years past. And Stain was still at large and his many followers. In Combat Training, a couple of times a month was spent in the class going over tactics but most days it was held in one of the school gyms for more hands-on training. Aizawa-sensei also was still Class 3A’s residential advisor. He spent a lot of time at the dorm and this meant Eri, his adopted daughter, was also present. She would be 9 years old soon. She now was able to attend the local elementary school and was enjoying 3rd grade immensely. Momo saw Eri sitting between Midoriya and Ochaco having her dinner. The three late arrivers served themselves dinner and sat down together near Midoriya. “Hi Eri!” exclaimed Mina. “I haven’t seen you in a couple of days!”
Eri looked over at Mina and smiled shyly. “Daddy’s been busy with some school stuff. He says there is a dance soon and he has been working on things so that it is safe. He said I could go!”
“Oh! That will be fun, Eri!” beamed Ochaco. She nudged Midoriya. “See, it’s gonna be fine. Aizawa-sensei is seeing to it. You don’t need to stress about the dance so much.”
Midoriya rolled his eyes and sighed. “Momo!” She turned her head towards the opposite end of the dining area. It was Kirishima who had called her. He looked at her, shrugged his shoulders, and motioned to the empty chair beside him. Bakugo was on the other side. “Wow, Momo. Kirishima, too? You gonna leave us with any guys for the dance.” Mina grumbled.
“I think it’s a package deal. If you get a Bakugo, a side of Kirishima comes with it for free,” laughed Kaminari who was sitting nearby. Mineta was about to say something but one of Shoji’s appendages grabbed him in a headlock and the other covered his mouth. “Not giving you a chance, Mineta,” Shoji chuckled.
Kyoka leaned in and called down the table, “Nice, Kaminari. You know Mineta has been behaving himself lately. You don’t need to give him ideas.” Oh Kyoka, Mixed Signals…. Momo thought.
Kaminari bellowed back down the table, “What? I was just being funny, there was nothing perverted about it. I think you’re the one with the dirty mind.”
Kyoka rolled her eyes and shook her head. After a few moments, she nudged Momo and smiled. “Go sit. He obviously saved a spot for you.”
With that physical and mental nudge, Momo stood up and grabbed her bowl and water. “Excuse me, you guys,” she said with a quick nod of her head. She walked around the tables and sat in the seat between Bakugo and Kirishima. Ojiro and Toru were sitting across from them. “Hey, Momo! Ojiro asked me to the formal!” Momo grinned ear to ear. “Oh that’s great! Congrats guys,” Momo beamed. Ojiro couldn’t help but grin. Kirishima offered his fist to Ojiro who swung his massive tail dexterously around to “tail” bump him back. “Awesome guys! Guess we’re all gonna have to find time to either buy formal digs or rent. In the next 2 weeks, too. With finals…..” Kirishima said. His statement had started out positive but then flattened out.
“Yeah, and then there’s corsages and boutonnieres. Don’t forget shoes. And jewelry. Also makeup and hair for the girls…. So much to think about! I hope they figure out the theme tomorrow so we have time to plan outfits and accessories. I’m glad it will be the day after finals! That way we can actually enjoy it!” Toru said.
The dinner conversation continued to center around the formal. Bakugo didn’t say anything, but that wasn’t too out of the ordinary. Sometimes if talk got tedious about something he wasn’t interested in he would zone out. He seemed to be actively listening and was relaxed Momo observed.
“Ahhhh look who’s late to the party!” Kirishima bellowed. Many eyes followed Kirishima’s gaze. Shinso had walked in both hands in his pockets looking nonplussed by the attention.
“Heya Shinso!”
“What’s up Shinso?”
“Good to see you, Shinso!”
“I heard Sato was cooking so I couldn’t pass up the invitation,” Shinso replied to his many greeters.
“Hey, you’re welcome, man!” exclaimed Kaminari. Shinso nodded at Kaminari. “Grab a bowl and sit with us, bro!”
Shinso attended class with 3A, trained with them, and technically was on the books as being a member of the 3A Hero Class. However, he had chosen to stay in the General Study dorms. He had made friends and received so much support from the General Studies students the first year it made sense for him to ask for an exception to be made when he had been approved for the hero class his second year. But a couple of times a week he would stop by to visit with 3A, usually for a game night or dinner. Kaminari, Kirishima, Ojiro, and Midoriya were the closest to him from the class so they would be the ones to extend invitations or he would just drop by. Aizawa-sensei also trained Shinso after school a couple of times a week and sometimes he would come back to the dorms with him.
Sato finally was done with the cake and macaroons. Most of Class 3A gathered in the kitchen gushing over Sato’s handiwork. Iida already started to harp on the two students who had cleaning duty, “Sero and Mineta, don’t forget, you have cleaning duty tonight! Don’t forget to bring the trash bins around to the street since tomorrow morning is trash pickup!” Momo wondered how terribly disorganized their lives would be without Iida. He kept them in line.
“I’m gonna see if they need any help cleaning up,” Momo said as she stood up. She felt a hand grab her by the wrist.
“No. You always offer to help every night,” Bakugo said. She turned towards him, he quickly moved his hand off her wrist and then held her hand gently. “Hurry before anyone notices,” He said quietly. Most of the teens were either engrossed in conversation or in the kitchen enjoying dessert. Kirishima and Ojiro were still talking at the table but they didn’t notice Momo and Bakugo slip through the stairway door. Bakugo led Momo by the hand through the stairway exit and out onto the grounds. The night air was slightly chilly but Momo was wearing a sweater and Bakugo a hoodie so they were dressed for it. Momo was walking beside Bakugo. He had not let go of her hand.
Chapter 11: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
After a few minutes walking in silence Momo was curious if they had a definite destination or if they were just going to wander. “So are we just going out for a walk or do you have a destination in mind?”
Bakugo gave her a half-smile and replied, “Destination.” Momo nodded. This made her nervous, but she was equally curious.
“Where? On Campus I hope?” Bakugo nodded. They walked in silence for another minute.
“So….” Bakugo said suddenly, “you gonna start having the daily study sessions?”
Momo nodded. “I think I’ll start Wednesday. That will give a full week of sessions before the final.”
“I can help,” he said.
“Sure, I’d like that.” Iida had helped her teach a few times, but normally she taught alone so this would be nice. As long as he didn’t scare off the students Momo thought to herself and smiled.
“So…. You ready for the novels test tomorrow?” he asked in a gruff voice.
“Yes. The ones we’ve read this block were pretty easy. Quick reads, too, which has been a nice break from the previous block.”
“Yeah,” Bakugo replied. “So….. “ after several seconds Bakugo exhaled aggressively.
“You okay?” Momo asked becoming worried.
“Yeah… I just suck at this.”
Momo was confused, “Suck at what?”
“Small talk. It’s exhausting,” Bakugo said under his breath.
Momo laughed lightly, “You don’t have to make small talk with me. Honestly I think some people talk too much.”
“Well in that case get used to a lot of quiet walks then.” Bakugo answered. So this is one of many walks together then? She thought. She blushed in the twilight. Her head felt dizzy and her body flushed hot which made her shiver in the cold. Bakugo must have noticed because he stopped, let go of her hand, took off his hoodie and handed it to her. Momo started to shake her head, “Not taking ‘No’ for an answer. I run hot anyway. Part of my quirk,” Bakugo said flatly. She gave him an exasperated look but pulled the sweatshirt over her shivering frame. “Pre-heated for you, too.” The hoodie was a deep green color and had round orange reinforcements at the elbows. The hood was orange, too. It color coordinated with his hero costume. She had noticed him wearing the sweatshirt the Sunday before when he had returned to the dorm after visiting his family for the day. His mom maybe bought it for him? Momo had thought at the time. It was very warm and soft and smelled nice. He took her hand again and they continued on. They were no longer walking on sidewalks now but on grass.
“We’re headed towards Ground Omega,” Momo stated. Bakugo nodded. They walked a little father until they made it to a large white observational building that towered over Ground Omega. It was a training ground their class had used a few times the last couple of years. It had hundreds of acres of dense forest surrounded by a fence. There were a few rocky outcroppings that towered above the tall, mature trees.
“Okay… hop on.” Bakugo took a couple steps ahead of her and looked up towards the white building. It was several stories high.
“Um… what?” Momo asked confused.
“Hop on… like a piggy back ride.”
Momo’s heart raced and she became self-conscious. She couldn’t move. Bakugo sighed and walked back to her. He grabbed one of her hands, turned away from her, and guided her arm to where it draped over his shoulder. He held her right forearm at the front of his neck. Momo now moved her other arm over his other shoulder. She wrapped both arms around his neck. Bakugo now extended his left arm out to his side. “Leg, Momo.”
She hopped on his back and looped her left leg over the crook of his elbow. “Sorry, I’m really tall and a bigger girl. I’m probably heavy for you.” He locked her leg tight against him with his arm.
“Don’t apologize. You think I’m too weak to hold you? That’s ridiculous. You’re fine. Hold on tight.”
He lowered his right arm, palm facing the ground. A blast erupted from his hand and they shot into the sky. Momo couldn’t help but let out a noise of apprehension. Bakugo cackled. For some reason out in the dark and not under the pretense of training, taking off with Bakugo now was a bit more fear-inducing than when he rescued her from barreling into the stone wall. Momo saw the top of the building was about 30 feet away now. They had shot up most of the distance in just a couple of seconds. He extinguished the fiery blaze from his hand and moved his right arm out in front of him. Why did he extinguish the blast? Just timing the landing just right? Is he okay? Before Momo could think another frenzied thought, they both slowed their speed immensely and Bakugo’s feet nimbly met with solid ground. Momo immediately released her death grip around Bakugo’s neck and lowered her slightly shaky legs to the ground. She ended up falling backwards onto her bottom. “Careful, you’re still pretty close to the edge there,” Bakugo said.
“You could have warned me we were going to take off like that. That was slightly terrifying.” Bakugo grinned as he offered his hand to help Momo up. Momo took his hand and then fell immediately back down, her hand slipping off of his slick palm. He laughed.
“Oh, sorry. Happens sometimes,” he said trying to suppress more laughing. He wiped his hand on his pant leg and offered it to her again. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
He grinned at her mischievously. She dared to take his hand again. He pulled her up and they both stood on the roof of the Ground Omega observation building and looked out over the immense fenced in forest below.
“Okay so look….” Bakugo raised his arm and pointed his finger out in front of him, his face looking towards Ground Omega. He leaned his head really close to hers so that their gazes were similar. His right cheek almost touched her left cheek. A tuft of his blond hair brushed against her ear. She swallowed nervously. “….right there.” He was still, his arm outstretched, finger pointing. Momo tried her best to follow the line he had created out to the grounds to see what he wanted her to see. The full moon illuminated the forest enough for her to make out a large ornate gate at the fence line of the east side of the complex. The writing at the top of the gate she could not make out but she recognized the drawn figure of Principal Nezu.
“That gate looks similar to the exit gates for our very first practical exam. When we fought against our teachers,” Momo stated.
“Yep. It says ‘Escape Gate,’” Bakugo answered a smile on his face.
“So, we’ll be going up against the teachers again!” Momo exclaimed looking at Bakugo.
He had a large grin on his face, “Yeah, I can’t wait. We’ve all come a long way so they’ll need to increase the challenge a ton to make it worthwhile. I hope this time it’s one student versus two teachers!” There was fire in his eyes, you could almost hear his battle-ready thoughts. Bakugo turned his head to look at Momo. They were still standing very close to each other. She felt his breath on her face. He suddenly dropped his grin and had a strange look on his face. Momo recognized that face because it mirrored how she had been feeling the last 24 hours. Excitement, trepidation, hopefulness, and terror, but terror seemed to be the overriding emotion playing on his face. This face wasn’t one he often wore. His usual repertoire consisted of a furrowed brow framing intense, harsh eyes and a mouth that switched back and forth between a sneer and a smirk. But now his eyes were wide and vulnerable, and his brows worried. His mouth was neutral and slightly open as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t get the words out. Momo thought of Kirishima’s words from earlier in the day. Why didn’t you ever say something to him sooner? We got, like, 5 months left of school. She wasn’t going to waste any more time. She buried her fear, leaned towards him, and their lips met.
Chapter 12: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
After a while, Momo pulled away smiling. “We should….we should probably get back before they send out a search party,” she said breathlessly.
Bakugo had his arm wrapped around her, his hands resting on the small of her back. Momo’s arms were wrapped around his neck. She ran one of her hands through the hair at the back of his head. It felt coarse and was surprisingly very thick. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back with a slight smile on his face as if the sensation was slightly ticklish but pleasing to him.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” Momo said sheepishly.
“You and a lot of other people.”
“Did they all lose their nerve?” she asked with a laugh.
“Many have died for a lot less. ” He lowered his head and opened his eyes. In the moonlight his pupils didn’t look red but a warm brown. It made him look less fierce Momo thought. She lowered her arms from around Bakugo. He immediately grabbed her in a bear hug, lifted her off the ground, and took several steps until placing her gently on the roof floor. Momo enjoyed the enthusiastic embrace. It had gotten much colder and he was so warm. “At this rate we’ll never return,” she said wistfully.
Bakugo peeked at his watch over Momo’s shoulder. “It’s only a few minutes after 8:00 PM… curfew for our class is 9:00….“
“Yeah but we’ve been gone close to 45 minutes. People may have noticed we’re not there. And neither of us have our phones. Aizawa-sensei has the rule if we leave the dorms we have to have our phones. Plus, isn’t 8:00 your usual bedtime? We should head back sleepy boy,” Momo smiled.
“Nah, bedtime’s 8:30, but I’d be willing to lose sleep for you.”
“A sacrifice you're willing to make?”
“Anytime,” He squeezed her tightly. “Fine, we better head back.” He said dejectedly.
A loud noise escaped from Bakugo’s mouth that was somewhere between a whine and a yell. It made Momo jerk from surprise and then laugh. At times he seemed more animal than man. He let go of Momo and walked over to the edge of the roof facing back towards the dorm. Momo joined him.
“Oh wait… no way we’re going down the way we came up in the dark. I can make something. Mini hang-gliders. A belay kit…. Or a really long rope ladder…..”
Bakugo scooped up Momo in his arms and jumped off the roof laughing wildly. She frantically wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and suppressed the urge to scream. She shut her eyes tightly and braced herself for a crash landing. She heard and felt Bakugo’s fiery blasts. She could feel the heat from the explosions on her legs and back. The force pushed them upwards at intervals in small bursts. She mustered up the bravery to peek. His left arm held her knees tightly against him and he used his right hand to send blasts down below. They were seconds away from the ground but they were coming in fast. “Don’t let go this time, I’ll protect you when we hit, just go limp,” Bakugo bellowed. Before they made contact with the thick grass below, Bakugo changed his grip on Momo and wrapped his arms around her. They hit with a thud and rolled together across the damp grass. After many rolls they finally stopped. Momo was on her back and Bakugo was above her laughing.
“That was so reckless… “Momo managed to squeak out, her heart racing and feeling like it was in her throat.
“It was fine. I’ve practiced that too many times with Kirishima since my rescue repertoire sucks and I needed some different moves. He’s still alive. You’re a lot softer and lighter than Kiri so it was easier with you.”
“Not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult. You make me sound like a weakling,” Momo said with a shaky laugh.
“You’re not a weakling, Ponytail.”
She lifted her hand up and touched his face. He suddenly dropped his puckish expression. His face became serious. Momo wrapped her arms around his neck lowering him towards her and they kissed.
“So…. Softer and lighter, huh?” came a voice several feet away. Bakugo sat up quickly looking alarmed and Momo followed suit. Kirishima was walking towards them a few feet away shaking his head. “For being the smartest students in class 3A you guys didn’t really think about the aftermath of disappearing suddenly after dinner.”
Bakugo sighed and stood up. He grabbed Momo’s hand and helped her to her feet. “It’s impossible to get a moment’s peace!” Bakugo bellowed.
“I tried to distract them. Said you had gone to bed early Bakugo, which was believable. Once the girls found Momo’s room empty and Kaminari dared to open your door, (Momo heard Bakugo mutter ‘dead man’ under his breath), well the ruse was up. Both of you left your phones on the kitchen table. I told them y’all probably just went for a run or walk. But Midoriya and Todoroki were worried that something bad might have happened since it was ‘out of character’ for you both (Bakugo muttered ‘Idiots”) to be gone so long at night. And the lack of phones you know is a big “no-no.” You’re supposed to be reachable at all times after class hours due to safety. So I said if I wasn’t back with you both in 10 they could send out a search party. Mineta and Mina are completely ready to “find” you guys.”
“Yeah, I bet they are,” grumbled Bakugo.
“I heard blasts and Bakuyells from this direction so, you're welcome. You don’t have to be ‘found’ by Mineta. I’m sure he would have done more watching and less finding if he had come across you 2 in the grass….”
Momo made an anguished sound of disgust.
“Thanks, Kiri,” Bakugo said quietly.
“Yeah, thanks a bunch Kirishima,” Momo agreed.
“Anytime guys. You’d do the same for me.”
The trio talked about the discovered gate at Ground Omega on their walk back. Kirishima and Bakugo found it Saturday after school when they went for a run on campus and noticed some noise from the forest. Bakugo blasted them both to the top of the observation tower and they discovered workers putting up the large gate. They decided to keep it a secret for an advantage in case there was any kind of point system. “Well, guess Bakugo made an exception for you Momo,” he chuckled under his breath. The 3 of them entered the dorm through the front entrance. Bakugo had taken Momo by the hand for their walk back. As they entered the dorm Momo knew what implications the hand holding would incite if everyone else saw it. They would no longer be two friends who were going to the Formal together. If Bakugo wasn’t concerned, it was time for her to join him in his brazenness. It looked like most the class had headed to bed, thankfully. Shinso was on the couch on his phone. Eri was curled up next to him asleep. Mina, Kaminari, and Mineta were sitting around the coffee table on the floor. There was a board game on the coffee table, but it had been long forgotten. Todoroki, Ochaco, and Midoriya were sitting at one of the dining room tables. Iida was in the kitchen most likely going over the cleaning to make sure it was adequate and to do a better job if needed.
“Where have you two been?!” Mina blurted out as they entered the living area.
“None or your business, Pinky.” Bakugo stated.
Mina gave him the stink-eye. Kirishima walked over and sat on the other side of Shinso on the couch. “They were just out for a walk, guys. No need to sound any alarms,” Kirishima stated simply.
Bakugo leaned towards Momo and whispered, his voice more rough and sand-papery in it’s hushed tone, “Not many people stayed up. I think we’re starting to be yesterday’s news. Nothing to worry about anymore.”
Todoroki walked up to them both, expressionless, and handed them their phones. “Goodnight,” he said flatly and headed towards the dorms. He looked a little disappointed thought Momo. Perhaps he was secretly hoping that something had happened to them and that they could have taken action. Todoroki had seemed very restless of late. He seemed less focused, maybe these few months of peaceful times were making him feel he wasn’t fulfilling his purpose. He had mentioned this at breakfast earlier in the week. His brother, Toya, was still at large. Todoroki very well would not feel a moments true peace until his brother was brought to justice. Midoriya nodded to them both and headed up after Todoroki.
Bakugo shook his head and sighed. “I really wish he would stop looking after me all the time. It used to really piss me off but now it’s just annoying.”
Momo squeezed Bakugo’s hand. “I think that is a hard fact you’re gonna have to put up with the rest of your life.” Bakugo made an annoyed noise.
Ochaco walked up to them and put her hand on Momo’s upper arm. “Sorry guys. They were both pretty worried. I kinda figured, well… that you guys weren’t in any danger. But you know how stubborn those two are. Well goodnight!” Ochaco said brightly and then headed towards the stairway.
Momo turned to Bakugo, “I’m gonna check with Iida about the calendar, are you gonna head up to bed?”
“Yeah.. but I’ll wait for you, we can walk up together.” Momo let go of his hand and smiled. She went into the kitchen to see if Iida had made up the calendar for the next week.
“Yaoyorozu, Bakugo.” Momo and Bakugo turned their heads towards the voice. Aizawa-sensei was standing near them. Eri was holding his left hand and rubbing her eyes sleepily with her other hand. “Not having your phones when you’re away from the dorms after school hours is normally a mandatory 1 day suspension. Since this is the first time for you both, consider this a warning. Don’t let it happen again.”
“I’m sorry Aizawa-sensei. It won’t be repeated,” Momo replied.
Bakugo nodded, his face neutral. Aizawa-sensei’s stern face softened for a second and he shook his head, a barely perceptible smile on his face. He turned to Eri, lifted her up into his arms, and walked out of the dorm, Shinso on his heels. Momo and Iida planned out the next week’s calendar for breakfast, Saturday and Sunday dinners, and cleanup. They both leaned against the counter, Iida going through the planner to figure out whose turn it was and Momo writing on the large calendar they kept on the kitchen wall with a blue dry erase marker. Tomorrow morning Aoyama was on the list for breakfast. Momo smiled. That meant they would be having crepes for breakfast tomorrow because that was what Aoyama always prepared. It was her favorite breakfast made by a student in the dorm. She decided she would make something nice for Aoyama as a gift. Iida placed the planner in the kitchen drawer, said goodnight to Momo, and went upstairs. Momo walked over to the sink and adhered the large calendar to the bare wall, lining up the Velcro strips.
As she lowered her arms she felt someone’s arms wrap around her waist from behind and it caused her to jump. Bakugo rested his head on her shoulder, his face touching hers. Her heart began to race and she held her breath. “You’re taking too long. I think you and Iida have done this class rep thing long enough. Let Midoriya and Todoroki do it,” he said low and gruff.
Her mouth twitched and she smiled, “Or maybe you should do it,” Momo replied.
“That’s funny. Sure. Imagine me running one of the class meetings,” Bakugo said irritated. She felt eyes on them. Probably the few students that were in the living room when they arrived, although she heard more voices now, Sero’s and Ojiro’s. The cat was out of the bag now with all the PDA. The class got used to Midoriya and Ochaco and they would get used to them, too, Momo supposed. She turned and grabbed Bakugo’s hand and they headed towards the stairway. They went up the 5 flights of stairs and he walked her to her dorm like he said he would. She opened her door and turned around leaning against the door jamb. He raised his arm above his head, resting his elbow on the door frame and leaned in close to Momo inches from her face. There was no longer any fear in his eye like there had been at the observational tower. His mouth, slightly smiling, was no longer uncertain. Momo blushed deeply and now with the sweater and hoodie, coupled with being indoors, and Bakugo’s proximity, she was unbearably hot. He leaned in, kissed her gently on the cheek, spun around and walked away. She stood there watching him retreat and she realized that her daily life would no longer be the same now. So much had changed in 24 hours.
Chapter 13: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
The stairway door closed quietly behind him. She quickly closed her dorm door. She was so overheated she could barely breathe. She took off her sweater and hoodie together at once. It dawned on her that she had Bakugo’s hoodie. She would have to give it back to him in the morning. The black slacks she was wearing also came off and she tossed those on the floor. She checked her thermostat, changed it from heat to cooling, and lowered it until she heard the A/C click on and the air burst forth. She turned off the lights and plopped on her bed with nothing but her under clothing on. She took her hair tie out and let her long, black locks fan out around her. She inhaled and enjoyed the cool air on her hot skin. She closed her eyes and tried to empty her mind. She laid there in the dark and quiet for a few minutes and started to drift to sleep. Suddenly she heard a knock, but it wasn’t coming from her dorm door. She opened her eyes and sat up lightning fast. She looked around in the darkness, thinking perhaps it was some other noise or maybe someone was knocking on Tsuyu’s door down the hall, although that was highly unlikely. She waited. After several seconds she heard the faint knocking again and it was coming from her patio door. She had drapes that were drawn across the glass sliding door panels so she couldn’t see who it was. But she had a pretty good idea. Her heart that had finally settled was now beating like hummingbird wings. She bounded off her bed and took a few steps toward the patio doors but then realized she was only in panties and a bra. “Oh no!” she whispered. She grabbed the hoodie/sweater bundle off the floor. The sweatshirt would cover more so she pulled the sweater out of the tangled mess and slipped the hoodie on. She walked over to the drapes and put her hand on the magenta colored brocade fabric. Her hand was trembling. She tried to steady her breathing and pulled the drape back. Bakugo was standing on the other side of the glass. He was illuminated by the full moon behind him. This caused a shadow to fall over his face making it look hard, unreadable. Or maybe this was the expression he was making. He was wearing the same baggy olive colored cargo pants he had on earlier, but now over his torso he only wore a white sleeveless undershirt. A thin silver chain hung around his neck. It threaded through something small and square shaped that rested on his chest over his heart. He wore this from time to time, she recognized seeing the silver chain around his neck, but he kept whatever hung on it tucked under his shirts hidden from anyone’s view. She looked over at the handle of the sliding door. She unlocked the latch and opened it.
Neither of them moved. The night had become very windy and bursts of air suddenly whipped around Momo. A few long tendrils that framed her face lashed about her eyes and chin. A storm was coming in. He was standing so still amongst the backdrop of undulating tree tops and rolling dark clouds. It was strange to see him like this, the lack of movement. He was always in motion, if he wasn’t walking, running, bounding, or flying through the air, he was tapping his foot, cracking his bones, or thumping a pencil on his desk. The physical manifestation of the thoughts that were surely racing through his head constantly. She reached out and pulled him into the room by his hand.
She closed the sliding door. The room was now freezing. She took a few steps and adjusted the thermostat so the ac shut off. The hum of the machine died and now she could hear the wind whipping around outside and the beating of her own heart. The trees rustled wildly, sounding animal-like. She grabbed his hands with hers and pulled him to where the moonlight lit up his face. His expression was still rigid.
“Couldn’t sleep,” he said quietly. His low rumble of a voice cracked slightly at its whispered volume. His vocal cords were not used to anything but bellowing most the time it seemed. Her eyes dropped to the object hanging on the silver chain. She reached out and took it in the palm of her hand. It was a small green printed circuit board. She looked at it quizzically wondering why he would ever wear this. Then, it hit her.
“I created this…. It’s from the receiver for the tracker I made…. When you were kidnapped…..” Her breath came out in ragged bursts. Her eyes filled with tears. Why had something so simple touched her so? She wrapped her hand gently around the small totem. She had so much she wanted to say to him. About her growing feelings the last 2 years, about the card she had saved and treasured that he had made for her. He had created something for her because she had created something for him. Or at least that was how she saw it now. This meant so much to her, but how to put all of those things into words? They were feelings she had collected, at times buried, to only excavate them when she couldn’t bear to be without them anymore. They would be polished and made more vibrant than before. There were no words for this or at least none she could articulate. Bakugo clasped his hand around hers and laid it against his chest. His face had softened, his brow relaxed. He wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her gently towards him into a tender embrace. Now that she wasn’t facing him, it was a little easier to slow her irregular breathing and to stop her tears. She also decided it was easier to speak, so she would try her best. “There’s so much I want to tell you…that I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time.”
“Same.” He said hoarsely. She felt the word rumble in his chest as he spoke it. Her face pressed against his, her chin resting near the crook of his neck. She was barefoot but he had his shoes on and was now a few inches taller than her. His bare skin was very warm to the touch. They stood like that for awhile, Momo trying to organize the jumbled mess of thoughts in her head. She stepped away from him and let go of the circuit gingerly. She took him by his hand to the bed. “Sit,” she said and then she went to her chest of drawers. He obeyed. She opened the top drawer and retrieved the card. She, then, sat next to him and handed him the card. He took it, flipped it over, and then opened it. He smiled.
“How did you know?” she asked.
“Know what?”
“That this is my favorite flower.”
“Phalaenopsis Aphrodite,” Bakugo said matter-of-factly. They sat in silence for some time. She realized pulling things out of Bakugo if he wasn’t ready to give it up was an exercise in futility. She had patience though. She pulled her legs up on the bed and wrapped her arms around them. Bakugo still had the card in his hand.
“The day after the sports festival our first year, you wore one in your hair.”
Momo thought back to that time trying to recall the details. Her first Sports Festival. She had been so upset she had lost to Tokoyami. She had kept a brave face the rest of the day, cheering on her classmates. She remembered how disappointed she was that Todoroki had lost to Bakugo for first place. And embarrassed at the way he had behaved throughout the whole event. Well, not his performance. He had been brilliant. But in the words he had said when introducing their class. He was so arrogant. So self-centered. And his behavior when presented his medal was so dishonorable. She remembered her parents were so shocked that he was a student at UA. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind. That night when she got home from the festival, finally free to let her emotions out, she had wept. Her mother had comforted her, reassuring her that she was capable of doing anything she set her mind to. That she would have more opportunities to shine. And Momo had. That night when she went to her room, there was a vase of her favorite flowers on her desk with a written note from her dad. “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” The next day she had worn one in her hair to school.
“When you walked by Jiro to get to your seat before class started, she said the orchid in your hair looked nice. You told her it was your favorite flower and your dad had gifted you a vase of them the day before.”
“Did you know what kind of orchid it was then?”
“You’re asking all the right questions, huh?” He sighed. “Fine. I’ll give it up. No. I had no clue that day. But by the end of that night, I did. I read about orchids. I now know a ridiculous amount about orchids because of that morning more than two years ago. You could have made my life a lot easier if you had just mentioned the kind it was to Jiro.”
“Why did you want to find out about it?”
“I don’t know why. Well, I mean at the time I didn’t. What about you, Momo? Why’d you keep the card?”
“What do you mean by ‘at the time’?” Momo’s heart was racing. He had slipped up and she wanted to know desperately. Could he have been longing for her all this time as well?
“Why do you have the card in such a hidden place, Momo? It’s also worn at the seam and edges. It’s been handled a lot. For a card with such a simple message…. Why?” His words that were playful before were now becoming a bit aggressive and his volume had increased.
Worried he was being too loud and they would be discovered, she shushed Bakugo. “Don’t shush me.” He said. She couldn’t read his tone now. He always sounded a little belligerent, even when he was joking. Was he being playful or was he becoming angry? If he was angry, why? Was he embarrassed? Momo felt defensive suddenly and reached for the card in his hand. He lifted his arm to the right moving it out of her reach. Her mouth dropped open shocked by his actions. She tried to grab it again. He leapt off the bed. He started snapping the middle finger and thumb of his left hand creating sparks and brought it under the card. “No!” she exclaimed as she leapt off the bed and tried again without success to take it back.
“I’ll burn it up if you don’t answer my questions,” Bakugo said steadily. His face was serious. He wasn’t joking or teasing. It was a threat. She let her arms drop to her sides.
“You take things too far, y’know?” Momo replied. “I’m done. Just burn the damn thing.” Momo felt ill. She turned away from him, climbed up on her bed and sat cross-legged, facing away from him.
Momo wanted to cry but she would not do it in front of him. She would wait for him to leave. She had been so foolish. He really was still that hot-headed boy from their first year. A ticking bomb that would inevitably run into a catalyst and blow-up affecting everyone in its wake. She thought back to the Sports Festival their first year. A mean-spirited bully bound to the pillar. First place medal forcibly placed around his neck. Fighting against his bonds like a crazed animal. All because he didn’t win the way he wanted. Like a petulant child. She listened for his movements. She assumed he would leave. She waited.
“I’m….. sorry, Momo.” She heard movement towards her and out of the corner of her eye saw him place the card on her nightstand. She didn’t move.
“I’m an asshole. I got defensive because of your questions. I don’t know why, well, no I do know why. Because I can’t help but think these actions, these stupid feelings,” he said the last 3 words in a nasty growl. He paused a bit before continuing in a normal tone “….. are a sign of weakness.”
“They’re not,” Momo replied sharply not looking at him.
“I know that!” Bakugo spat back. He took a deep breath and sat on the bed, his back to her back. Minutes passed. ‘I’ll make this up to you. I’ll tell you everything. After our very first week at UA, I realized you were the smartest, most capable student at school. You had called out all those bouts we had with our first lesson with All Might perfectly. I wanted to match you. Surpass you. I thought those feelings were just that, wanting to learn from and best a worthy opponent. But that started to change. The week before our first mid-term exams, I realized that you were in my thoughts all the damn time. When I woke up in the morning before I fell asleep each night. I found myself looking for you during training sessions. At lunch. I mean I didn’t say much to you, but…. then I realized I wasn’t improving as quickly as Deku. I thought it was because I had developed these….. feelings….. for you. So I buried them. And then after the… camp training…..” He paused for a bit before continuing.
“I’ve never said this to anyone, not even Kiri. But when I was kidnapped, that was literally…. The most scared I have ever been in my life.” His voice had cracked at the end of his statement. Momo slowly and quietly shifted and turned her body around, still remaining cross-legged. She was looking at the back of his spiky head now. “I was putting on my usual show for the League of Villains and Shigaraki, but unlike most times that I truly didn’t give any f*cks, I was terrified. I knew I wouldn’t give in to them. And that meant they would kill me when they figured that out. I was sacrificing myself for my principles and proud to do it. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t on the verge of sh*tting myself. So when you and the other idiots rescued me because you made that second receiver…. You saved my life Momo. No way All Might and Gran Torino would have gotten me before the warp gates took me away with the League. I would have been Nomu fodder a week later.” He sighed. “I wanted to tell you how much what you did meant to me, but I was too chicken sh*t to say it to your face. So I drew the orchid and wrote thank you. I thought you would think, “oh, that’s nice,” and toss it in a bin. But I put my heart into it anyway. And then come to find out, you’re an idiot just like me. I was sus of you when you slipped a copy you made of that card under my door last night. All this wasted time. 2 years. And now because I’m an idiot trying to burn up something important to you because of hurt pride….. sh*t… I screwed this all up…. “
Momo didn’t move. Bakugo stood up and walked to the door. He put his hand on the handle. “Forget about the last 24 hours. Go with Awase to the formal. Have a less screwed-up life,” Bakugo said in a low rumble. He opened the door letting the harsh winds outside blast their way in. Momo had to decide. If Bakugo left, if this ended their future relationship before it even had a chance to begin, her life would be easier. She could be with Awase or someone like him. Someone who was predictable, even-tempered, and respectable. Someone who wouldn’t hurt her with harsh words and actions because of their lack of self-control. Someone she could marry and have a family with. Someone to spend the rest of her life with. Bakugo had matured since the Sports Festival their first year, but tonight showed her he still had a long way to go. He was still a wrecking ball. A bomb with a short-fuse constantly on the verge of blowing up. He stepped through the open patio door and closed it behind him. Momo threw herself on her bed and wept.
Chapter 14: Bakugo
Chapter Text
Bakugo climbed over to the adjacent patio next to Yaoyorozu’s. He then lowered himself down to the patio on the 4th floor. He walked through the empty dorm room and peeked down the girls wing. It was empty. He went to the stairway entry and walked down the boys wing to his room. He really hoped Kirishima wasn’t there waiting for him. He was sure Kirishima had a million question for him about Momo and the last 24 hours. They had not spoken in private since Saturday afternoon. Now with everything going up in flames he really didn’t want to talk about it or see anyone. He opened his door and it was empty. He quickly shut it locking it behind him. He dropped on his bed and stared at his ceiling. He started counting backwards from 10 quietly. His heart began to race, “10……9……” he felt his face grow hot “8…………” he took a deep breath, “7………..” he rolled on his stomach grabbed his pillow, buried his face into it and screamed for a couple of seconds. He rolled back on his back gasping. “6…….” He took deep breaths. He didn’t want to think. He was wound so tight and had no way to release his rage. “5………” He heard 3 knocks come from the wall his bed was pushed against. Kiri had heard him. His room was next door, they shared the wall between their beds. 3 knocks meant, “What’s up? Should I come over?” He knocked back twice. That meant “no.” Somehow this simple communication assuaged his anger. “4…..” He was angry about what he had done. There was no one to blame but himself. He had held something fragile and sacred in his hands. Something he had been waiting to hold a very long time. And when it was placed in his hands he immediately crushed it mercilessly. It couldn’t be fixed. He tried to say 3 but his throat had closed up. Tears were running down his face. The rage was finally quieting. Sadness was taking up its place. He heard 2 fast knocks on his dorm door. Anger inched back up.
He had told Kiri “no.” He didn’t want to talk. He rushed over to the door and opened it angrily. Big, alert, dark brown eyes stared into his. Momo was standing there, a strange pair of goggles in her hand. She was still in his hoodie and was now wearing black leggings. “Um…. Can I come in? Before someone sees me?” she whispered. Bakugo couldn’t move or speak. Momo hesitated and then pushed past him into his room. She looked around his room appearing very uncomfortable. Bakugo closed his door. Momo looked at the floor and then moved away from the mound of parts taking up most of his rug. “Um… I was working on my gauntlet….” Other than the parts on his floor, his room was pretty basic and tidy. He immediately turned away from her and ran his hand over his face to wipe the tears away. He felt his face flush. He turned back towards her but couldn’t meet her gaze.
“So you talked a lot before you left. Now it’s my turn,” She said quietly. She sat on the foot of his bed. “I need to apologize, too. I was goading you about the card. You completely overreacted, but I did press you and I know you don’t like that.”
“Momo….”
“No, let me finish. I need to say this all now or I won’t be able to get through it.” She fidgeted with the goggles in her hand. “I couldn’t stand you when we started school our first year. You were crude and obnoxious. Honestly you still are. I remember the ride over to the USJ. I was actually nauseated with the blown up conversation between you and Kaminari. That’s how out of control you were,” She had pulled the strap out from the goggles by accident. She sighed. Bakugo put his hand out for the goggles. She gave them to him and he placed them on his desk. Momo took a deep breath, “Anyway, overtime I realized you were starting to be very aware of how your actions, your quirk on the battlefield especially, affected others. You actually were more mindful of it than Todoroki that first year. It made me realize you had a method to your madness. That you had more substance than we gave you credit for. Just like you looked at me as a contemporary to strive to beat, I felt the same towards you. But after the camp incident….. You were so brave. I know you said you were scared, but you still stood your ground with All for One and his villains. When you left me the card that first night in the dorms, it made me realize you had a side most of us don’t ever see. And I wanted to see more of that. My feelings continued to grow for you. But I would bury them. I just didn’t ever see that anything would be possible with us. With the last two years we have had, who has time to cultivate anything meaningful when we were always fighting for our lives and the lives of others? So I settled for our morning breakfasts. I mean, I know Iida and Todoroki are there, too, but you and I have sat next to each other the last 2 years almost every morning. It’s been my favorite part of the day for as long as I can remember. And I thought that I could be happy with just that, but then yesterday you asked me to the dance. And then you kissed me.”
“Nope.”
“What?”
“I didn’t kiss you.”
“Yes, you did.”
“You kissed me.”
“Oh…. Yeah, I guess I did. I didn’t think you had the nerve back at the observation tower. You looked terrified,” Momo’s face and tone didn’t make her statement seem like she was teasing or being facetious. She was being blunt and speaking truths.
“I was.” Someone seeing his vulnerability and then talking about it so freely would normally make his blood boil. But she wasn’t doing it to get the upper hand. She was just right. He had been terrified. This was new territory for him and for her. He knew he had to tread lightly if he didn’t want to wreck things again. He still wasn’t sure if Momo would continue seeing him like this. Even if she had feelings for him it didn’t necessarily mean she would act on them. She was a logical person and he was extremely difficult. “You could have rejected me up there. But you were ‘sus.’ Because of the replicated card,” Keep it light Bakugo. Don’t let things get too deep. That’s where you get in trouble, he thought to himself.
“I was ‘sus.’ I see,” Momo smiled, her eyes weren’t sparkling though. She was still sad. His hope had ignited when she showed up at his door, but he didn’t want to celebrate too soon. Maybe things did need to get heavy again. He owed her that. He was the catalyst, by asking her to the dance, then the study session, the training session, then the walk. But she had been the one that had been guiding this thing along the last couple of hours into deeper waters.
“You were more brave than me, Momo,” he said quietly, all joking aside. “So what now? For us?”
“Let’s continue doing.. whatever we were doing before you went all… ‘precious object destroyer’ earlier.”
He walked over to his bed and sat next to Momo. He turned to her and met her gaze. “I’ll try my best to not hurt you again.”
“That’s all you can do,” she said in a small voice. She was right he thought. He would inevitably blow up again try as he may. She could either blow up back, which was highly unlikely with her personality, or develop a thicker-skin. He laid back on his bed and reached his hand out for her. She looked at him skeptically. Then she looked around his room again and blushed deeply. “Maybe I should go…. I’m in a boy’s room after curfew.”
“I’ll behave. Come here.” His hand was still extended. She placed her hand in his and he pulled her towards him. She laid next to him, her head resting on his shoulder his arm wrapped around her. He placed his other hand on his chest and he felt the cool chain against his skin. He ran his hand down the chain and grabbed the circuit in his hand. “It’s like having you with me” That was why he wore it. It was something she had made. It was a part of her. Momo sat up and crossed her legs facing Bakugo. She grabbed his hand and opened it. She held the circuit in her hand. He had been so surprised by her reaction earlier when she saw it. He realized he had revealed a lot more than she had at that moment in her room. At first it made him feel good, that openness. But when she started to ask questions and he started to feel embarrassed to have exposed so much of himself, he had gotten defensive and angry. But now it didn’t matter, it was out in the open now. “How did you even get this?” Momo asked bewildered.
Bakugo now sat up and positioned himself across from Momo so she could get a better look at the circuit. “At some point that night you had given the receiver to Kiri to hold in his pocket. During the rescue, maybe when he broke through the wall, he busted it. When we got back that night and we went to the police station he pulled the pieces out of his pocket realizing it had gotten broken. I told him I’d throw them away for him. By then, I knew about what had happened. Kiri had told be everything about what you guys had done to get me out of there. When I threw the parts away I felt… inclined… to save a piece.” Saying it out loud made him feel foolish, but at this point his bare underbelly was exposed so why not go all the way. It was an odd feeling for him. He rarely shared any of his deeper inner thoughts. Just the aggressive, smart-ass ones. Momo let go of the circuit. She held her hand out in between them. Bright colorful lights emitted from her palm and then left a necklace and a pendant in their wake. Bakugo took the pendant. It fell apart in 2 pieces that lined up perfectly. The outer shape were familiar figures. They alternated between the harsh triangular lines of Bakugo’s head piece from his hero costume and the petals of Momo’s favorite orchid. One half had engraved in Romaji a large “K” and the other half a large “M.” When connected together and flipped over it had the date 11/24/2179. Yesterday’s date. Bakugo opened his mouth to say something, but was at a loss for words. This was an important moment. She had decided to continue to deal with his difficult ass. And she was making it official. His heart started to race. Momo’s face blushed a deep red. “I’m sorry if it’s kind of corny. You don’t have to. I just made it on a whim. It’s platinum so should stand up to a beating.” Bakugo took off his chain and threaded the pendant through and reconnected the ends and looped it back over his head. Momo took the other half and threaded it through the newly crafted chain and then tried putting it on but she couldn’t clasp it. It looked like her hands were trembling too much. “I’ll get it.” Bakugo said. He ran the chain behind her neck, she shivered at his touch. He tried not to grin. He brought the ends together in front of Momo. She had made the chain shorter than his so she couldn’t pull it over her head. “Sorry, I just thought shorter for me would make more sense so when I create stuff it won’t hurt my pendant.” Her face went even more scarlet.
He attached the tiny clasp and gently let go of it. Their eyes met. Bakugo hands that were still near Momo’s body now reached out and held both sides of her face. She gasped, her eyes were wide open and she looked afraid. He was beyond this fear at the moment, buttressed up by school boy pride. He “got the girl” so to speak. He tried not to feel too smug about it, but couldn’t help the half-smile on his lips. He looked fixedly upon her face. Her soft dark brown eyes lined with thick black lashes. Her porcelain skin, her expressive brows. She was beautiful and intelligent. She was born to lead, yet she was kind. She was serious and sure of herself. And no-one could strategize like she could on the battlefield. She was amazing to him in every way. Yet now in his grasp she was vulnerable. He had to be careful or he would lose her. She would not put up with harsh words and mean-spirited actions. Suddenly, his thoughts changed from immature conceitedness to feeling humbled she had taken a risk by choosing him. His expression changed to one of seriousness. Momo exhaled, her breathing tremulous. He leaned in and kissed her forcefully.
Chapter 15: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
About half an hour later Bakugo was laying on his back, Momo curled against him, her head resting on his chest. It was getting close to midnight. Her lips felt oddly numb and she had butterflies in her stomach. The act of kissing she thought, although seemingly repetitive, didn’t become boring after a half hour. Bakugo also seemed to be very good at it, although she had nothing to compare it to. She was embarrassed to realize that the kiss on the observational building roof had been her first. She wondered if Bakugo had ever kissed anyone else like he had kissed her. She decided not to risk any questions just now. Whatever the case, she felt he would put in the effort to not be hurtful with his words and actions, but she realized she could help the process by not pushing him. Momo could be a bit forceful at times with her statements and questions, be it tutoring, leading a training session, or even on the battlefield.
“So… am I your first kiss?” Bakugo asked hoarsely, a smug smile on his face. She reached her hand out to his chin and pulled his face towards her, kissing him gently. “Yes. You were reading my mind because I was thinking about that very thing.” She would ask him since he opened the door. “What about you?”
“No.” He looked surprisingly disappointed. “I kissed a couple of girls in middle school.” She had heard stories from Midoriya about how popular he was in middle school. Guess it made sense. “But it was nothing like this.” He sat up and pulled her towards him and they kissed again. More time had passed and Momo’s eyes glanced passed Bakugo and saw the green numbers on his clock. She disengaged mid-lip lock. “It’s 12:30!” she exclaimed. Where did all the time go? “We have to be up in less than 6 hours. I should go…” She stepped off his bed. “Nooooo…” Bakugo groaned holding on to her arm. She slipped it out of his grip. She grabbed the goggles off his desk and fixed the strap so she could wear it. “What are those?” Bakugo asked.
“Oh. They’re infra-red goggles. I used them to see if anyone was standing in the hallways or on the stairs.” She gave an apologetic smile. “Probably not the most considerate thing for the students on the 4th and 5th floors….”
He started to get off the bed. “Nope!” Momo said holding her hand out towards him. “If you walk over here, we’ll make out again for another half hour.”
He stayed seated on his bed. “Then I’ll have to walk you to my door, so another half hour.” Bakugo said grinning.
“Then you’ll want to walk me to my door,” Momo said simply.
“Then I’ll have to go in your dorm room, so I can go back through the patios. The goggles aren’t really my style. By then, I might as well just sleep over….” Bakugo gave an even more impish smile.
Momo’s cheeks flushed. “Stay put. I’ll see you in the morning then?”
Bakugo knew if he walked over to her, she wouldn’t leave. And they had a long day tomorrow. It was a double training day as well with Cementoss and Aizawa. “Fine….”
“I’ll see you later then,” Momo walked to the door.
“Good night, Ponytail,” Bakugo said sadly.
“Good night, Katsuki,” Momo said with a smile. Bakugo grinned. She quickly put on the goggles and opened his door closing it quickly, yet quietly behind her.
She made it back to her room with no incident. Everyone had been asleep except Kirishima. He was sitting at his desk she assumed and looked like he was reading a book. Poor thing she thought. He must have been trying to finish the novel they were having a test on later in the day. Momo opened her door and half expected to see Bakugo laying on her bed. It seemed like something he would do. But her room was empty. She pulled off his hoodie and tossed it on her chair. She climbed into bed exhausted but also brimming with excitement. She hoped she would be able to fall asleep.
*
Her alarm blared loudly at 6:30 am. She hit the off button and sat up. It took her a few seconds to fully awaken and a few more seconds longer to remember that the things that had happened yesterday actually really happened and weren’t some strange dream. She sat up eager to start the day. She grabbed her bag of toiletries and her backpack and decided she would shower before breakfast. Breakfast! She thought. Aoyama would be making crepes and she had decided on the gift to make him. After crafting the items, she placed them in a decorative bag that she also constructed. She started to feel sick and slightly dizzy. She had made items on an empty stomach which wasn’t the wisest choice. She searched in her desk for a granola bar and ate it on her way down the stairs.
After showering and changing into her school uniform, she went to the dining area. Aoyama was cooking in the kitchen. She placed her bag and backpack at her usual spot. Only Todoroki was up early, the book they were to be tested on in his hands, studying. He nodded to her as she pulled the decorative bag out of her backpack “Good morning Todoroki,” she said brightly. She walked into the kitchen. “Do you need any help Aoyama?”
“No Ma che’re! I am almost done!”
Momo looked at the counter and saw many thin crepes he had meticulously made in his own crepe pan. He had different fillings, one cheese based and savory, one cream based and sweet, and one chocolate spead. He had also cooked up sausage and had fruit cut up for toppings as well.
“This looks so great! Thanks so much. I made you this little gift. I just really love your breakfasts. You by far make the nicest one out of the whole class. It’s my favorite.”
She handed Aoyama the bag. He gasped and put his hand on his heart. “Merci beaucoup, Momo!” He took the bag from her and took out the items. She had made him two slim spatulas. She remembered him mentioning what a terrible state the dorm’s spatulas were in. He used them to make his crepes. It was the best tool to lift the tiny thin sheets of deliciousness off the pan. The dorm’s spatulas had all been slightly burned and warped by the other very novice cooks in their class so didn’t do the best job.
One of the spatulas she made him had a bejeweled handle of many sparkling gemstones. The rubber spatula piece was purple with a pinkish, glittery effect running through it. The other spatula had a handle that looked similar to Aoyoma’s protective glasses he wore for his hero costume. It was red with an almost feathered design at the end of the handle. It had a shiny and reflective surface. “These are the most gorgeous spatulas I have ever seen! Magnifique!” Aoyama gave her a hug before returning to his pan. He was excited to immediately put his new toys to use. He told her he only had to make a few more crepes, but everything else was done and she could help herself. She made up 2, one chocolate and one savory, and got a couple of sausage links and fruit to top her chocolate crepe. She sat down saying hi to Iida who had just sat down.
“Morning Momo. Ah crepes! Come on Todoroki, we need to load up. Lots of protein in this breakfast for our double training today. It’s the second most important meal of the day!” The two boys went to fix their plates. Momo ate her breakfast wondering where Bakugo was. Maybe he would sleep in due to staying up late last night. She kept watching the door waiting for him to arrive. Todoroki and Iida sat back down with their plates and Momo finishing up, decided to go over her lesson plan for Wednesday’s study session. She got out her Calculus book and started flipping through the first section they had that semester.
Most their class came down over the next 20 minutes. “So Momo, we’re meeting in General Studies Class E Dorm for our Class Rep meeting today, same time as always 4:15 PM,” Iida exclaimed before taking a gulp of water from his glass. As Momo looked up from her book and turned her head towards Iida to respond, Bakugo suddenly threw himself in his chair and locked lips with her. Iida’s eyes bulged and he suddenly spit out his water. Todoroki and Momo took the brunt of the spray. Bakugo laughed raucously. Iida started to apologize profusely and offered up his unused napkins to his friends. Todoroki made a comment under his breath about it being too early in the day for any kind of PDA. Momo was flustered, took Iida’s napkin and wiped her face and then the exposed pages of her text book. Todoroki shook his head and left the table. “I’m sorry Todoroki…” Iida called after him. He sighed and raised a disapproving eyebrow at Bakugo. Bakugo cleared his throat trying not to smile.
Momo turned towards Bakugo. “You better get breakfast, most the class has come down. There is probably very little left.” Bakugo nodded and went to get a plate. Momo looked at Iida. He looked a little peeved, but smiled.
“Guess this will take some getting used to. If you are happy Momo, then I am happy for you.” Momo smiled back. “I know Bakugo and I don’t see eye to eye, but he is very serious when it comes to anything he puts his mind to. He has my respect as long as he has yours.”
“Wow. Thanks Iida. That means a lot,” Momo answered.
Iida nodded at her. He gathered his things and headed upstairs. Bakugo sat down with 2 plates that had 2 crepes each. He placed one in front of Momo.
“I already ate.”
“You have combat training and PE today. Cementoss is doing endurance training this morning for PE. Which means you better eat a ton.” Momo smiled and happily obliged him. The two quickly ate their breakfasts and cleaned up after themselves before heading to homeroom. The way they rushed one would think they were going to be late, but they would be some of the first students there and would be atleast 10 minutes early.
Chapter 16
Chapter Text
Hero course students always had their Hero course teacher as their home room. The homeroom class was only 15 minutes long and was more of an announcements/ hero course bookkeeping/ scheduling class. School announcements and hero course information was relayed here. It was also a time to go over work study schedules with their hero course teacher so their teacher could communicate with the other teachers’ whose classes they would be missing due to their work studies. This class was also important because they went over any changes made to how pro-heroes could operate. In the recent year, these changes were frequent, almost weekly, because of the shift in trust towards pro-heroes. They were being kept on a tighter leash at times, but then many pros would turn around and push back to get certain rights back. It was frustrating and involved a lot of paper work. The students of 3A were all licensed heroes and normally bookkeepers and secretaries in pro-hero Agencies would handle this mess, but since they were at school, it was left to their hero course teacher.
Class 3A’s second year Hero course teacher, Gushiken-sensei, was a no nonsense, nose to the grindstone kind of man who had taught at UA for over 2 decades. He had a similar approach to leading and teaching that Aizawa-sensei had. He had a bit of a temper though which was something they weren’t used to dealing with because Aizawa-sensei seldom raised his voice to their class and if he did so it was never out of anger. Their third year hero course teacher was a turn in the opposite direction from both Aizawa and Gushiken. Ayumu Ahane was warm, funny, and upbeat. She was around the same age as Aizawa-sensei, but seemed much younger due to her personality. She talked very fast and expressively, always was running late to class, and at times could get easily distracted. But she was very passionate about getting the third years ready for their future lives as pro-heroes. She was also known as the pro-hero Echo. Her quirk was the ability to copy another quirk if it was used within 50 feet from her. She had about a 2 minute window to activate the quirk once copied and then could use it for up to 5 minutes. This made her not only a powerful hero but made her even more valuable on a team. She had worked for many different hero agencies over the last decade and had even travelled to other countries to work abroad. She was a graduate of Shiketsu High which made her an interesting addition to the faculty seeing as Shiketsu was UA’s biggest rival. Along with being 3A’s homeroom teacher she also taught the hero course 3 times a week. Since all the hero classes now had training twice a week focusing on just combat via another teacher (Aizawa), the hero classes focused more on pro-hero laws, pro-hero history, rescue missions, and other pro-hero related concerns like media presence, handling themselves in public, and general hero etiquette. Twice a week the class was held in Ahane’s classroom and once a week it was held in one of the gyms or the USJ for hands on training.
Hero Class 3A Schedule
Mon Tuesday Wed Thursday Fri Sat
Home 8:00 – 8:15 Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom Home
1 8:20-9:10 Japanese-novels Japanese Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa-novel
2 9:20-10:10 Math Hero Math Hero Science Japanese
3 10:20 – 11:10 Japanese English English English English English
4 11:20-12:10 Science History History History History History
Lunch 12:10 – 1:00
5 1:00 – 1:50 Combat Math Combat Math Hero Math
6 2:00-2:50 Combat Elective Combat Elective Hero Elective
7 3:00-3:50 PE Science PE Science PE Science
Chapter 17: Part 2 : Glow Up
Chapter Text
Part 2: Glow Up
Kirishima
Kirishima was glad the school day was over. He was walking back to the dorms from the main school building. The training session in PE with Cementoss had been great for him after bombing the novel test. Very cathartic. He hadn’t finished the book the night before and it was great to let out his frustrations. He had been teamed up with Midoriya for the endurance drills and it was great to work on his “Unbreakable” move. He could hold it for about 10 minutes now and with Midoriya’s attacks he was really able to work more on his agility in his special moves state since Midoriya was so fast. In Calculus, he was completely lost in today’s lesson but his spirits were renewed when his team consisting of Iida, Tsuyu, and Bakugo had won in combat class against several pre-programmed robots. They weren’t allowed to use their quirks so it had been a challenge. They also had to only cause minimal damage to the city setting they were working in.
He kept having a feeling of apprehension throughout the day and had realized part of it was because he hadn’t had a chance to talk to Bakugo alone since he and Momo started “dating.” He had heard her voice in Bakugo’s room the night before. It had been a strange night. He knew Bakugo hadn’t been in his room for about half an hour after curfew because he had knocked hoping they could study together and he had not answered. He assumed he was with Momo. Then he had heard him return through their shared wall. He had heard his muffled screams which happened from time to time and it made him worried. Had something happened between him and Momo already? He had knocked to see if he could come over, but Bakugo knocked back he wanted privacy. Then shortly after he heard Bakugo’s front door open and close (the joys and annoyance of having very thin walls) and several minutes later heard Bakugo’s voice speaking so he assumed Momo was in his room. Then he heard her laugh later. This surprised him. They seemed to be moving very fast. It made him realize that perhaps he didn’t need to waste any more time as well. He thought maybe he could talk to Momo and get some advice since she was the only one in their class who knew his true heart. But he hadn’t even gotten to talk to Bakugo alone since Saturday afternoon so fat chance he would get Momo alone. They had become each other’s center of attention. He had felt a little abandoned by his best friend. It was bound to happen. Momos before Bros Kirishima thought.
He felt his arm being grabbed as he walked. It was Mina. She looped her left arm around his right and looked up at him with her big black glistening eyes. “Kirishima…. Could I talk to you for a moment?” She looked serious which worried him.
“Yeah, what’s up?” She looked around them suspiciously. No one was near them on the sidewalk. “Could you be my wingman? Pretty Please?”
“Yeah, I can do that, sure.” He answered a bit confused.
“Yes! Thank you! Okay, I decided who I want to ask to the Formal. I just need you to come with me so I don’t lose my nerve…. “
“Yeah, I’ll go with you,” He answered with a grin. Kirishima was just thrilled she had decided on someone and wasn’t focusing on him for ‘back-up.’ He adored Mina as a friend but he had other plans for the Formal.
“So where is this guy?”
“He walked to the library. Probably in a private study pod. I’m so nervous!”
“No worries. Let’s go get you a date!” Kirishima said enthusiastically.
They entered the library and Mina walked over to the library sign-in sheet and scanned the signatures while Kirishima waited. “Okay, he’s in pod 3C. He’s alone it looks like. Oh! I’m so nervous!” She was shushed by a group of students studying nearby. “Sorry,” she mouthed at them. They walked up the spiraling stairs to the top floor of the library. As they approached 3C, Kirishima turned to Mina and placed his hands on her trembling shoulders. He was surprised by her nervousness, it was very unlike her. “You got this Mina,” he said in hushed but enthusiastic tones. “Fill yourself with confidence. Come on…. Show that fighting spirit. Let me see it!” Mina smiled weakly. Kirishima scrunched up his face, “Try again!” he whispered giving her an encouraging nod. She took a deep breath and stared at Kirishima, a determined look flashed across her brow. “There you go!” Kirishima ducked out of sight from the doorway to the pod. He stood against the wall a couple of feet away. Mina looked down at her uniform and straightened her skirt. She took a deep breath. She looked towards Kirishima and he gave her 2 thumbs up.
Mina knocked on the door. Immediately afterward she ran to Kirishima. “I can’t do this! What do I do!?!? Let’s run… wait… can you kill time with him until I get my nerve back….” She started to push Kirishima towards the door. Kirishima shrugged, he had no idea who her mystery man was, but he could talk to anyone and he knew every single student in their grade by name.
“Okay, gather your resolve!” He walked up to the door. It swung open inwardly. He was met by a pair of confused, sleepy indigo eyes. Kirishima’s heart sank.
“Oh. Kirishima?” quietly sounded the deep voice of Hitoshi Shinso.
“Heya, Shinso.” Kirishima’s voice came out shaky making him feel further embarrassed. He couldn’t help the blush that slowly started to spread over his face. He felt it and hated himself for it. Shinso’s eyes that usually appeared disinterested in everyday interactions, now looked more open and alarmed. Shinso gave a slight smile, put his hands in his pockets, and leaned against the frame of the doorway, closing the gap between them by a couple of feet. Kirishima didn’t open the distance by stepping backward. He swallowed hard and scrambled for words. He never had issues talking yet his words were escaping him, dodging him at every turn.
“What can I do for you?” Shinso asked. There was an eagerness in his voice that belied his usual aloofness. This subtle change in Shinso’s demeanor finally gave Kirishima the resolve he needed. He would do this. He would ask him. Suddenly Mina popped in between the two of them. Kirishima had totally forgotten about her. He stepped back reluctantly.
“Hey, Shinso!” Mina said enthusiastically. Shinso took a step back, a surprised look on his face.
“Mina?” Shinso looked at her and then at Kirishima. Kirishima looked down at his navy crocs.
“So… I was wondering…” Mina was twirling a piece of her hair around her finger. She continued with a smile on her face, “If you aren’t already going with anyone, would you go to the Winter Formal with me?”
“Oh.” The ends of Shinso’s mouth went into a slight frown. “I’m sorry Mina. I think you’re… pretty… cool and all, but I’m not interested in going to the Formal. With you. Sorry.” He really DID look sorry. Kirishima thought. But he couldn’t help to have his own spirits lifted. Did that make him a bad friend?
“No worries!” Mina answered, a big grin on her face. “We’ll get out of your hair!” Mina grabbed Kirishima by the forearm and she scurried away. Before he was swept away, Kirishima’s eyes met Shinso’s. There was a look on Shinso’s face but Kirishima couldn’t understand it. It was kinda sad, but it wasn’t passive. It was…. expectant maybe?
Mina and Kirishima were walking down the stairs of the library. “Oh, that was so awful,” Mina said quietly.
“I’m sorry, Mina,” Kirishima said.
“That’s the first time I’ve ever been rejected! Feels bad, man.”
As they found themselves walking on the grounds heading towards their dorm, Kirishima heard Mina sniffle. “Ohhhh heeeeey,” Kirishima pulled Mina into a hug. “It’s okay.” She continued to sniffle quietly into his chest. “Aw Mina. I know how it feels.” He comforted her for a minute. She let go of him and looked up at his face.
“You know you’re really sweet Kiri. If you weren’t like a brother to me, I’d be all over you.” Kirishima chuckled. He wrapped his arm around her and they walked on.
“Chin up. You know you’re the cutest girl on campus. Someone will ask you. I’m pretty sure MANY people will ask you. Just be patient.”
“I know,” she said sadly wiping away her tears. Kirishima couldn’t help but smile at her utter awareness of her position of privilege. She was really popular among the student body and she knew it. “I just have really had my eye on Shinso the last couple of weeks. He’s been coming to our dorm more lately. He interacts with everyone more than he used to. He’s been kinda playful, smiling more. During the last 2 game nights, he was so adorable. When you guys were wrestling over the last spoon, it was so funny! I mean you getting into the games is a given, but I was so surprised to see him taking it more seriously. Normally he just watches us play.” Kirishima knew exactly what she was talking about. Kirishima had hoped Shinso had been flirting with him. They had been playing a game of spoons and they had both gotten the right cards and grabbed the last spoon at the same time. They had then rolled on the ground and had wrestled for it. Kirishima had let go, letting him win. Mina continued, “Because of how he’s been acting I thought maybe he liked someone in our class. I really thought it was me. Oh, his smile and those eyes…. He grew like 2 inches over the summer. He’s just so tall and handsome, and the way he carries himself. Gawd. He’s so confident, it kills me. I know he’s a good guy, but he has this edge to him, ya know? Like he’s a little bit evil, just enough to make him interesting, not a bad guy or anything. It makes him kinda, I don’t know… exciting…mysterious? Maybe even a little dangerous? This really sucks. He obviously has someone he’s thinking about if he turned me down. She’s a lucky girl.”
Kirishima thought it was weird that he could relate to Mina so keenly. He had very similar feelings towards Shinso he realized after she spoke about it. He knew he had these feelings but had never really thought about them in such detail as she had. Especially the thought about Shinso having an air of dangerousness that made him seem almost forbidden to think about in a romantic way. Or maybe Kirishima felt that way because he was gay and if Shinso reciprocated his feelings that meant that he was gay, too. Well, Shinso was possibly bisexual. He had dated a girl in class-B the year before for a few months. Or maybe he was just straight and Kirishima was wrong. There was a demographic in their society that still looked down on hom*osexuals. Like they were abominations. In his heart, Kirishima knew this wasn’t true, but when he heard slurs against any queer groups he couldn’t help but have it hurt his heart.
They got back to the dorm and Kirishima went up to change. Bakugo was stretched out on his bed lying on his stomach his English textbook laying in front of him. “Hey man, was wondering when you were gonna surface,” Kirishima said with a grin.
“Yeah, been a bit pre-occupied”
“That’s one word for it. Late-night company last night?”
“Sorry man. If it happens again, we’ll move to her room. She doesn’t have any next-door neighbors.”
Kirishima shrugged. “So. You and Momo? Color me completely surprised by that.”
“Yeah.”
“You’ve been acting kinda off the last couple of weeks. That why?”
Bakugo nodded. “Clock was ticking. The formal was kinda a godsend. Although I really don’t want to go. But it seemed the best way to get things started.”
Kirishima chuckled, “You asked her to an event you don’t want to go to. Nice. You must really like her. Wait. Have you liked her for a while now?” Bakugo sighed and made an irritated noise.
“Okay dude, you don’t have to answer. I know how touchy you get about this kinda thing. It’s cool. So how come you’re not hangin’ with Momo now? You guys have been inseparable since Sunday. Kinda intense but since it’s you we’re talking about it’s not surprising.”
“She had that stupid class rep meeting.”
“Oh, so that’s why you’re here with me. I see,” Kirishima grinned.
Bakugo looked up at him and actually looked slightly apologetic. “Bakugo, it’s fine. If I was in your position I’d be doing the same thing.” Kirishima’s phone vibrated in his back pocket. He checked the text. It was from Shinso.
“What’s up? Something bad happen? You look serious,” Bakugo said giving him a questioning look.
“No, everything’s fine.” He sat on the other side of his bed pushing Bakugo’s legs out of the way.
Shinso H: Hey
Kirishima’s stomach did a backflip. The two of them had texted back and forth before. But it was just Kirishima inviting him over to stuff at the dorm. That was happening long before Kirishima had started developing feelings for him. And all those texts were always initiated by Kirishima. His phone displayed the three dots to let him know Shinso was in the process of sending him another text. He waited for it to come. The three dots disappeared. Kirishima was disappointed. He would have to text him back. But what to text? He had no idea. The three dots appeared on the screen again. Then the text came through.
Shinso H: I’m sorry about turning down Mina. I hope she wasn’t too upset. I know you both are friends. Please tell her I’m sorry.
Kirishima: She’ll be fine. Nice of u to check on her.
So manly… thought Kirishima. Checking on her like that. Kirishima sighed heavily. Bakugo who had bent his legs at the knees to give Kirishima a place to sit, now brought a foot down and kicked Kirishima in the head with his socked foot. “What’s wrong?” Bakugo muttered, not looking up from his English textbook.
“Nothing,” Kirishima answered back absentmindedly. He swatted Bakugo’s foot and leg out of the way. He waited for the next text.
Shinso H: What’s 3A doing tonite?
Kirishima: Nothing special. Probably a lot of studying.
Shinso H: Ok
Come on Eijiro! He thought to himself. You can do this! He remembered Momo’s words. “You should ask this guy to the formal. Or at least let him know how you feel.” He couldn’t offer to help Shinso study, he was a much better student than Kirishima. But….
Kirishima: How r you doing in Calculus? Did you understand today’s lesson?
Shinso H: Yeah. Better than last week’s. Do you need help?
Kirishima grinned.
Kirishima: Yes
He held his breath waiting for him to reply.
Shinso H: I can come over to 3A dorm. Maybe after dinner? I’m on my way to train with Eraser right now
Kirishima: Sounds great. Thanks!
Shinso H: See you later then
Kirishima stood up and started going through his drawer. He kinda hated all of his clothes, he had wanted to go clothes shopping for months but any free time he had he spent it with his friends or studying. So many tops were worn and coming apart. Even though he didn’t activate his quirk usually when he wore his street clothes he felt he was somehow more tough on clothes than most. He pulled a black tank out and a red and black plaid collared short sleeve shirt. Black cargo pants? Why was he overthinking this?
“Damn Kiri, you deaf?” Bakugo had been trying to get his attention for a bit it seemed.
“Oh sorry, what’s up?”
Bakugo was sitting up now looking at him quizzically. “What’s going on? You’re acting weird.”
“Nothing. Just gonna take a quick shower before dinner.” Kirishima grabbed additional items, threw them in his duffel bag, and headed out of his room leaving the baffled Bakugo behind.
Nope just gonna leave it natural…. Kirishima thought looking at his reflection after he had blow-dried his hair. He was in desperate need of a haircut. Because of his quirk, his hair around the frame of his face and the top of his head stayed shorter than the rest. His hardened skin had a ridge around the frame of his face leading to his scalp so the hair there was more likely to be damaged and break off than the rest of his hair. He would style these in his usual spikes but the back had gotten so long. He put product into it to give it a textured, spiky appearance but he now had layers that were chin-length, some layers that touched his shoulders, and the longest layers that fell between his shoulder blades. So they didn’t stick up like the top of his head or the fringe around his face. He rarely ever wore his hair natural without product except for if he showered right before bed. Time to be daring and try something new. He ran back up to his room to drop his things and grab his school backpack, before heading to the dining area. A few students were making their dinners, two of them were Bakugo and Momo. Kirishima wasn’t surprised they were already by each other’s side. Some students were sitting at the tables eating meals, some homemade, others picked up from lunch rush. Kirishima wasn’t hungry, which was very unlike him. “Hey Kiri, where you been?” Kaminari asked. He was sitting with Kyoka and Mina and they were eating their dinner.
“Living the life man. Gonna hit the books,” Kirishima answered walking past them.
“Ugh, don’t mention studying, you’re a buzz kill!” Kaminari bellowed at him. Kirishima grinned back. He went to the living area, put his Calculus book on the coffee table, and sat crossed-legged in front of it. Midoriya and Ochaco were sitting next to each other on the couch across from him on the other side of the table. Midoriya was whispering something to her, his face serious. Her face had a slight smile on it and she closed her eyes and leaned towards him, her face touching his. Kirishima looked away. It was a private moment between then and it felt uncouth for him to keep looking at them. In those moments he had glimpsed of them, it was like they were the only two that existed in the dorm to each other. They had a way about them like they knew what the other was thinking, what the other would do at any given moment. Their bond was strange, it seemed so strong considering how young they were and how short they had known each other. Could he ever have that with someone else?
“Hey Kirishima, I like your hair. It’s gotten so long the last several months!” Ochaco said.
Kirishima grinned at her.
“Oh! Your team did such a great job today in Combat Training. Congrats.” Ochaco added brightly.
“Thanks. Yeah, it was a fun exercise.”
“Fun? Well, I’ll have to go back to the drawing board. It should have been stressful and challenging,” rang out Aizawa-sensei’s voice as he walked by them. He was heading to the dining area. If he was here that meant…. He saw another Calculus book slide next to his. He looked to his right in time to see Shinso sit cross-legged next to him and give him a smile.
“Calculus. You guys are brave. I refuse to even look at it until Thursday.” Ochaco said wearily.
“We should start studying Wednesday, hun. If we don’t we won’t have time to cover it all,” Midoriya said.
She sighed.
“So. Which problems were you having trouble with?” Shinso said in low tones so only Kirishima could hear.
“Well, the second part of problem 3…”
Chapter 18: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Momo and Bakugo sat at the dining table and ate their dinners. Aoyama had saved her the leftovers of the crepes. She was thrilled. Toru sat next to Momo, the excited energy she exuded though invisible was palpable. “Any word on the theme?!?” She asked happily.
“Not yet. There was a tie so the presidents are working it out. The vice-reps were dismissed. When Iida gets back we should find out.” Toru sighed. Momo wondered where he was. It was close to 5:30 and she didn’t understand why it was taking them so long.
After cleaning up their dishes and wiping down their spots at the table, Bakugo wrapped Momo in a suffocating bear hug. “Gonna go for a run. Wanna come with me?” he asked his low, raspy voice sounded near her ear. She smiled. They had not had any time together most of the day except for dinner. They had walked to their classes hand in hand but weren’t able to have lunch together since Bakugo always grabbed something on Mondays and ate it on his walk over to Combat training to help Aizawa-sensei. He had become an unofficial assistant due to his experience in battle over the last 2 years. Momo also grabbed a sack lunch but instead went to the library to study.
“I better wait for Iida,” Momo replied reluctantly. Bakugo made an annoyed noise, but let her go, kissed her on the cheek and headed up the stairs to change. Momo walked over to the couch and saw several students already gathering to socialize or study. She saw an empty space on the couch behind Shinso and Kirishima. It looked like they were working on Calculus together. Momo quietly got her books out and started on her world history notes.
About 15 minutes later Iida returned looking rather annoyed. Toru met him near the front door. “Well!?!” She asked eagerly. Iida sighed.
“Yes, yes, a decision was made.” He walked over to the living area where several students of Class 3A were located. “So the formal will be a Masquerade Ball.” Cheering sounded from a few of the students. Iida continued slightly flustered. “Apparently one other class had it as there top choice as well. But two other classes had “Under the Sea” as their top choice so it took a while and a lot of arguing to agree. Then we had to decide what class would be in charge of what aspect.”
“Iida, you should have called me. I would have come to help.” Momo interrupted.
Iida made a dismissive gesture, “No, it was fine, we drew the assignments randomly, although, again, there was some contention…no worries though. Class 3 A will be in charge of half the refreshments.” Ojiro was standing by Sato and he gave the latter a hearty pat on the back.
“Good thing we have Sato!” Ojiro said with a grin.
Sato gave an enthusiastic nod. “I have a ton of ideas!” he replied.
Iida continued with his announcement. “We will be teaming up with General Studies, Class C, to decide on the food and beverages. Ah Shinso,” Iida had just noticed him, “this will work well, we can use you as a middle man if you don’t mind.”
“Sure thing, Iida,” Shinso said steadily, a slight smile on his face.
The next several minutes had Toru and Mina talking about dresses, Ochaco every now and then would look at them longingly and then go back to her Calculus book. Momo smiled to herself. She tried to study as well but also was letting her mind drift to the formal. She noticed Kirishima had not been his boisterous self with the announcement of the formal. He seemed to be very invested in his Calculus. Momo noticed his hair wasn’t styled its normal spiky texture. The sections around his face fell forward now like bangs and the rest was a beautiful wave of soft tresses. Momo wanted to say something complimentary to him about it, but he seemed to be concentrating intensely and she didn’t want to interrupt. He and Shinso were talking back and forth in low tones. Momo tried not to eave’s drop but she was so close to them. It sounded as if Shinso was helping him with some problems.
Momo felt a pang of guilt. Normally Bakugo would help Kirishima study, but now Bakugo was preoccupied with her. The noise level gradually went up as more students came to the living area and learned about the theme and the refreshment assignment. She noticed Shinso lean in very close to Kirishima, bringing his mouth inches from Kirishima’s ear and whisper something. Shinso returned to his book and flipped a page. Kirishima’s face blushed a deep red. Momo could not help but stare. What was going on here? A few seconds later Kirishima looked at Shinso, leaned towards him and whispered something back. She noticed Shinso slightly lean forward as Kirishima retreated. Shinso ran his hand around the back of his own neck, a posture he took frequently. He cleared his throat and a smile spread on his thin lips. Momo tried to keep her focus on her book, but the boys in front of her were too distracting. Was Shinso the one Kirishima had been wanting to ask out? Was this a kind of study date?
Shinso started gathering his things and placed them in his backpack. He slung it over his shoulder and walked towards the kitchen. Kirishima followed suite throwing things into his worn backpack. He met Momo’s eyes. She glanced over at Shinso’s retreating figure and then back at Kirishima and gave him a questioning look with a smile. Kirishima broke into a toothy grin ear to ear and nodded at her. He followed behind Shinso. They both entered the stairway, presumably to study in Kirishima’s room.
After a couple of minutes, Kaminari asked, “Hey where did Shinso go? Wasn’t he sitting by Kirishima? We need to get a message to General Studies.”
Momo answered back, “Oh, Kirishima went up to his dorm to study and I think I saw Shinso leave the dorm, probably headed back to General Studies residential hall.”
Kaminari shrugged, “I’ll text him then.”
Momo smiled. She returned back to her books. She was so distracted earlier, now it was time to get serious about her study plans. Bakugo would most likely shower and change after his run and she worried he would become a big distraction as well once he showed back up. She had to make this time count.
Chapter 19: Shinso
Chapter Text
“Oh come on! Pleeeeease?!?” Kirishima grinned broadly. He and Shinso were sitting on Kirishima’s bed, Calculus books and notebooks open but completely forgotten the last few minutes. Kirishima was being very persistent and not backing down from his request as he kept pressing Shinso.
Shinso shook his head back and forth. “Nope. I’m still surprised I’ve never brainwashed you being in the same class and training as much as we have the last year. Especially considering how much you talk,” Shinso gave him a wry smile.
“Some of us use brains on the battlefield. You and I aren’t the best match up one on one anyway. I’m defensive and offensive melee in group fights anyhow and you’re mid-range offense so…” Kirishima shrugged, “makes sense you’d keep your distance if you’re smart and I’d keep my mouth shut. I just want you to use it on me so I can see if I can break it. Midoriya’s the only one at the school whose will was strong enough right?”
Shinso nodded. Kirishima crossed his legs in front of him and sat up tall. He motioned towards himself with his hands, “Come on Shinso! Please? I can break it. Do your best!” Shinso looked at Kirishima and couldn’t help but have his heart melt a little bit. He believed Kirishima to be the kindest, most pure of heart person he had ever known. In some ways it was easy to think Kirishima was naïve. He had thought just that the first several months after joining Hero Class A. But as Shinso got to know him better he realized it wasn’t that Kirishima was naïve, it was just he believed in people, saw their potential, and was so optimistic. Shinso thought that letting Kirishima down would have to feel like the world’s worst crime because that would be almost impossible. He believed in everyone. He also was always in the corner of your ring so to speak. And if things got too dicey, he would fight for you emotionally, verbally, and physically. Shinso had become attracted to Kirishima physically several months ago, but over the last month, he felt that subtle change start to take place in his heart.
Shinso sighed, “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll brainwash you to sit there for 1 minute. The shorter the time constraints the easier it is to break so I’ll give you a bit of an advantage.”
“Awesome, man! Okay so when…..”
Kirishima’s face went slack. His eyes dilated making his red irises almost invisible with the eclipsing of blackness from his pupils. He stared past Shinso at nothing. Shinso didn’t like doing this but he wanted to please Kirishima so had relented. Although now that he saw him sitting there, he couldn’t help but take a little advantage of the situation. He stared at Kirishima’s face and smiled. Normally, Kirishima seemed to always know when he was looking at him like he had a second sense. He was always having to look away from Kirishima and wasn’t able to just gaze at him. Now he could. Shinso would always look away almost immediately because he didn’t want Kirishima to think he was some weirdo. But after the events of today he realized that Kirishima was possibly interested in him. He had hoped his own subtle flirting the last few weeks hadn’t been lost on the red head. When he showed up at the library pod Shinso really thought Kirishima was going to admit something to him. Kirishima was acting super nervous then, which was very out of character for him. Maybe ask him on a date? Or maybe to the Winter Formal. But Mina popped up suddenly and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.
Shinso wanted to reach out and touch his face but he would never violate the trust of others. Due to the almost insidious nature of his quirk he felt he had to always be transparent and honest since his targets were completely vulnerable. Shinso gazed upon Kirishima. His brow, that actually was quite delicate considering the harsher angles of his chin and the sharpness of his nose, was beautiful. His eyebrows only came to a halfway arch over his overly expressive eyes. Shinso wondered if maybe this had something to do with his hardening quirk, the lack of hair growth there, perhaps the skin would get too rough and damage the follicles? Although Kirishima in this state wasn’t at his most ravishing Shinso thought. It was the smile that really brought his whole face together. The harsh angles of his sharp pointy teeth counterposed beautifully with his lips that seemed so soft and delicate. And his hair, which was usually styled with spikes and textured with product was now soft and had much more movement when Kirishima turned his head. Shinso had never seen him wear it this way before. Why the change in style? It had gotten so long the last 2 years, yet the portions around his face and the top of his head had stayed relatively short. His quirk again maybe breaking those sections over time? Oh I never gave him his order, Shinso thought suddenly. He cleared his throat. He didn’t have to speak the orders, he could just think them, but for some reason he wanted to say the words. “Kirishima, sit there for 1 minute and then the hold will break.” Shinso stared at Kirishima and sighed. After a few seconds he spontaneously said, “Kirishima, listen to me very closely. I like you. A lot. I want you to know that. I think you’re beautiful. And kind. And courageous. And fun. I always want to smile around you and not very many people make me feel that way.” Shinso stopped. He knew Kirishima wouldn’t remember this, even with being told to listen closely. But somehow it made Shinso feel a bit braver. Gave him a bit of courage to put himself out there later possibly. If only he could…. Suddenly Kirishima’s door swung open.
“…. Hey pink cheeks was saying you were studying Calculus earlier, you should have asked me I…..” Bakugo’s eyes met with Shinso’s and then he looked at Kirishima. Oh sh*t. Shinso thought to himself. “Kiri?!?” Bakugo bellowed. Of course, Kirishima didn’t move or react to Bakugo’s call.
“What the hell is going on?!?” Bakugo yelled, his face turning red with anger.
“Bakugo, I know how this may look…” Shinso started to explain. Bakugo took a few steps towards the bed and grabbed Shinso by the collar of his t-shirt, lifted him up, and rammed him into the opposite wall. Shino brought his hands together under Bakugo’s grasp and broke through his hold. Then Shinso grabbed Bakugo’s left arm and pulled it back at an awkward angle, trying to immobilize him. Bakugo figured out what he was doing and was able to counter his hold. He now threw himself fully at Shinso knocking him onto the floor. Shinso hit the floor hard and the air was knocked out of him. He was taller than Bakugo by a few inches, but Bakugo outweighed him by at least 20 pounds of sheer muscle. Shinso gasped trying to get air back in his lungs. “What sick things are you doing to Kirishima in here?!? I’ll kill you!” Bakugo was straddled over Shinso pinning him to the floor. He had the upper hand. Bakugo brought his fist back and then swiftly down to punch Shinso in the face. Shinso reflexively grabbed Bakugo’s fist to stop him, but Bakugo was stronger and now his hand and Bakugo’s fist hit him in the right eye. Luckily he slowed it down considerably and it didn’t hit as hard as it could. Shinso wrapped his legs around Bakugo’s waist. He then crossed his arms and put Bakugo in a chokehold by grabbing the back of his shirt with both his hands, which pressed Shinso’s forearms into Bakugo’s throat. “Ger off me…” Bakugo wheezed. Bakugo grunted and squirmed trying to break the hold by pulling away Shinso’s arms but the lack of oxygen and Shinso’s training in Judo was making it difficult. Shinso put forth additional pressure hoping he could get him to pass out.
“Boys! Stop!” a voice rang out. It was Momo. He looked over at her and saw the tell-tale visual signals of Creation ignite at her chest ripping a hole in her sweater. She pulled a long bo staff from her skin. Shinso took a big risk and let go of his chokehold. He hoped Momo would intervene if need be. He brought his legs under Bakugo and pushed him away with his feet and did a somersault backwards and stood up. Bakugo sat back, coughing and panting, his face completely red. Momo stood between the two boys her arm out-stretched and the long Bo staff in her other hand. “What’s going on?! Why are you two fighting?!?” Momo asked exasperated.
“Shinso brainwashed Kirishima. I don’t know what he’s done to him,” Bakugo said breathlessly.
Momo turned her head towards Shinso, a concerned look on her face. “I can explain….” Shinso said, trying to catch his breath as well.
“Save if sicko,” Bakugo spat back at him.
“Woah… what’s going on guys?!?” Kirishima said. He quickly leapt from the bed and stood next to Momo. Shinso exhaled in relief, “Seriously that minute was an eternity, Kirishima.”
Momo looked at Kirishima, “I came in to find these two wrestling on the ground….” Momo said.
“This sick f*ck was brainwashing you, Kiri. No telling what his plans were with you if I hadn’t walked in. We need to go straight to Aizawa-sensei. This guy needs to be expelled.”
“Oh… wait, no, I asked Shinso to brainwash me. He’s never been able to use it on me in training and I wanted to see if I could break the hold once he put it on me. We were just playing around. He only had me under a minute. Guess I didn’t break the hold.” Kirishima chuckled. Shinso shook his head in disbelief at the whole asinine situation. He should have gone with his gut reaction and not brainwashed Kirishima.
“What the hell is wrong with you Kiri? Why would you let him do that to you alone away from everyone?” Bakugo asked incredulously.
“We’ve known Shinso long enough to trust him, man. Why think the worst of someone?”
“Better than thinking the best of everyone. You’re gonna get taken advantage of being like that.”
Kirishima glared at Bakugo. “I’m not an idiot ya know. I don’t naively trust everyone. There’re people I wouldn’t trust.”
“Oh yeah, like who?!?”
Shinso now remembered one of the reasons he hesitated with getting to know Kirishima. Shinso could not stand Bakugo. And they were a package deal since they were best friends. Most of UA was enamored with Bakugo despite his repugnant personality. Even Aizawa-sensei seemed to have a soft spot for him which drove Shinso crazy. He respected Aizawa-sensei above everyone else, as much as if he was his father. He was an intelligent, rational, and caring man. But he showed some partiality to Bakugo, even having him become his unofficial assistant in the combat courses. This stung since Shinso was a private pupil of Aizawa’s having been taken under his wing due to similarities between their quirks and what Aizawa felt was an unfair assessment of hero capabilities in the entrance exam testing. Shinso originally had failed the hero entrance exam and got into UA through the general studies program. Due to his determination and hard work he was able to make it into the hero course his second year at UA. He often wondered why he wasn’t Aizawa’s chosen aide. Bakugo had a lot more real world experience fighting so Shinso thought that was probably why. Bakugo ended up being one of the heroes who was instrumental in ending the threat of All For One and Shigaraki. He would easily be in one of the top 5 hero spots in the country after graduation due to these acts. He acted selflessly and would have given his life for any hero on that battlefield. Shinso read that in the papers and knowing what he knew about Bakugo, he knew this to be a fact. This fact should have made Bakugo’s less heroic qualities forgivable. But it just made Shinso dislike Bakugo more. He knew Bakugo was an excellent hero in many ways, but there was so much more to being a hero and Bakugo lacked these traits, Shinso thought. Bakugo would bring down the pro-heroes when he joined them due to his personality and his arrogance. As Bakugo and Kirishima’s argument continued Shinso locked eyes with Momo. She gave him an anguished look and mouthed “I’m sorry.” Shinso had grown to respect Momo over the last year and thought of her as a friend. But now seeing her kinda pissed him off a bit. She was dating Bakugo now. When Shinso heard this Sunday morning he was shocked. Momo was genius level brilliant. But obviously has poor taste in men, no common sense, and no self-respect thought Shinso. What the hell was wrong with everyone?
Shinso was standing right next to the door. He slipped through, Momo looking at him sadly as he departed. Kirishima and Bakugo were so embroiled in their heated argument they had not noticed Shinso slip away. They were like an old married couple bickering. Shinso now had a new reason to dislike Bakugo. He was incredibly jealous of Bakugo’s closeness, his too familiarness, with Kirishima.
Chapter 20: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Momo was focusing on her history notes and noticed the fervor of the formal talk had died down some. She started her outline of world history for the semester. This was the class she was the most behind in due to her work study. After a while Bakugo came in from his run. He walked up to the couch area and glanced at Midoriya and Ochaco, and over at the other couch at Tokoyami and Tsuyu who were studying together. Momo looked behind her at Bakugo and gave him a weary smile and said, “Trying to decide if I tell Fat Gum I can’t do patrols this week. I’m so behind in history.” Bakugo nodded at her.
“Well if you take it off, I’ll tell Best Jeanist I can’t as well. I can’t leave you with an advantage over me. Maybe I can get top spot on written for a change.”
Momo grinned at him. This conversation seemed to be repeated every mid-term and final the last 2 years. Bakugo had actually come in second place the previous semester and the first semester of their second year moving ahead of Iida. He really wanted that top spot.
“Hmmm well maybe if I wasn’t having to help Kirishima….” Bakugo said.
Midoriya looked up then, smiling, “Yeah, it’s not like Momo runs a study class or anything.”
Bakugo grinned, “No one asked you Deku.” Midoriya smiled backed shaking his head.
Ochaco looked over at Bakugo and then Midoriya and rolled her eyes. Bakugo and Midoriya’s relationship had changed quite a bit the last 2 years. Although Bakugo still taunted him and teased, it was more like how he interacted with Kirishima. They weren’t necessarily friendly, but they often discussed combat techniques and trained together. There was still an air of intense competitiveness, almost like 2 brothers vying for the favored spot in the family’s eyes. Momo wondered sometimes if they had deeper conversations about secret things having to do with All For One, All Might, and the war. The class had witnessed these intense private conversations from afar and when the two were away, some members of Class 3A would gossip about it and wonder. These happened frequently during their second year. Both of them being targets for All For One and Shigaraki it made sense they would have a type of bond the others couldn’t understand. They were also both close to All Might.
“Things are getting serious now. Even Kirishima was studying Calculus earlier, he’s getting a start on it early unlike most the class.” Ochaco said as she glanced over at the tables. Kyoka, Kaminari, Mina, Ojiro, Sero, Toru, Shoji, and Mineta were all sitting at the dining tables talking to one another or engrossed on their phones.
Bakugo followed her gaze to the other students socializing at the dining tables and muttered, “Idiots.”
He crouched down to Momo’s level behind her. “Gonna shower and change. You up to studying tonight? In your room?” Bakugo tried his best to suppress a grin.
Momo turned to him smiling, “Do you really think we would study in my room? Alone?”
Bakugo now grinned, “No.”
“I’m gonna stay down here at least another hour to study.”
Bakugo nodded at her, “There’s a reason you’re top of the class. I thought I could tempt you away. Maybe hurt your chances for taking first. I still have more tricks up my sleeve.” He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. Momo closed her eyes and sighed as he retreated.
Bakugo gave a sinister chuckle as he retreated towards the stairway door. Momo looked up and met with Ochaco’s eyes. She smiled at Momo and looked away. Momo looked over at Tsuyu and Tokoyami on the other couch but they seemed very engrossed in their studying.
“Sorry about the PDA…” Momo couldn’t help but say something to fill the awkwardness.
Ochaco replied, “Well everyone has put up with me and Izuku for a while now so I can’t really say anything. But, well, it is funny to see this side of Bakugo.”
“Unsettling is the word you’re searching for, sweets. No offense Momo,” Midoriya said without looking up from his book.
“None taken,” Momo replied. Bakugo at times still made her feel that way.
The studious group continued in silence to study for several minutes until the quiet was broken by Kyoka who sat next to Momo. “Okay, I guess I should take your most righteous example and study.” She said annoyed as she got out her Calculus book. “I saw Kirishima studying earlier and probably should have joined him and Shinso. Oh, did you see Kirishima’s hair? What is that all about? Trying a new look, I have to say I really like it. Hope he keeps it that way.”
“Oh no!” Momo leapt off the couch “Sorry, I have to check on something.” She ran towards the stairway. It dawned on her that Bakugo may check on Kirishima. Who was alone in his room with Shinso. Shinso, the guy Kirishima was interested in. What if Bakugo walked in on something surprising!? She had to stop him from bothering Kirishima.
Chapter 21: Kirishima
Chapter Text
“Fine Bakugo, I’m done arguing,” Kirishima turned around completely exasperated. He felt that Bakugo treated him like an equal most of the time, but then stuff like this would happen and it would make him realize that Bakugo thought he was naïve or not able to take care of himself. Kirishima thought it was probably because he was worried about him, but it still irked him. Kirishima saw Momo, but now noticed Shinso was missing. “Where’d Shinso go?” he asked Momo.
“He slipped out about a minute ago,” she replied.
He glanced back at Bakugo. “You should apologize to him next time you see him,” Kirishima said steadily. Bakugo opened his mouth to probably spew words of retaliation but seemed to have thought better of it. He snapped his mouth shut, but his face went scarlet. Kirishima knew it was a combination of anger and embarrassment. His hesitation showed Kirishima that Bakugo knew he had messed up. He sometimes wondered why they verbally argued about stuff, just body language was enough to communicate between the both of them most the time. Bakugo couldn’t conceal his emotions even though many times he wanted to and Kirishima was proud to be an open book with his emotions on display for whoever was willing to read it. Momo looked so confused by their interaction. She still had a lot to learn about Bakugo if they were ever going to work as a couple Kirishima thought. Everyone thought Kirishima could get away with anything with Bakugo but that wasn’t true. He just knew when to stop pushing. And he knew the areas he could push by reading him. But he would push until he got to the very edge. Kirishima bounded out of the room quickly.
He ran down the stairs and into the living area. Aizawa and Eri were sitting at one of the dining tables going over Eri’s homework. “Aizawa-sensei, you didn’t happen to see Shinso come through here did you?”
“Yes, just a minute or so ago, he said he was heading to General Studies Residential Hall.”
Kirishima headed towards General Studies. It wasn’t too far, just on the other side of the main school building. Most of the dorms made a horseshoe shape around the main school building. As he crossed one of the courtyards on the east side of the main school entrance, he had a feeling he was being watched. He stopped and looked around, but realized he was alone. He walked towards the fountain in the courtyard and sat on the ledge. He suddenly felt foolish. What was he going to do? Rush to general studies and ask for Shinso? And once they were face to face what would he say? “Sorry my bestie is a bit impulsive, reads situations completely wrong, and has a ridiculously short fuse?” A bro wouldn’t make his way over to another bro’s dorm just to apologize for something that wasn’t even his fault. A bro would have drug Bakugo over to apologize. But fat chance of that happening. Bakugo would never apologize. Shinso could think his reaction was weird if he showed up now. That is if Shinso and him were just bros in Shinso’s eyes. He closed his eyes and remembered the moment in the living room. Shinso had leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear. His voice was deep and breathy. “Let’s go somewhere more private,” he had said. Kirishima’s heart began to race again just thinking about it. He had whispered back to Shinso, “We can go up to my room.” Shinso then did that thing, a mannerism where he put his hand on the back of his neck, Kirishima smiled remembering. It was such a Shinso thing to do, he did it all the time, but Kirishima had not figured out why he did it. Was he tired? Bored? Anxious? Bashful? Was he reading into it too much? Was he reading into Shinso wanting to be alone too much? Maybe he really just wanted a quieter place to study. This was driving him so crazy. Normally Kirishima was so upfront about everything. He didn’t mind asking questions or getting things clarified. But now, he was too afraid when it came to Shinso. Rejection wouldn’t be too bad if Shinso was in fact gay/bi. But rejection would be so weird if he was straight. He would hate to ruin their friendship by weirding Shinso out and he worried that would happen. He checked his cargo pants pockets and found a 50 yen coin. He closed his eyes, made a secret wish, and flipped the coin deftly into the air and watched it spin wildly until it plunked into the water.
“A yen for your thoughts?” came a voice from behind him. Before Kirishima turned to see who it was he already knew.
“Where did you come from?” Kirishima asked smiling.
“Don’t laugh, but I was up in that tree.” Shinso pointed to a tree in the far corner of the courtyard on the side where Kirishima had entered.
Kirishima grinned. “I didn’t even hear you jump down and walk over. I need to brush up on my observational skills.” Shinso shrugged.
“Aizawa-sensei trains me in the forest sometimes. Has me try to hide my location from him or vice versa. My quirk works better if people don’t know I’m coming like his. I’ve gotten kinda sneaky.” Shinso’s face was serious.
“Why you hanging up trees now? What ya hiding from?” Kirishima asked trying to lighten the mood. After the words escaped his lips he realized he was leading the conversation to possibly an awkward direction. Too late now.
“Well, I was hiding from you actually. I figured you may come and try to find me after what happened in your room with Bakugo.” Kirishima’s heart started to race with dread.
“Oh,” Was all he could muster of a reply. Shinso had been hiding from him, but why? And he had expected him to come looking for him. Maybe Shinso had him figured out more than he realized. Kirishima was an open book after all. Shinso sat a few feet away from him on the fountain ledge.
“I was hiding because I wasn’t sure yet what I wanted to tell you, well ask you really. I needed more time to think. But seeing you down here I didn’t want to wait any longer. Kirishima, I have to ask you something.” Kirishima’s heart raced. Could this be it? “Why are you friends with Bakugo?”
Well. Kirishima wasn’t expecting that at all. He was used to this question, but it was usually given in a humorous tone. Shinso was being serious.
“I guess early on it was our similarities.”
“Similarities? I find that hard to believe. You guys seem to be complete opposites.”
“Well the first few weeks of class we were the most likely to throw ourselves into any situation during training. And our fighting approach was similar then.”
“Barreling into the thick of it without thinking?” Shinso asked raising an eyebrow at him.
Kirishima laughed, “Yeah, pretty much!”
Shinso’s face stayed serious, almost hard.
Kirishima continued although he had an idea where this was going now. “I was never afraid of Bakugo. I guess I just ‘got’ him, understood him ya know? Could read him. Could tell at times he wasn’t as bad as his bark. I felt bad for him the first few months because he was alone a lot. He was a complete ass to Midoriya and I think a lot of the class avoided him for that and just his behavior in general in the beginning. I remember being the only one to call him out on it early on and then Kaminari. And over time we became friends. I know he’s an acquired taste. Maybe I just saw a challenge, I don’t know. There’s a side to him I wish more people saw.”
“Hmmm,” Shinso answered, his face the same.
“I know you two have never seen eye to eye. I’m sorry about earlier –”
“Don’t apologize for him.” Shinso interrupted. “You can’t. And you shouldn’t try. Especially considering he never would.”
Kirishima shrugged. “He does sometimes, ya know. He’s apologized to me, to Midoriya. To Todoroki. There’s a side you don’t see.”
“That seems to be a common defense your Class has. ‘There’s a side you don’t see.’”
“Ya know we’re in the same class, Shinso,” Kirishima replied as he locked onto his skeptical, indigo eyes.
Shinso made a noise of annoyance. “I am and I’m not,” Shinso looked away from him out towards the courtyard.
Kirishima knew where this was headed now sadly. And it made him realize too late that Shinso did have feelings for him. Because if they were just bros, they wouldn’t be having this conversation. His chest had a strange empty feeling. He was waiting for Shinso to say it. Kirishima looked into the rippling water of the fountain. The wind was creating little streams of undulating waves on the water’s surface. It caused the coins underneath to be distorted and look as if they were moving, dancing along with the movement of the water. The water was clear, you could discern the difference between the various kinds of yen by their color and structure.
“I just can’t see this working because of Bakugo. I had hopes earlier today. That you and I…” Shinso hesitated. “The last few weeks I’ve…”
“You don’t have to say it now,” Kirishima looked at Shinso. His bravery came now finally, a pity. Shinso’s gaze was still overlooking the courtyard. It was getting late, soon the lights would be shut off, marking curfew. “I know what you’re trying to say,” Kirishima said quietly but assuredly.
“Do you?” Shinso looked at him, his sternness now gone and replaced with a look Kirishima couldn’t pinpoint, he wasn’t the easiest person to read. Maybe sadness? Confusion?
Kirishima moved over to where he was seated right next to him. He slowly reached both hands out towards Shinso. He placed them gently on either side of his head feeling the purple waves of hair spill between his fingers. He pulled Shinso towards him and Shinso willingly was led. He closed his eyes and gently kissed Shinso on his mouth. Shinso placed a hand on the back of Kirishima’s head softly. After he kissed him, his hands still cupping Shinso’s head, he pressed his forehead gently against Shinso’s. Shinso placed his other hand on top of Kirishima’s shoulder. After several seconds, eyes still closed, Kirishima whispered, “If you change your mind, I’ll be waiting for you, Shinso.”
Kirishima let go of him and walked away.
Chapter 22: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
“I guess you think I’m wrong, too?” Bakugo asked in a surprisingly even tone. Kirishima had just run out of the room to follow after Shinso it seemed.
Momo didn’t know what to say. The whole event that had unfolded was a strange one. She could see why Bakugo would be upset but a fight breaking out over it seemed a bit much, even for Bakugo. Shinso wasn’t just someone off the street they didn’t know. He had never used his quirk for any nefarious purposes as long as they had all been students together. He had dated one of the girls in class 3-b their second year, Itsuka Kendo, for a few months. Even after their breakup, they had remained friends. Though his demeanor was aloof and unfeeling at times, he wasn’t the most demonstrative person, he had proven himself a dependable friend and a decent guy from what most of the 3rd year classes could tell. He could be a bit arrogant, but that trait seemed to run amongst a lot of the hero course students. Maybe it was the mixture of his arrogance, coldness, and a quirk that seemed more suited for a villain that had some people still view him with wariness. If he was warm, chatty, and friendly people probably would not view him the same and that seemed unfair.
“I think Shinso deserves the benefit of the doubt,” Momo replied. “I’m assuming you instigated the fight?”
“Yeah,” Bakugo sat on Kirishima’s bed. “Still can’t believe he would have won that fight if you hadn’t walked in. Pisses me off. What the hell is Aizawa teaching him? Did you even know Aizawa knew Judo?”
“Well if he keeps villains at a distance and that’s his specialty, he would have no need to wrestle them, would he? I guess you can maybe see some maneuvers in the way he handles his binding cloth,” Momo said thoughtfully. “So I am guessing you don’t want to talk about this?”
“Nope.”
Momo thought it best to stay out of it. She knew pushing Bakugo would have the opposite effect. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t make a comment. She worried that the fight may affect whatever could have been going on between Kirishima and Shinso. If Bakugo apologized maybe that would smooth things over. Bakugo didn’t know Kirishima’s secret. Maybe if he did, he would be more likely to talk to Shinso. But she couldn’t reveal Kirishima’s secret. Only Kirishima had the right to do that.
“Kirishima is right. I know that shouldn’t be a big surprise to you. You should apologize.”
Bakugo looked up and glared at the ceiling, “Don’t want to talk about it,” he said slightly above normal volume for him.
“I know, I just thought I would give you my unsolicited advice anyway. In case I can be bold enough to think my opinion means anything to you,” Momo said matter-of-factly. “I’m heading up to my room to change my shirt. And then back downstairs to study.”
Bakugo made a noise that she guessed meant, okay. She left him to his own conscience.
Chapter 23: Kirishima
Chapter Text
He opened his door and was surprised to see Bakugo sitting on his bed. Before Kirishima could say anything, Bakugo said, “Kiri. I’m sorry.” Kirishima looked at him, his face serious. He sat on the bed next to Bakugo and plopped himself backwards laying on his back. He brought his arms above his head and rested his hands on the back of his skull. He exhaled a deep breath.
“You still need help with Calculus?” Bakugo asked quietly.
“Yeah….” Kirishima answered still laying back looking at the ceiling. “You aren’t gonna study with Momo?”
“Well it’s not like she needs help studying….”
“True. Okay,” Kirishima sat up and tried his best not to smile, but he did anyway. He couldn’t stay mad at him. Especially after his apology. It took him a lot to do it. A year ago that would have never happened. He loved Bakugo, not love that stemmed from the attraction he once felt for him, but the love one feels for family. Maybe even deeper than that because it was their choice to be there for each other. If Shinso couldn’t accept Bakugo, then Kirishima couldn’t be with Shinso. Bro before Shinso. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t mourning the possibility of a great love that never got to blossom. And that he couldn’t be a little miffed at his ill-tempered best friend. Of course Kirishima’s version of being a little upset with someone was barely recognizable. He was too good-natured, his disposition wouldn’t allow anything like passive aggressiveness or the cold shoulder.
The boys went downstairs.
Midoriya, Ochaco, Momo, and Kyoka were the only ones at the couches all studying. There were a few students milling around in the kitchen socializing or sitting at the tables. Aizawa-sensei and Eri looked like they were packing up her things and heading to the faculty dorm. Kirishima and Bakugo sat at one of the empty couches. Bakugo gently pulled on Momo’s ponytail as he walked by. Momo shot him a quick smile.
“Oh Bakugo, you can sit here…” Kyoka said starting to gather her things around her, offering her seat by Momo.
“Naw, I’m helping Baby Shark here.”
Kirishima grumbled under his breath. Momo glanced over at Kirishima with a concerned look. He wasn’t in the best mood.
Bakugo threw his notebook in Kirishima’s lap. “Go over my answers for the problems for today. I took really good notes, too, so those should help. I’ll be right back.”
Chapter 24: Bakugo
Chapter Text
He ran up to Aizawa-sensei who just left Class 3A resident hall. “Aizawa-sensei. I was wondering if I could run up to General Studies Dorm real quick. I know it’s almost curfew but it’s important.”
Aizawa looked at Bakugo with slight suspicion. “Curfew is in 10 minutes. Don’t be out too late passed it. Make whatever you need to do quick. If I hear anything about it, you’ll owe me big time come Wednesday.” Bakugo nodded.
“Hey Kacchan,” Eri said sleepily.
“Good night, Unicorn,” Bakugo said to her as he playfully tugged on one of her braids. She smiled at him.
“Oh,” Bakugo said to Aizawa-sensei’s retreating back. “Aizawa-Sensei?” Aizawa turned back to him looking slightly annoyed. “I got into a fight with someone at the dorms. I provoked them and threw the first punch. I thought I should let you know. In case I need to… be suspended or whatever….” Aizawa-sensei’s face suddenly looked serious.
“Anyone hurt?”
“No, I just punched them in the face but it was partially blocked. Probably won’t even leave a black eye.”
Aizawa gave Bakugo an amused look.
“Who?” he asked.
“Shinso.”
“Hmmmm.”
Aizawa-sensei turned and walked away. Bakugo shrugged and continued on his mission.
He ran towards General Studies dorms as quickly as possible. He walked into the front doors and saw a few students sitting on couches. Shinso was at one of the tables sitting with 2 other students. It was his lucky day. Shinso looked up from his books and noticed him walking up.
“Come to finish the job?” Shinso said in an impassive tone.
“I think you had the upper hand at the end. That fight was definitely yours. Although you have a shiner now so I feel a little better about coming to see you. I thought you had blocked that punch better but I guess not,” Bakugo grinned. The other 2 students, one male one female, looked alarmed when he said the word “fight.”
“What do you want, Bakugo?”
“Lose the extras so we can talk.”
“No. We’re studying.”
“Fine. I …..” Well he thought this was going to be easy, but now he realized it wasn’t going to be. He looked Shinso right into his dead eyes. They were a murky purple that sat above lower lids that had perpetual dark shadows. He thought that the bruising that was starting to appear around his right eye matched quite well with the dark insomniac circles. He didn’t like Shinso. Ever since the day before the Sports Festival their first year when he had come by their homeroom and disrespected class 3A. He really didn’t consider Shinso part of Class 3A in fact. But…. Kirishima. He tried to picture Kirishima in his mind instead of the asshole sitting in front of him.
“Well, you gonna stand there all night? We’re kinda busy.”
“Yeah. I came to apologize for trying to kick your ass earlier. It was …. presumptuous of me to think what I did. I’m sorry,” Bakugo said in a steady tone.
“Well, not sure how I can accept it since I’m sure this is Kirishima’s doing. He asked you do to this I’m guessing. He wants everyone to get along. Very Kirishima.”
“No actually he didn’t. Well… he mentioned it right after the fight after you left but didn’t bring it up again. Because he knew I wouldn’t do it.”
“Then why are you doing it now?”
“Because he was right. I was…. Wrong about how I handled things. Damn, I gotta spell it out for you huh? Kiri doesn’t know I’m here. I’m not doing this because he asked me to. I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do.”
“Okay, then,” Shinso replied. His demeanor had seemed to change slightly, Bakugo thought. Less asshole-ish.
“I want a rematch though. Sunday. Gym Gamma. Gonna brush up on my Judo so bring your “A” game. No quirks.”
Shinso smirked. “I’ll be there.”
Chapter 25: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Bakugo abruptly leaving left Kirishima confused for a moment. He eventually spread Bakugo’s notebook out and looked at it, but he seemed to not be focused on the problems. He was thinking about something else, definitely not Calculus thought Momo. She decided to intervene. “Hey Kirishima. Could you come check the calendar with me in the kitchen? I think I may need to swap your name with someone else for clean-up duty next week.”
“Ummm. Sure.”
Kirishima and Momo walked into the empty kitchen.
“Who do I need to swap with? I’m cool with whatever.”
“Actually I don’t need you to do that, just wanted to talk with you in private.”
Kirishima barely smiled, it was a ghost of his usual grins. “You’re getting pretty good at deception. Knew Bakugo would be a bad influence.”
“You okay? Did you talk to Shinso?”
“Yeah. He likes me,” Kirishima replied with very little of his usual enthusiasm.
Momo grinned, “That’s great news!”
“Well, yes and no. He likes me, but he doesn’t like Bakugo. At all.”
Momo looked confused.
“Shinso doesn’t see us working out due to Bakugo and I being best bros.”
Momo frowned. “I’m so sorry Kirishima.”
Kirishima shrugged. “It sucks, but Bakugo’s my friend. That’s never going to change.”
“Well I’m sure today’s fight definitely left an even worse impression. Maybe you should talk to Bakugo about your feeling towards Shinso. Maybe that would make things better. Maybe he would apologize and possibly behave better?”
“Naaw. I don’t want Bakugo to do those things because he wants to make me happy. If his heart isn’t into making those changes because he wants them, then he’ll start to resent his actions. Our friendship doesn’t come with any strings attached.” Momo was moved about how unbelievably selfless and insightful Kirishima was. He was such a rough and tumble, overly friendly, loquacious guy, it was easy to think he wasn’t deep or thoughtful. The way he communicated with Bakugo though, well it made sense now.
“Kirishima…. You’re honestly too good for this Earth.”
“That’s crazy high praise Momo. If I’m good, it’s because of all the amazing people I call friends.” He put his arm around Momo and gave her a big squeeze of a sideways hug. They returned to the couch. Kirishima’s mood seemed to be a bit brighter now. A few minutes later Bakugo returned. He sat by Kirishima and about 30 minutes later it appeared that Kirishima was caught up on today’s lesson. Kirishima seemed a lot more relaxed. Momo still felt uneasy. How could she help out this Kirishima and Shinso situation? Was there anything to be done? And where had Bakugo gone earlier? Kirishima had asked him on his return and he said he needed to talk to Aizawa-sensei about a few things and had walked with him back to the faculty dorms to discuss these things. While that answer seemed to suffice for Kirishima, Momo wasn’t sure it was true. Kirishima and Kyoka headed up to bed, followed a few minutes later by Midoriya and Ochaco. As the stairway door closed, Bakugo leapt over to the other couch and pulled Momo towards him.
He kissed her forcefully on the mouth. Momo broke away after a couple of seconds, glanced over her shoulder and whispered, “There’s a couple of students at the tables…”
“Guess we’ll have to lay down then so they don’t see us,” he said grinning as he pulled Momo towards him by her waist causing her to lay on her back on the couch. She reached for his neck and pulled him down into an embrace their lips finding each other again. She ran a hand through his thick tufts of blond hair, Bakugo ran a hand over Momo’s sweater.
After a few minutes or a half hour or an hour (who knew?) Bakugo sat up to peek into the kitchen. “Everyone’s gone.” He grinned.
“Wait, wait. What time is it?”
Bakugo looked at his watch. “10:30.”
“We’ve got to get to bed…. It’s getting late…” Momo gently pushed Bakugo away so she could sit up. He whined. She reached for her sweater that was on the floor and pulled it back on over her head.
“Why does it have to be mid-terms next week…” Bakugo said annoyed. He looked at her and smiled. “Your hair is crazy.” He reached for her disheveled ponytail. He gently pulled the hair tie out of her hair and ran his hand through her long, ebony locks. He was looking at her hair while he ran his fingers through it, but it was the look on his face that made Momo hold her breath and stare. She had no other word to describe his expression other than ‘tender.’ She had no recollection of seeing his face look like that. It was a simple expression. Most her classmates, most people wore this look at times. Maybe when receiving a gift. Holding a baby. Petting a dog. Hearing a genuine compliment. But he had never worn this expression, at least not frequent enough for her to catch it. It had done something to her. She didn’t realize it at the time, but this moment forever changed her. To say this was when she fell in love with him would be simplistic and lessen the event because love is too broad a term and can be fleeting. Love can be lost. It can be forgotten. It can be taken for granted. But to say this was when she gave part of her heart to him was more exact. This transaction was permanent. No matter if tomorrow they broke up and never spoke again or if they were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary decades from now, the deed was done.
“There. Better,” Bakugo said as he removed his hand from her hair looking pleased with himself. He looked at her face. “Momo… you okay?”
“Yeah,” she replied reflexively.
He looked at her questioningly. He placed his hand on her cheek. “Then what’s with the tear down your face….’
She smiled and shook her head. She then wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close there on the couch for a time. He then moved one arm under her knees and lifted her off the couch. He carried her through the kitchen.
‘Our books….” She said, as he opened the stairway door with his back and continued up the stairs.
“They’ll be there in the morning. We’ll be the first ones down anyhow.”
By the time he made it to the fourth floor he was panting.
“I have legs that work you know. I can totally walk the rest of the way.”
“No, I started this. I’ll finish it. Just my luck you’re on the 5th floor…..”
He finally made it to her door slightly panting. He lowered his right arm and her feet met the ground. She immediately wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed him.
“I don’t want you to go,” she whispered.
Bakugo smiled at her. ‘If I go in your room…. I just think… that would be a bad idea right now.”
“I know,” She said softly. He gently reached for her arms and brought them down in front of them both. He placed something, a folded sheet of paper it felt like, in her hands. He kissed her on the cheek and walked away towards the staircase.
She went in her room and closed the door behind her. She opened the paper. It was several small sketches of her sitting on the couch downstairs. He must have drawn them while he was helping Kirishima study. She pinned it on her cork board over her desk where the orchid card was now displayed.
Chapter 26: Shinso
Chapter Text
Shinso barely got any sleep. This wasn’t unusual, Shinso always had problems falling, and staying, asleep but now it was because he was uneasy due to the previous day’s events. He realized he had made a huge mistake in the courtyard with Kirishima. His suspicions had been confirmed. Kirishima liked him. And he had completely blown it. When he left Kirishima’s room he had decided that Bakugo was a deal breaker. He was angry and had made the decision impulsively. He was already worried about Bakugo and Kirishima’s relationship before the fight. He had no idea how close they actually were until the fight and the fall out afterwards. It made no sense to him. He realized that he let jealousy get the better of him. Was he so petty? Because when he really thought about it, other than 1 incident with Midoriya, Bakugo had never had a fight with anyone on campus, despite his ugly, brazen, contentious attitude. Shinso had actually gotten in 2 fights and suspended both times. So when he looked at them both logically, wouldn’t he be the troublemaker here? He also had instigated both fights, although he had been goaded. It was after he got accepted into the hero class. There were several students who felt it was unfair and that there were better candidates for the hero class amongst the non-hero classes. Now with Bakugo having offered up an olive branch, things had gotten more complicated and muddied. Maybe Bakugo wasn’t that bad of a guy? No, that probably wasn’t true, but it was an easy deception to try to sell himself to be with Kirishima.
The kiss goodbye in the courtyard had really messed with his head. He knew that wasn’t Kirishima’s intention, but it had taken him by surprise and his feelings afterwards had made everything seem too complicated. It made him realize how much he wanted to be with Kirishima and how much Kirishima wanted to be with him. Maybe the smart, less embarrassing thing for him to do was just to see how things played out now. He could go to 3A dorms in the evenings. Hang out with everyone like before. Talk to Kirishima like they were friends. And maybe he would see a chance to let Kirishima know he was ready to try again. But It was tempting to just grab his phone even though it was 3 am and text Kirishima and tell him he was wrong. That Bakugo apologized to him and maybe he wasn’t that bad. Maybe he could tolerate him. But that was such a cheap way to do it. No. He would have to say those things face to face. Wednesday they didn’t have any training for P.E. with Cementoss. It was a free day. Just an hour of exercise of their own choice and everyone at this point all had different regiments so some people would go to the school gym, others would run the campus, others would run exercises at Gym Gamma. Normally Bakugo and Kirishima would run drills at Gym Gamma. Shinso tended to mix things up and sometimes Aizawa-sensei would have free time and train with him and they would usually use Gym Gamma. He’d have to see how things played out. He would need to be patient. And he wouldn’t get a good night’s rest until this was patched up. Until Kirishima knew that he wanted to be with him, no matter how Bakugo behaved. No matter all obstacles.
Chapter 27: Kirishima
Chapter Text
Tuesday morning Kirishima found himself running late. He had slept through his alarm clock which rarely happened. This had him rushing through getting ready. He kept his hair with the natural look he had worn the night before to save time, but thought maybe this should just be a new thing. He grabbed an energy drink from his mini fridge and then rushed downstairs to see if there was something easy he could grab for breakfast. The kitchen and dining room were almost empty because most the class had headed towards homeroom. He only saw Kaminari who was grabbing an apple off the counter. He looked like he was dragging, as well.
“Hey Kiri! You running late, too?”
“Yeah, slept through my alarm,” Kirishima replied as he grabbed an apple as well from a huge bowl on the counter.
The duo jogged to class.
“I am so glad Ahane-sensei is our homeroom. She doesn’t mind if we’re late. Aizawa-sensei and Gushiken-sensei would have never put up with it,” Kirishima said as they increased their pace to a run when they heard the tardy bell ring.
“Yeah, 100 push-ups! Or cleaning the dorm for a week if you were even a second late. Glad Ahane-sensei’s so relaxed. She’s pretty hot, too, a huge improvement from Gushiken and Aizawa. Much rather be looking at her every morning than a zombie or a bulldog.” Kaminari laughed.
“Dude! Not cool, Ahane-sensei deserves some respect. She….” The two boys rammed into the very teacher they had been talking about. The three of them landed in a big heap on the floor. Papers had flown up in the air and were raining down on them. Kirishima and Kaminari were mortified. ‘Ahane-sensei! We’re so sorry! We….” Ahane started to laugh. Kirishima quickly stood up and offered his hand to their teacher, but she continued to chuckle. After several seconds she shook her head and took Kirishima’s hand and stood up. “No apologizing, boys! I was running just as recklessly as you guys! Great…. I got all these papers mixed up…. That’s what I get for not stapling them!” She let out another chuckle.
“We can help you gather ‘em up at least,” Kirishima said as the three of them gathered up the papers.
They were two minutes late to class. The papers were placed on the long table Ahane taught from at the head of the classroom. “Sorry class! Bit of a mishap in the hallway. The updated hero forms will have to be signed second period today. By then I should have them all sorted….”
Kirishima walked past Iida on his way to his desk and Iida looked like he was about to pop. Iida was probably the only member of class 3A that would have taken Gushiken over Ahane gladly. Her tardiness and disorganized nature sent him up the wall.
“So! Announcements! Other than the updated forms, all work studies for this week have been approved that were inputted before the Saturday evening cut off. If any of you have made last minute changes since Saturday evening, please see me after class. We will continue with our regular schedule this week for Tuesday and Thursday as stated on your syllabus. However Friday---”
“Will be different.”
Ahane jumped from surprise at the interruption. Aizawa had been standing in the corner of the room by the door and Kirishima, Ahane, and Kaminari had not noticed him due to their late arrival.
Ahane shook her head smiling, “You surprised me there, Eraserhead. Was wondering when you were gonna show up for our joint announcement,” He took a few steps until he was standing next to her.
“Well, you wouldn’t have been surprised if you’d have been on time,” Aizawa stated tonelessly. Ahane rolled her eyes at him. The snickering of Bakugo could be heard.
“Anyway,” Aizawa continued, “Like I said, Friday will not follow the previously stated plans. Friday’s block hero class will be when your practical mid-term exam will be held.” The class started to make noises of apprehension and excitement.
Aizawa nodded at Ahane. Ahane cleared her throat and continued, “I know this is a bit of a surprise since normally it would fall on the Friday of next week. Due to the Formal next Sunday, however, we felt it best to move it seeing as some of you may need some…… recovery time.” The class became even more loud.
“Only if you’re Midoriya!” Kaminari blurted out in a laugh. A few other students laughed loudly. Aizawa’s binding cloths shot out across to the second row and wrapped around Kaminari’s shoulders. A look of shock came across his face.
“Are they always this unruly Ahane?” Aizawa said as the whole class became quiet. He normally wasn’t bothered by the boisterousness of class 3A thought Kirishima. He was showing his lack of being a morning person perhaps. The Combat courses were either a block right before or right after lunch which meant he never taught before 10:20. He had not had to deal with students in the morning for over a year.
“Normally they’re quite respectful. They’re just a bit excited about the news is all.” Ahane patted Aizawa on the shoulder and he loosened the cloths and deftly flicked them causing them to coil evenly around his neck.
“You’re too soft on them Ahane. But you’ve gotten good results with them so I can’t argue your teaching style,” he said in his usual monotone.
“Well, thanks Eraserhead. Even a half compliment from you is greatly appreciated.” She gave him a wry smile he ignored.
Aizawa continued, “The practical test mid-term on Friday will be a repeat of your practical test mid-term your first year. Faculty vs. students. Except this time the teachers won’t have weights. You will have the same lineups as the first year except for 2 teams that will have replacements this term. Team Bakugo/Midoriya you will be matched up against pro-hero Endeavor.” The students started to get loud again. Bakugo turned in his seat looking behind him and was grinning ear to ear at an equally excited Midoriya. Aizawa continued, “Team Sero/Mineta will be matched up against pro-hero Mount Lady.” The class fell silent. All Might, who fought against Bakugo and Midoriya two years previous, wasn’t able to fight now due to lack of his quirk, but the reason Sero and Mineta had a replacement was because they had been matched up with Midnight that first year. She had been killed only a few months after that mid-term match. It was still a hard truth for class 3 A to be reminded of. Kirishima had a lump in his throat. Mina, who had been sitting sideways in her seat, met his gaze, her large black eyes glistening. He wanted to give her a hug.
“Still doesn’t seem like a big enough challenge,” Bakugo’s voice rang out, thankfully cutting through the painful silence. “You guys won’t stand a chance. We’ve learned too much. 2 on 1 at our level isn’t a fair fight at all.”
“You’re right Bakugo,” Aizawa grinned, which was unusual for him to do and often preceded shocking information. “Each faculty and our pro-hero guests will be fighting alongside, Echo, your hero course teacher.” Ahane, also known as the pro-hero Echo, now grinned alongside Aizawa. “Not only will you be fighting against established pros, but their quirks will be doubled. Or Ahane can choose to use your own quirks against you. Her choice.” The class broke out in nervous chatter again. Although none of the class was intimidated by Ahane in the slightest as their absentminded and kind-hearted professor, they felt quite different about her on the battlefield. She had already done some sparring in the class and even Todoroki and Bakugo had struggled with having their own quirks thrown right back at them. Many of the class had assumed that she wouldn’t be able to use their own quirks as expertly as they had honed them, and although that was true, she could still wield them well enough to be a worthy opponent. Her history of bouncing around so many hero agencies in her career was probably so that she could learn how to use a plethora of quirks at least adequately. Voices were getting quite loud now in the classroom.
“Okay, class, quiet down,” Ahane continued trying to rein the students back in. Kaminari quickly fell silent, but was looking at Aizawa, not Ahane. This made Kirishima smile. Ahane spoke again, “In order to pass this practical exam both members of the group have to exit the Escape gate conscious.”
“Hear that Sero!” Mineta yelled. A few class members laughed. Aizawa glared at Mineta and he immediately dropped the smile from his face. Kirishima glanced over at Bakugo two rows away. His face was red, and he was staring down at his desk angrily. Bakugo and Sero had been the only class members who had been knocked unconscious that first exam. Bakugo would stew about this for at least a couple of hours Kirishima worried. He was too hard on himself. He also might be displacing blame on Midoriya who had carried him through the gate so they could pass the exam back then. Bakugo no longer felt this way towards Midoriya by the way he treated him now, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t have those feelings creep back in and wreak havoc on him, too. Kirishima would try to talk to him after class.
Aizawa’s glare caused the class to fall silent. He now took over speaking, “Unlike last time, each group will draw random cards that will give your group a handicap of some kind. Some of these will be similar to the handicaps Ahane and I have been giving you in training this semester. Some will be new ones you have never seen before.” He grinned again and Kirishima started to sweat a bit. There was no telling what ridiculously difficult things Aizawa could end up throwing their way. At least it would be randomly given and not assigned. The class was now completely silent.
“Try not to worry about it class. I know you will all rise to the occasion and do a superb job.” Ahane said, smiling sweetly. Although she was trying to lighten the mood now, it seemed impossible due to Aizawa standing beside her. Kirishima couldn’t help but see they were foils of each other. Aizawa lived his life by logic and reason. Ahane lived hers by emotion and empathy. He was their stony-faced (well when he wasn’t grinning sarcastically or sad*stically), monotone-speaking, pale-skinned, and roughly unkempt teacher. Ahane always had a smile on her face and her voice was animated and expressive. She at times would speak so quickly her words would run together. Her skin was a chest-nut brown and her hair was a mane of tightly coiled curls that she styled in a medium length afro. Her hair was a similar color to her skin, just slightly darker. The monochromatism of her appearance exuded a warmth and comfortableness. The chiaroscuro quality of Aizawa’s slightly wavy black hair against his pale skin exuded an air of detachment and distance. Kirishima couldn’t help but smile at himself with these thoughts he was having about his teachers. Midnight would be so proud he still remembered her art lessons more than a year later.
Chapter 28: Kirishima
Chapter Text
The bell rang and the students started to rise from their desks and head out of the room to make their way to Japanese class. Kirishima quickly retrieved a Calculus book and notebook from his backpack. As Shinso walked down the aisle between desks, Kirishima called his name. Shinso looked at him quickly, his face surprised. Kirishima walked over and handed Shinso his books. “You left these last night,” Kirishima said with a slight smile on his face. He didn’t want to make a big deal of it, but he was glad it had given him a chance to speak to Shinso on neutral ground.
“Oh. Thanks,” Shinso said as he took the books. Kirishima stood staring at him two seconds too long he realized and felt the awkwardness he was hoping to avoid.
“No problem, man.” Kirishima said. He ran out of the room to catch up with Bakugo to make sure he was okay.
Down the hall a minute later, “For the last time Kiri, I’m fine! Drop it!” Bakugo bellowed.
“Okay bro, just making sure, I saw you get red in the face during class,” Kirishima was buzzing with energy now. “So are you excited about the practical?”
Bakugo now grinned, “Yeah. I’m gonna kill that exam. Endeavor won’t know what hit him. Hey Deku!” Midoriya was walking with Iida and Ochaco up ahead. He stopped to wait for Bakugo.
“So we gonna train tomorrow during P.E. to get ready for Friday? It’s a free day so we can do whatever we want,” Bakugo asked Midoriya.
“Oh, sorry Kacchan. I have work study Wednesday afternoon,” Midoriya replied.
“Seriously? Well cancel it, Deku! We got to get ready!”
“If I could, I for sure would, but I’m covering a patrol for Burnin’. Everyone’s schedules are pretty stretched as it is over at Endeavor Agency. They’re covering a larger area now due to some of the smaller agencies shutting down.”
Bakugo made a noise that sounded like a dying lion.
“Chill bro, you guys have a few days,” Kirishima said. He glanced over Bakugo’s head at Midoriya. Midoriya smiled back at Kirishima.
“After school today then, Kacchan? I’ll see if we can use Gym Gamma?” Midoriya said. He sounded like a parent trying to cheer up a sulky toddler.
“Sure…. I guess….” Bakugo said looking down at the ground, all his excitement having been extinguished.
Midoriya looked over at Kirishima again. He was trying to suppress a laugh. Kirishima grinned and shook his head.
Chapter 29: Shinso
Chapter Text
Shinso
Shinso placed the books quickly in his backpack. He had been surprised by Kirishima approaching him. He realized he had completely forgotten about his books he had left in Kirishima’s room. Before he could overthink the interaction he had just had with Kirishima, he realized he needed to talk to Aizawa and rushed to grab his attention before he left the classroom.
“Sensei, I was wondering if you’d be free Wednesday for P.E.? I’d like to train in Gym Gamma with you if you had the time.”
“Actually, I have a meeting at Eri’s school at that time. But I do think you should still train in Gym Gamma. You need to focus on using your capturing weapon for mobility. I think that would help you out the most for the exam.”
“So, how will that work for me since I didn’t participate in the hero exams first year?” Shinso asked.
Aizawa motioned towards the door with his head communicating he wanted Shinso to follow him. His hands were in his pockets, his shoulders hunched forward slightly. The bottom part of his face was obscured by his cloths.
“Oh, thanks Eraserhead for helping out with the announcement. Are we still good to work on the exam this evening?” Ahane spoke to his retreating figure.
Aizawa didn’t turn towards her and kept walking. “6:30 PM at 3A’s dorm. Try not to be late,” Aizawa responded slightly annoyed.
Shinso saw Ahane cringe a tiny bit. He ran after Aizawa and walked beside him down the hallway.
“So, I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do with you. I want to get your opinion first. Would you rather join one of the existing teams or would you prefer working with someone from Class B? Vlad is doing something different with them for their practical so I don’t think it would be too much to ask if he had students that would be interested in helping us out for extra credit or another incentive. Another option would be to have another faculty member or pro-hero come in to be your partner. Either way with the last two choices I have some pro-heroes in mind you would go up against. It just depends now on who your partner is.”
“Can I have some time to think about it? I definitely don’t want to be added to a pre-existing team,” Shinso replied.
“Yeah, I didn’t think you would,” Aizawa answered. “Let me know by Combat Class on Wednesday. I’ll be leaving halfway through for Eri’s appointment. All Might will be subbing the last half.”
“I will, Sensei.”
“Oh. What happened last night?” Aizawa asked. His voice sounded slightly amused.
Shinso’s cheeks flushed red. What did Aizawa know? What was he talking about? How did he even find out? A lot had happened last night.
“Um….”
“The fight. With Bakugo.” Aizawa stated.
“Oh. There was a misunderstanding, and we wrestled a bit. He punched me in the eye. That was it. It really wasn’t a big deal.”
“Hmmmmm. You tried blocking his punch? Were you on the ground or standing?”
“I was on the ground. I couldn’t block his punch completely,” Shinso felt embarrassed now. Bakugo was much stronger than he was.
“You blocked it enough though. If you hadn’t, I’m sure you would have ended up with corneal damage or a retinal detachment. Bakugo would have been suspended for 5 days if that had happened,” Aizawa stated simply. “What stopped the fight?”
“Um… well Yaoyorozu showed up so I dropped the sleeper hold I had Bakugo in,” Shinso replied.
“I see. You two okay now? Will there be any future issues?” Aizawa asked.
“We’re fine. We talked it out.”
Aizawa nodded. “Always good to see real progress made one way or another.” Aizawa smiled suddenly. Shinso’s many doubts on his own abilities seemed to lessen somewhat.
Chapter 30: Kirishima
Chapter Text
Kirishima
For free day P.E. on Wednesday, Gym Gamma wasn’t too crowded. Kirishima saw Sero and Ochaco off in the distance on top of one of the raised areas working together on something. Mina was also using the gym today to work on her acid wall riding. Kirishima saw Shinso walk in earlier after he had changed. Shinso had nodded at him in greeting which had made Kirishima grin. Even if things were not going to work out on a romantic level it seemed at least they could remain friends.
“You gonna work on pushing Unbreakable more?” Bakugo asked him as he pulled on one of his gauntlets.
“Yeah, I worked on endurance last week. Up to 10 minutes now. Today I want to work on durability. I’d like to see if I can get even more indestructible. Aoyama’s gonna blast me with his laser. Usually I can take that for about 2 minutes which is his max to deploy it, so will be a good drill to run today for us both.”
Bakugo nodded at Kirishima. “I’m gonna work on fuel efficiency then, gonna head over to the building Momo tried to scale Sunday.”
“Good luck, man!” Kirishima knew Bakugo was trying to get the most out of his fuel economy and not waste any with his gauntlet for movement purposes. That way he would have more left for battle. So he would blast up and down trying to find that perfect energy amount used. Trying to hold back was something new for Bakugo thought Kirishima with a smile.
Aoyama and Kirishima started their drill. Aoyama was now able to blast a laser with a wider foot print due to an upgraded belt change. With this belt he was able to make his laser more narrow or much wider than before. It hit Kirishima in the chest covering most of the area there. He felt the warmth of the laser but it was not breaking thru his hardening. About a minute in, however, Kirishima started to feel odd. He waved at Aoyama to stop and he cut his laser off immediately.
“Everything okay mon ami?”
“Yeah….” Kirishima’s heart was racing. “Feeling a bit off. Gonna drop Hardening for a bit.” Aoyoma nodded at him. After a few seconds, however, he realized his body wasn’t responding. Normally it was such an easy task, like willing his legs to move to walk. This inability to shut down his hardening quirk had never happened before. He felt his muscles still straining. He tried to relax his body, but it continued to tense up. He felt a pain rip through both his arms and legs. He looked down and noticed new, more jagged ridges along the top of both forearms. Even though he was trying to consciously stop his hardening, his body was ramping it up. He started to become worried. What was going on? He felt immense pain run through both his hands and as he looked down at them, he noticed they had almost doubled their usual rocky crests. The sharp talon like tips of his fingers were more pronounced. His heart was still racing and now his breathing was becoming labored.
Pain now ran down both the left and right sides of his neck. He assumed the unbreakable ridges on his neck were also larger than normal. This was the largest and most unbreakable form he had ever taken and he couldn’t control its evolution. He now was struggling for breath.
“Aoya…ma..” He managed to mutter before the same pain struck him again. This time it shot through his face suddenly and he felt like he could barely move his mouth to speak. He felt the heaviness of the extra hardened outcroppings on his face.
Aoyama’s eyes were wide with terror.
“I will get help!” he said as he ran quickly away.
He felt another sharp pain over his chest. An additional layer of ridges shot up from his chest and abdomen. His whole body started to buckle under the immense weight of this new form. He was able to keep standing but felt his footing become less sure. He tried to take a breath, pull air into his lungs, but couldn’t. It was as if his chest had hardened and enlarged to where he could no longer control his diaphragm or the muscles in his thoracic cage. Kirishima was now truly terrified but he knew he had to try and remain calm. Suddenly he heard the sound of a fiery blast and Bakugo was standing in front of him. The crease between his eyebrows showed his concern. “Kiri, you can’t drop Unbreakable?” he asked with a level voice.
Kirishima tried to answer, but he couldn’t move his jaw, shake his head, or even create a noise in his throat. Most of his body was becoming immobilized by his overbearing hardening. It was like he was becoming a statue of stone. He was able to raise his arm and bring his fiercely sharp and jagged hands to his face and motion towards his mouth. Hopefully this would communicate that he couldn’t breathe. Bakugo’s face suddenly changed. His eyes became apprehensive and his mouth was agape. Bakugo aimed a blast at his chest, probably thinking he could break through the hardening. Kirishima’s body reacted by throwing out additional ridges on his chest. “No!” Bakugo bellowed. He reached out to Kirishima. He placed his hands on his chest and then on his throat and seemed to be searching for some way to relieve pressure. Mina suddenly slid into view and gasped.
“Kiri!” she exclaimed, her voice marked with immense concern. “Aoyama told me he’s stuck like this! Is that true?”
“Yeah, he can’t breathe in this state. Ashido, we need Aizawa-sensei NOW! I think Erasure’s gonna be the only thing that will work.”
“Oh, okay...”
“Go! Now!” Bakugo yelled at her.
“Ashido, wait,” Kirishima recognized the voice. He was out of Kirishima’s line of vision and Kirishima could not turn his body or head in the state he was in. He was doing his best not to collapse. He started to feel light-headed. He knew he would pass out soon. He tried to stay strong. He heard the voice speak again.
“Aizawa-sensei is at a school conference for Eri at Jedha Elementary. Do you know where it is? How to get there?” the voice of Shinso sounded.
“Yes! On my way!”
Shinso came into view. He was out of breath as if he had rushed to get there.
“Kirishima, are you okay? Talk to me.” Shinso said, his voice higher pitched than normal.
Kirishima couldn’t speak, no matter how hard he tried.
“He can’t talk, he can’t breathe...” Bakugo said in a low groan. He was no longer palpating his hardened chest and neck. He was staring at him looking helpless. He suddenly faced Shinso, “You, you’re trying to use Brainwash? To see if that could work?” Bakugo asked. Shinso nodded. He got out his cellphone, called a number and after receiving no answer, quickly texted a short message. “Trying to get ahold of Aizawa-sensei.” Shinso said.
“Come on, Kirishima. Just one word. You can do it.” Shinso looked directly into his eyes, his face now animated with many emotions. Kirishima thought he didn’t look like himself. His eyes were pleading, his mouth turned downward in a grimace. His brows anxious and upturned.
“sh*t… what can we do, what can we do...” Bakugo muttered. Shinso turned towards him. “Bakugo…. You’re bleeding… your arms and hands.” Bakugo suddenly turned away from them and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Uraraka!” He took in a deep breath and screamed out again, “Uraraka!” Bakugo turned towards Kirishima and again, palpated his chest and neck. After several seconds, Kirishima saw Sero swing in via his tape with Ochaco in his arms.
“What’s going on?” Ochaco asked frightened. Bakugo’s yelling must have spooked her.
“Kirishima can’t breathe. He’s stuck in Unbreakable mode. Uraraka, you gotta float him. It might take pressure off his lungs so he can breathe and talk so maybe Shinso can Brainwash him out of this. I’ll hold on to him so he doesn’t float away.”
“Wait,” Sero said. He shot tape over Bakugo’s arms and hands. “Should stop the bleeding some and protect you.”
“Sero, go tell Recovery girl what’s happening. Maybe she can figure something out,” Shinso said.
“On, it!” Sero shot tape out from his elbow and quickly left the gym.
Ochaco touched Kirishima on the shoulder. Kirishima felt some of the pressure escape his body. Bakugo grabbed him by his arms. His face was still anxious. Kirishima tried to speak, but found again, he couldn’t move his jaw or make a single sound in his throat. His vision was now starting to blacken around the edges.
The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was the voice of Bakugo calling his name in a tone of hysteria he had never heard before. He had said his whole name, his voice lilting up and breaking. It broke Kirishima’s heart to be causing so much pain.
Chapter 31: Shinso
Chapter Text
Shinso
“Kirishima!” Bakugo’s pleading screams echoed hollowly through the Gym. Shinso’s breathing increased. Precious time was being wasted, but he had no idea what to do. Kirishima was dying. Ashido and Sero were both swift, they could reach help quicker than he could. His mind thought of faculty or other students that could intervene, but he came up with nothing. He looked over at Ochaco who was standing beside Bakugo with tears streaming down her face.
The Gym Gamma doors burst open nearby and Iida suddenly raced up to them with medical equipment in hand. “Aoyama told me what happened on his way to Recovery Girl’s.”
“He passed out about 30 seconds ago. He can’t breathe with his hardening going out of control!” Ochaco said.
“Let’s try CPR. I don’t know how effective it will be through all the hardened skin, but we can try,” Iida said looking at Bakugo’s back.
“I floated Kirishima to see if that relieved any pressure, I’ll release him.”
“Yes. He needs to be on his back,” Iida replied steadily.
“Bakugo…. I’m gonna release Kirishima…. Bakugo?” He was still standing in front of Kirishima holding on to Kirishima’s arms. Bakugo’s jaw was locked tight, tears and mucus streaked his face. He didn’t answer. Shinso walked over and placed his hand on Bakugo’s shoulder. Bakugo looked up at him.
“Ochaco’s gonna release Kirishima. Let’s make sure he falls on his back so he doesn’t crush you. We can try to break his fall as much as possible, too. Ready?” Bakugo nodded at him in a daze.
Shinso placed his left hand on Kirishima’s right shoulder and his other hand behind Kirishima’s left arm. He felt his hands being pierced by Kirishima’s skin.
“Okay, on ‘3.’ 1,2,..3,” Ochaco stated.
Kirishima’s body lurched toward Bakugo. The two boys pushed Kirishima’s body the opposite direction. As he began to tip backwards, they now held on to soften his fall. Shinso felt the pain of his palms being sliced by Kirishima’s rock hard skin. Kirishima hit the cement floor with a loud clacking bang. Dust and pebbles shot off in all directions.
“Your hands…. I’ll run to get some towels from the locker room,” Ochaco started to turn. “Wait Ochaco. Float Kirishima again, you two hold him down in this lying position,” Iida said calmly but with authority.
The three did what they were told. After floating Kirishima, Ochaco left to get towels.
Bakugo unzipped his gym uniform top and placed it on top of Kirishima. Iida nodded and started chest compressions over the uniform top for protection. After about 10 seconds the top was ripped to shreds and Iida’s hands started to bleed, but that didn’t stop him. Shinso now placed his top down. Iida continued compressions and with Ochaco having returned with towels he was able to use these for further protection.
Iida continued compressions and wondered out loud, “I don’t know if it would be worth doing breaths for him. There would be no way to get sealed contact that would push air into his lungs.” Kirishima’s mouth was slightly ajar. His teeth were 5 times the size they usually were. They were sharp shards of rock filling more than half of Kirishima’s face in this form.
“I have an intubation kit that’s made to withstand different body types, that includes rock like ones. I’ve had the medical training to use it. I have no way of knowing if these compressions are benefitting him!” Iida finally started to show some signs of stress, he had tried so hard to keep it together.
“Try it Iida,” Shinso said, his voice shaky and low.
Iida opened up the kit next to him. He was able to nudge Kirishima’s mouth open a slight bit more. He pressed the intubation blade into Kirishima’s mouth and down his throat but met some resistance, “Come on…. Just a couple of inches further…” Kirishima’s teeth were shredding Iida’s hands but he kept working, trying from a different angle. “Dammit, I’m almost there…” he said under his breath.
“Kirishima, you piece of sh*t! Don’t you die!” Bakugo’s chest heaved with heavy breaths, his face contracted with rage and anguish. Even through Sero’s tape, Bakugo’s hands were bleeding from where he held Kirishima’s arm down. Shinso looked into the fractured, jagged stone-like spheres that were Kirishima’s eyes. They stared open and empty at the ceiling and they weren’t their usual vibrant red. They were a dull brown. Shinso let out a ragged breath, “No….” His eyes began to fill with tears. Kirishima was gone.
Suddenly, the rocky ridges of Kirishima’s skin started to retract. Shinso looked towards the gym door and saw Aizawa-sensei running towards them from a distance. Iida noticed the change in Kirishima immediately and withdrew the intubation blade and resumed the chest compressions. After a few seconds more, Kirishima was no longer in hardened form. He was so pale though and he had strange lacerations all over his body. They were all bleeding slightly. Iida now switched to breathing, two deep breaths mouth to mouth that caused Kirishima’s chest to rise, and then he resumed compressions. Aizawa-sensei had now joined them, placing his hand on Shinso’s shoulder. Shinso was still holding Kirishima’s arm, he looked behind him to see his mentor’s eyes blazing red, his hair floating upward. His face was reassuringly calm. Emotions flooded Shinso now with Aizawa there and he tried his best to suppress the urge to cry.
“Iida, I’ll keep Erasure on to be sure his quirk doesn’t rebound again. You’re doing great. Keep it up.” Aizawa-sensei said in an even tone. “Recovery Girl should be here shortly with a defibrillator.”
“Come on Kiri, Damn you!” Bakugo bellowed. After another set of breaths and a few more compressions, Kirishima’s eyes fluttered briefly. “Kiri?” Bakugo yelled. Kirishima made a groaning noise that caused Iida to stop compressions. They looked down at his chest and saw it moving up and down on its own. Iida looked at Bakugo with a weary smile, tears gathering at the corner of his eyes. Bakugo met Iida’s eyes briefly then looked away from everyone. Bakugo’s torso shook with several quiet sobs. Ochaco who had been kneeling next to Shinso wrapped her arms around Shinso’s neck in a hug, a huge smile on her face. “He’s gonna be okay!” she said. Kirishima laid there quietly continuing to breathe on his own for the next minute or so. He then opened his eyes and looked around at his friends and teacher, blinking a bit to help himself focus.
“Guys?” Kirishima said weakly. He tried to sit up but Bakugo, who was still holding on to his arm, pushed him down with his other hand. “Stay down idiot. Wait until Recovery Girl gets here.” Bakugo was no longer emotional, having composed himself. A huge smile was on his face, although his eyes still looked slightly pained. After he pushed Kirishima down, he grabbed Iida’s arm suddenly. “Thank you, Iida” he said in a serious tone, staring intently into Iida’s blue eyes. Iida smiled and nodded.
“Okay, okay, I’ll stay down, but…. Why do I feel so weird?” Kirishima said groggily.
“Maybe because you almost died you moron!” Bakugo boomed.
“Oh, I think I know why!” Ochaco brought her finger-tips together to disengage the float on Kirishima. “I floated you and kinda forgot!” Bakugo and Shinso were still holding him down by his arms. Bakugo let go of his arm now and sat back letting out a long breath of relief. Shinso still held on. Iida and Ochaco started to gather the bloodied towels and ripped clothing. “Iida, you’re bleeding pretty bad!” she said.
“Yes, yes, but it’s the least of our worries. I think Shinso and Bakugo’s cuts are a lot worse.”
Kirishima had been watching the duo as they gathered things around him. “Shinso?” Kirishima asked, his voice hoarse. Shinso noticed that Kirishima had not made eye contact with him. He was kneeling close to his head so Kirishima wouldn’t be able to see him without turning his head to the left. Shinso wanted to speak to get his attention, but there was a catch in his throat. He squeezed Kirishima’s arm with the hand that had been resting there instead. Kirishima turned his head and their eyes met. “Heya, Shinso, I didn’t see ya there,” Kirishima said weakly, a slight smile on his lips. Shinso wanted to laugh, such a casual greeting as if Kirishima hadn’t just been on the brink of death. Such a Kirishima thing to do. Downplay this event because he didn’t want to cause any bother or worry. Normally Shinso would have given a sarcastic chuckle and shook his head at the absurdity. But his reaction surprised him. The noise started at the back of his throat. A choking sound, followed by low sobs mixed with deep ragged breaths. Bakugo stood up, purposefully ignoring them, and walked behind the retreating figure of Aizawa-sensei. Recovery Girl via a tape swinging Sero had entered the gym and the two went to meet her. Kirishima’s face became pained. He tried to sit up, but Shinso pressed him back down.
“No, you stay down. Can’t you follow directions?” Shinso said, his voice breaking, his tears now falling down his face and neck.
“Shinso, I’m sorry,” Kirishima whispered. Shinso took deep breaths trying to find his composure.
“Don’t apologize,” Shinso said in a low, tremulous voice. He cleared his throat. ‘You always apologize for everything. It’s not your fault. I’m just so happy you’re okay.” Kirishima closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He brought his right hand over and rested it on top of Shinso’s.
Recovery Girl finally made it over to where Kirishima lay. Shinso reluctantly let go of him and stood up making room for the tiny hero who also was an accomplished nurse.
She shook her head at Kirishima. “I’m glad your fellow classmates acted so quickly. Of all the days for Aizawa-sensei to be off campus.”
“I can’t leave campus for one second it seems.” Aizawa replied. Recovery Girl administered her healing quirk via kisses to the injured students. Iida only needed some additional band-aids for his hands, but the other 3 would need to return to her office. Ochaco was very animatedly telling Kirishima what had happened while he was unconscious. Kirishima's eyes were wide with rapt attention at Ochaco, a slight smile on his face as if she were telling him about a movie she saw and not the traumatic event that had just happened to him. Kirishima putting everyone at ease. Bakugo stood beside them listening. Shinso was several feet away watching them quietly. Cementoss and Aoyama showed up with a stretcher for Kirishima. When he saw them, Kirishima lost his jovial countenance and immediately looked annoyed. “What? Do I really have to? I can totally walk, I swear!” He said.
“No walking! Until you have had an MRI, you have to remain lying down and still! Your quirk did a real number on your body. We have to make sure it didn’t do any damage internally. Bakugo and Shinso, you need to both go to my office. My nurse aides will finish closing up those wounds. You’ll both need some stitches.”
Chapter 32: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
It was still chilly even though it was a cloudless, sunny day. Perfect conditions for an afternoon run. Momo had gotten 3 and a half miles in and was heading towards Gym Gamma. Bakugo said he would be there for P.E. and she thought she would join him and train their gauntlet work for the last half hour of class. As she followed the sloping sidewalk she looked up ahead at the gym doors and noticed Mina and Eri standing outside. Mina’s face looked worried and Eri looked very serious as well. Normally Eri was never out of school this early. Momo felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. Mina’s expression had set her on edge.
“Hey, what’s going on?” she asked taking Mina a bit by surprise.
“Oh, Momo! Something’s happened to Kiri! His quirk went haywire and he can’t breathe. I had to go all the way to Eri’s school because Aizawa-sensei was there at a meeting and Bakugo thought that was the only way to undo Kiri’s hardening! Ya know with Erasure? So Aizawa-sensei rushed over here with his binding cloths and I brought Eri with me, but I didn’t want to take her in there in case…. Ya know….”
Suddenly tears began to fall down Mina’s cheeks. Eri now looked as if she was about to start crying as well.
“You did the right thing Mina,” Momo replied.
The gym doors opened and out walked Bakugo and Shinso.
“Kiri?” Mina asked intently.
Bakugo nodded and Shinso smiled. “Aizawa-sensei got here in time to Erase his quirk. He seems to be fine now. Recovery Girl is going to run some more tests though,” Shinso answered.
Mina dropped to her knees. Momo grabbed her arm to steady her. “Mina?” She kneeled next to her friend quite shocked at her reaction. Mina wrapped her arms around Momo and started to cry. “It sounds like everything’s going to be fine, you don’t have to worry anymore,” Momo tried to reassure her, wrapping an arm around Mina’s shaking shoulders.
“I was so worried! I thought I took too long! And that Kiri would die because I wasn’t fast enough.”
Eri ran over to Shinso and grabbed his arm. She looked up at him questioningly.
“Everything’s okay Eri, don’t worry.” Shinso said trying to console her. Eri was taking in deep breaths as if she was trying to keep herself from bursting into tears.
“Then why is Mina crying?” Eri asked, her voice shaking.
“She’s just relieved Kirishima’s okay.”
“Hitoshi, your hands! And you got blood all over you!” Eri noticed his arms, under shirt, and gym pants were covered with dried blood.
“It’s fine. Bakugo and I just need a few stitches. Kirishima’s skin was very sharp and when we tried to help him, we got cut up a bit. We’ll be fine.”
As Momo comforted Mina she looked at Bakugo. He looked exhausted. They made eye contact and he smiled weakly at her.
“Eri, stay with the girls. We have to see the nurse about some of our cuts.”
“Can I go with you?” she asked worried. Due to Shinso spending a lot of time with Aizawa-sensei, Eri had become quite attached to him. Shinso smiled at her.
“If you stay here, you’ll get to see Kirishima. That way you’ll know he’s okay. And your dad will come out as well and he can take you back to the dorm.”
“Pinky. You did well. Quit beatin’ yourself up about it,” Bakugo said hoarsely.
Mina looked at Bakugo and nodded.
“Come on, Blackeye.” Bakugo lightly punched Shinso on the shoulder and walked towards the main school building, and Shinso turned to follow. The three waited several minutes and finally saw Recovery Girl and Cementoss pushing a stretcher through the gym doors with a very embarrassed looking Kirishima as its reluctant passenger.
“Kiri!” Mina squealed.
Kirishima grinned at her. “Hey! Thanks for getting Aizawa-sensei, Mina! You’re the MVP.” Mina’s lower lip trembled but she smiled at him. Momo was holding Eri on her hip so she could wave at Kirishima and see him.
“Hey Eri!” he said in a very hoarse voice. Her little face that was so apprehensive before, now brightened into a big smile. Momo now noticed several jagged cuts on his exposed arms and legs. Much of his uniform had been shredded due to his quirk she guessed. She wondered what long term effects this incident could have, but she put on a brave face for now. Aizawa-sensei, Iida, Sero, Ochaco, and Aoyama came out following behind the stretcher.
Kirishima now was on his way to the main school building for additional tests. Aizawa-sensei got the remaining students’ attention. “Kirishima will be spending the night under medical supervision at Recovery Girl’s office. No visitation at this time, he needs rest. He’ll most likely be back at the dorm tomorrow night if the tests show no lasting issues. Kirishima won’t be participating in the practical on Friday. However, the rest of you all will still be expected to continue as planned. I’m going to stay with Kirishima for the next couple of hours, but I’ll be back at the dorms at 6 to update you guys. Momo, take Eri back to 3A dorms. Ahane will be there shortly to watch her.”
Chapter 33: Bakugo
Chapter Text
Bakugo and Shinso walked to Recovery Girl’s office in silence. His mind was racing and he was exhausted. It was strange to feel that way when he had barely done anything physical that day. Combat Class ended up being held in the classroom due to Aizawa-sensei having to leave half-way through. All Might took over and Bakugo had struggled to pay attention. His mind kept wandering and thinking about different things: the practical on Friday, the strategies he and Midoriya were working on to beat Endeavor the day before, the time he and Momo spent together at dinner last evening, the English lesson he had struggled to pay attention to that morning. English was the area of study he was worried about the most for the exam. He wanted to be first place. He had already surpassed Iida, now only Momo stood in his way. The lack of movement in Combat Class seemed to mess him up for the rest of the day as well. He was such a creature of habit, it was hard to sit still for Combat Class when he was used to being physical at that time. Yet, now he wanted to go back to his bed and just sleep.
He and Shinso walked into the main school building and made their way down the hall to Recovery Girl’s Office. Bakugo snuck a sideways glance at Shinso. He was walking next to him, quiet and eyes downcast. He looked awful. Bakugo noticed he had been using some sort of concealer to cover the black eye he had given him Monday night. But after what happened earlier, it had been wiped away. Along with the black eye, he had dried bits of blood smudges on his jaw and both cheeks. The circles under his eyes looked puffier and darker and his eyes were bloodshot. He reminded him of Aizawa-sensei. Shinso. Bakugo had suspicions 2 weeks ago. That stupid game of spoons. Bakugo knew Kirishima was gay, had known since half-way through their first year. But after that game he had become “sus” of Shinso and the possibility of he and Kirishima becoming something beyond friends. Then, there was Kirishima acting weird Monday afternoon and Shinso ending up in his room later. Then, the way Kirishima couldn’t shrug off what had happened after the fight. Why Shinso? Weren’t there other gay guys at UA? thought Bakugo. Although Bakugo couldn’t stop thinking about Shinso earlier at the gym, after Kirishima had recovered right before Recovery Girl got there. He had wept. Bakugo could never remember ever seeing Shinso even shed a single tear before. There had been plenty of opportunities for that with the sh*t the League had thrown at them thought Bakugo. His mind wandered back to the gym and Kirishima laying there motionless and lifeless. His stomach, empty and suddenly churning just the acids within, made him feel sick. Shinso’s emotional display, kneeling next to Kirishima, barely able to speak through his sobs didn’t line up with the aloof, apathetic, arrogant, and dead-eyed character that Bakugo had defined him as. Bakugo was so shocked to see it, he immediately fled from it, wanting to give Kirishima and Shinso some privacy, but also because he didn’t want to see that expression of deep feelings. It mirrored his own turmoil for almost losing Kirishima.
They both sat in empty chairs next to each other in the office. A nurse aide came up to them both, took their vitals, and then another aide started to stitch Shinso up after cleaning up his wounds. It looked like Bakugo’s wounds would take longer to stitch up so they left him for last. Bakugo kept feeling compelled to talk to Shinso about Kirishima. It was a bizarre sensation. He wanted to say something about how different things could have been without all the teamwork. How he was grateful for Iida, Ochaco, Mina, Aoyama, Sero, even Shinso himself for the help they gave. When the aide left to get some additional supplies leaving them both alone, he opened his mouth, but then shut it again. Shinso must have seen the subtle movement of his face because he turned his head towards him. Bakugo looked away. Whatever. He was just crashing from the adrenaline from earlier and being stupid. Nothing needed to be said. They at least had come to an impasse after Bakugo’s apology. No longer enemies, but also not friends. They had that understanding for now. But could he really still feel this ambivalence towards him? Someone who cared for Kirishima as much as Bakugo did? No. Not gonna think about it. Definitely not gonna talk about it. Shinso’s stitches were done and he stood up and looked down at him. Bakugo looked up into his dark, violet eyes that were exhausted yet expressed an eagerness. After several seconds, Shinso nodded at him and started to walk out.
“Shinso.”
He turned around and looked at Bakugo.
“Thank you,” Bakugo said plainly. He was looking at the ground when he said it.
“For what? I barely did anything. You were the one who came up with a plan in the gym. I should be thanking you. I just froze.”
“I know.” The edge of Bakugo’s mouth curled up slightly for a second, but his face became serious again.
“Well, for what then?” Shinso asked once more.
“For giving a damn,” Bakugo said in a hoarse whisper.
Shinso nodded.
As he walked away, Bakugo couldn’t help himself. “Hey. You’re welcome,” he bellowed after Shinso.
He heard Shinso lightly chuckle as he continued down the hallway. Bakugo grinned.
Chapter 34: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
It was insanity back at the dorms. Most the class wasn’t aware what had happened at the gym, so Ochaco and Iida were more than happy to fill everyone in with the details. Mina had sat next to Momo on the couch and was leaning against her, her head on Momo’s shoulder. Momo was surprised how subdued she was. She normally bounced back so quickly from things after they were resolved. Kirishima was okay, yet she was still very worried.
Ahane-sensei walked over to Momo and Mina and sat next to them. “You both okay? There’s a counselor in Recovery Girl’s Office if either of you need to talk to someone. Or you can talk to me, I can’t imagine how hard today was.”
“Thanks sensei. I’m okay,” Mina replied with a weak smile. Momo nodded at Ahane. Ahane patted Mina on the shoulder and returned to the kitchen area with most the other students. The majority of the class had already eaten dinner. Momo had planned a study session at 6:30 to make-up for missing the one right after school due to the events with Kirishima, but everyone was still talking and some were finally just sitting down to start on homework. It looked like no studying would happen tonight. A few minutes later Aizawa-sensei walked in and most the class converged on him, but not before Eri made a quick beeline towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Mina and Momo left the couch and walked to the back of the crowd.
“Sensei?” Iida’s questioning voice rang out over the din of the other students. Aizawa-sensei stood there in the foyer, silent and still. Eri leaned against him, watching the students with inquisitive, red eyes. Ahane-sensei, who was standing near the back, started to “shush’ the students. They finally quieted down.
“Kirishima’s MRI was normal. There wasn’t any damage to his internal organs. He’ll be back with us tomorrow evening. No visitation tonight or tomorrow. He needs rest so the lacerations on his body can heal. Ahane?”
“Yes, Aizawa?”
“Can they leave notes with you for Kirishima tomorrow morning if they’d like, and you can deliver them after homeroom?” Aizawa asked her in a deep monotone.
“Of course!” she replied.
He nodded in approval. The class started talking happily amongst themselves.
“Guys! We should throw a surprise party for Kirishima when he returns to the dorm tomorrow!” Toru exclaimed.
“That’s a great idea!” Ochaco added.
“We should make him yakiniku for dinner! That’s his favorite,” Sero shared.
“Sensei! Do they know what caused the reaction that Kirishima had?” Iida asked loudly so he was heard above the others. His classmates’ volume lowered now.
“Not sure exactly at this point. He’ll see a quirk specialist tomorrow and then follow-up weekly. He’ll be resting for some time after this as far as any combat training and hero work.” Aizawa-sensei now raised his voice more loudly than usual so that all the students quieted and had their eyes on him. “This will be very difficult for Kirishima. He works extremely hard and pushes himself diligently to improve every day, so this mandatory rest will leave him dispirited. I ask all of you to give him your full support and encouragement at this time. Kirishima more than anyone else in this class has enthusiastically cheered you all on and bolstered your spirits when you’ve been in disheartening situations. He does these things without any sort of expectation of reciprocation in mind. We owe this to him as a class.”
Momo saw Mina turn away from the group and wipe tears from her face. She reached out and held Mina’s hand. The class was silent. After several seconds, the enthusiastic voice of Ahane rang out, “Well said, Aizawa!” The stoic face Aizawa had held during his speech now had disappeared and he sighed. Ahane’s overly exuberant reaction didn’t seem to be the one Aizawa was hoping for. The energies they both exuded couldn’t have been more different. She shrugged and had an apologetic expression on her face. Momo could have sworn one end of his mouth turned up slightly before he shook his head and walked towards Ahane, Eri following close behind him.
The class continued to focus on the details of the party. “He likes the game ‘Shadow Hunters,’ right? Isn’t that his favorite?” Mina asked, a smile spreading across her face.
“Yeah, he always wants to play that stupid game,” Kaminari replied. “He’d love it if we played it tomorrow night!”
“Tokoyami, you and I should bring our guitars down and we could play them and sing songs,” Kyoka suggested.
“Ugh, then we’d have to hear Kirishima sing! He’s terrible!” Kaminari whined.
Kyoka glared at him. “Kirishima loves when we all get together and sing though!”
“Fine. Anything for Kirishima I guess,” Kaminari replied with a chuckle.
Momo was glad Mina had cheered up a bit. Planning something fun for Kirishima’s return home would lift the spirits of everyone in the class and Momo was so glad Toru had thought of it. She was also so thankful for Aizawa-sensei to share what he had with the class about supporting Kirishima. He was so tough on them as a teacher, but he really cared about their well-being including their mental health.
“He really likes the sweets in that one shop in the market next door,” Sato added.
“The salt saif*cku? Yes, he gets that all the time and brings back some to share with everyone, Ribbit.”
“Oh! Decorations! Momo, could you make up some banners and streamers, s’il vous plait?” Aoyama beamed at Momo.
“Yes, I can make some. Definitely.” Momo answered.
“Class! Aizawa and I will pick up the ingredients tomorrow for the yakiniku and the sweets from the market! You guys can concentrate on decorating and tidying things up and writing messages for Kirishima for in the morning. This will be so great!” Ahane said with much enthusiasm.
As the class resumed brainstorming ideas, Momo couldn’t help but notice Bakugo and Shinso were absent. After hearing from Ochaco and Iida what had transpired in the gym, she realized it had been pretty traumatic for Bakugo and those involved. She thought that he would most likely try to avoid his classmates this evening. Shinso probably would head straight to his dorm as well. She sat on the couch and pulled out her phone to send a text.
Momo: Kiri’s MRI was normal. Class planning a surprise party for Kirishima tomorrow for when he comes back. Are you in bed?
Almost immediately, her phone vibrated.
Bakugo: Yes.
Momo: Want me to come up?
Bakugo: No.
Momo wasn’t surprised by his answers, but she tried to not take it personally. It was only 7:00. She would give him his space. If Bakugo was emotional, he wouldn’t want an audience.
Chapter 35: Kirishima
Chapter Text
Kirishima stood in the shower and let the hot water run full blast over his head, down his back, and spill over his aching body. He couldn’t remember a time he felt more exhausted. Recovery girl was able to heal his lacerations fully. They weren’t very deep, but were wide and jagged, and had left ugly dark pink scars. She told them they would heal up over time and disappear except the ones on his chest. They were an angry red and were still painful to the touch. He made sure the water from the shower head didn’t hit him there. He would have three large vertical scars about 10 inches long for the rest of his life. 2 on his left starting at the top of his pectoral muscle moving down to his abdomen and 1 on the right side that started immediately under his pectoral muscle and ran down to the bottom of his abdomen. For some reason this bothered him more than it should have. Perhaps it was because he received these scars not from some epic battle, but from a mishap with his quirk. He had a few scars on both arms and legs already, faint and barely visible except for one on his left shoulder and the one above his right eye. He had been in the shower for several minutes but couldn’t will himself to turn off the water. The room had filled with thick white steam that made him feel slightly light-headed. Or was that whatever was wrong with him? Because obviously there was something really wrong with him. His quirk had turned on him. He didn’t want to think about it. Things seemed so simple standing there under the streams of almost too-hot liquid pouring out above him. There were no beeping machines here, no nurses to check and dote on him continuously, and the feel and noise of the rushing water kept him from having to think about his friends. He couldn’t picture their pained faces and hear their strained voices here. It was just Kirishima and the water. He heard a knock at his door.
“Kirishima! That’s long enough! I don’t want you passing out in there!”
It was one of the nurse aides. Kirishima sighed. He turned off the water and dried off. He reluctantly pulled on the hospital gown that tied in the back. He hated this. He just wanted to be back at the dorm. He dried his hair as well as he could with the small towel and he ran a brush through it quickly. He noticed his legs started to shake and he decided to get in bed before he passed out. Recovery Girl had warned him to stay off his feet. But he wanted to escape, if only for a few minutes. As he opened the door and walked towards the bed, Recovery Girl was standing there and gave him a stern look.
“I told the aides you had to stay in bed this evening. I didn’t want you on your feet!”
He immediately regretted his actions. He didn’t like to disappoint his elders. “I’m sorry Recovery Girl!” He jumped in bed and pulled the covers up over his legs. Recovery Girl cut her eyes at him. Moments later though her face softened and then she smiled.
“Try to get some sleep, sweetie. I’m surprised you haven’t passed out, it takes a lot of energy to heal those wounds.”
He smiled at her and nodded. She placed six small electrode pads on his chest that connected with wires to one of the machines. He would have to wear these through the night to track his heart rate and breathing. She took his empty dinner tray from his room and closed the door behind her. Now at least he was alone. Recovery Girl wanted him to sleep on an incline and he was so exhausted, he didn’t mind it. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
*
Kirishima was sitting at his desk in the classroom. He looked around and saw his classmates, but he couldn’t make out their faces. He looked towards the head of the classroom and instead of a teacher sitting or standing there, he saw a large clock on a small table. It was counting down. It said 4:00, then dropped down to 3:59. He looked at his paper and realized he couldn’t see the writing. No matter how close he brought the paper to his face, the words stayed blurry and indecipherable. He lifted the sheet up and brought it an arm’s length away. Still blurry. He put the sheet down and started to sweat from nerves. He swallowed but his throat was so dry, it felt like something was stuck there. He looked at the clock and it said 2:30. “What!?!” Kirishima exclaimed. “Shhhhh,” sounded out from all around him and it echoed in his head. He looked at his paper again, but it was no longer a paper. It was an X-ray. It was someone’s chest, it seemed, from what he could recognize. Even with his limited understanding of how X-Rays were read he could ascertain the chest in this scan wasn’t normal. It looked like the ribs were sticking out at strange angles and there were fractures all over the place. He saw that his name was on the X-Ray. His body was beyond repair. He looked up at the clock and it read 30 seconds. “No!” he yelled. He stood up and raced around the room, not sure what to do. “I’ll fail the exam!” he screamed. “I won’t be a hero anymore!” The students around him all had their heads down, writing on their papers. One had hair he recognized. It was spiky and platinum blond. Its face looked up into his, three black holes for two eyes and a mouth. The black hole of a mouth flapped as it spoke, “You’re too stupid to be a hero.” Now it changed and had long, unkempt black hair. “You’re a moron!” it said. It changed again and sprouted purple waves on top its head, “You’re an idiot!” It morphed yet again, all along keeping the black holes for eyes and mouth. Now it had red hair in three distinct spikes, one in the front pointed ahead and the two in the back pointing behind the figure. “And now your body’s broken! Look!” it bellowed. The x-ray was on the changeling’s desk now, and it tapped it with a long, jagged fingernail. Tap Tap Tap Tap. “You can never be a hero now!” it howled.
*
He opened his eyes suddenly. He was breathing heavily and his body was covered in sweat making him feel sticky and uncomfortable. He was in his hospital room in the dark, save the light from the machine he was connected to and the moonlight that was coming in through the window. Stupid nightmare Kirishima thought. All of his bones ached. It reminded him of the growing pains he used to get when he was younger, but instead of just his legs, it was shooting through his arms and up his neck and down his back. He tried to find a position his body was comfortable in and closed his eyes, but before he drifted back to sleep, he heard the noise again. Tap tap tap tap. He opened his eyes. He thought the tapping had only been in his dream. He looked at his door and then as he scanned the room and his eyes made it to the large window, he saw a figure that made his stomach lurch in alarm. He was on the 4th floor, this was impossible. After a couple of seconds, he processed what he was looking at. A figure was hanging upside down outside his window. Black clothing made the figure blend in with the darkness beyond his room. However, the means at which they were hanging, some sort of cloth, was grey and caught his eye. The figure’s legs were splayed outward, the soles of their booted feet were touching. The feet closed over the piece of cloth and the tension this created kept them from slipping. One hand of the figure was gripping the cloth near their feet, the arm straight and taut aiding in holding them aloft. The head and face were covered in a black balaclava. Only the eyes and mouth were visible through holes in the fabric, and the figure was too far away and it was too dark for Kirishima to recognize the eyes. The figure waved at him with their other arm. Kirishima, who had been alarmed and almost frightened at the figure’s sudden appearance, especially considering his current state of vulnerability, now smiled. The friendly wave countered any menace exuding from the dexterous individual dangling expertly outside his window.
He started to step out of his bed, but the figure now shook its head animatedly and placed their gloved hand on the window, fingers splayed out as if telling him to stop. To stay in bed. Kirishima groaned in annoyance and leaned back in his bed. The figure wore a cross body harness on their chest. Their free hand went to a compartment, opened it, and withdrew what Kirishima thought to be a dry erase marker. Kirishima was beyond confused although he had a pretty good idea who this figure was and his heart raced now.
The figure brought the marker to its mouth to help aid in removing the top and placed the top in a compartment of the harness. They now wrote on the glass.
The figure started to write a word that didn’t make sense to Kirishima. “W-O-H?” Kirishima said still having a hard time because the writing was also upside down. They then erased the writing with their gloved hand and started again. Kirishima grinned. They had to write backwards and right side up so Kirishima could understand. This person had to be pretty bright. Kirishima didn’t think he could do both at the same time.
‘H-O-W A-R-E Y-O-U F-E-E-L-I-N-G?’
Kirishima brought his hand up and turned it slightly back and forth, the hand signal for ‘okay.’
The figure erased the writing and wrote a new message.
‘T-H-A-T M-E-A-N-S Y-O-U M-U-S-T F-E-E-L R-E-A-L-L-Y B-A-D’
Kirishima grinned and sighed. Yep. They were right. This person knew him well enough to see right through him.
They erased and started to write again.
‘I’M S-O-R-R-Y Y-O-U F-E-E-L B-A-D’
Kirishima shrugged.
The message was erased once more.
‘I D-I-D-N-‘-T W-A-N-T T-O W-A-I-T F-O-R T-O-M-O-R-R-O-W T-O A-S-K Y-O-U S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G’
Kirishima’s heart began to race again. This was all so bizarre and unexpected. He now couldn’t contain himself. He stepped off his bed and took a few steps toward the window. The figure waved erratically and pointed back to the bed. Kirishima grinned and shook his head back and forth. No way that was going to happen. Unfortunately, due to the machine he was connected to, he could only get as close as a few feet from the window. He knew if he became detached from the machine the nurse aide on call would come running in. The head of the figure was almost perfectly level with Kirishima’s head now that he was standing. The figure in black’s head was just slightly below his. He could see their eyes now through the holes of the balaclava and he knew without a doubt who it was. The figure threw its head back, as if exasperated that Kirishima was out of his bed. Kirishima couldn’t stop grinning, his cheeks began to burn. The figure now dug into the neck of his black shirt, found the end of the balaclava and pulled it off over its head. A shock of purple hair erupted from its fabric prison. Kirishima stopped grinning and his face became more serious. He gazed into Shinso’s face. His indigo eyes were bright and glistening. The darkened circles of his under eyelids looked darker and puffier than usual, maybe from the fact he was upside down, thought Kirishima, or maybe it was because of all the crazy events of the day taking their toll. But it didn’t make him look any less handsome. Kirishima experienced a tightening in his chest that he had felt before; During the wrestling to win the game of spoons, when Shinso had leaned into him to whisper in his ear, and when he had kissed him in the courtyard. Those experiences paled in comparison to the feeling he had now in his chest. Luckily, he remembered that feeling so he could tell himself it wasn’t his quirk malfunctioning that made him feel this strange way. It wasn’t his own body turning on him. No, don’t think about that now. He quickly pushed his worry away, he didn’t want it to sully this moment.
Shinso’s face was earnest yet his expression open as he stared at Kirishima. After several moments, he wrote his message, not looking up at Kirishima until he was finished.
‘W-I-L-L Y-O-U G-O T-O T-H-E F-O-R-M-A-L W-I-T-H M-E?‘
Shinso’s eyes flicked upward now meeting Kirishima’s. Deep Indigo to Crimson. A pre-dawn sky illuminated by the impending rays of a not yet visible sun. Kirishima let a smile spread across his face. He nodded his head and said, “Yes.”
Shinso grinned. The expression reached his eyes and it did something quite different to his whole face, even in his upside down state. Kirishima’s heart began to race again. Shinso rarely ever shared this expression with anyone. Or perhaps he rarely ever experienced it thought Kirishima. Well, Kirishima would make sure that would change. His mission would be to see this gorgeous grin on his beautiful face all the time. The adrenaline that had been fueling Kirishima through this exchange was finally waning. He felt his legs weaken and begin to shake. He quickly turned and took the few steps back to his bed and sat down. He hoped Shinso had not noticed he had become shaky. That would worry him. He looked over at Shinso who now had a different smile on his face, almost smug. He erased the message with his gloved hand and now wrote the last one for the night.
‘N-I-C-E A-S-S”
Kirishima looked at him quizzically and then it dawned on him. He was wearing a hospital gown that reached his knees and it was tied, yet still open, in the back. He was buck naked underneath it. A deep blush spread across Kirishima’s face. He could see Shinso’s shoulders shake with laughter. He looked at Kirishima with a wry smile. He pulled out the balaclava he had tucked in the chest harness and pulled it over his head. He placed his hand flat against the window for several seconds looking at Kirishima. He then grabbed the binding cloth with his free hand so that both his arms were now helping support him. He moved his feet away from the cloth and now brought his legs in front of him, his feet touching the window. He bent his knees deep and then sprung away from the window. He twisted halfway in the air righting himself while simultaneously whipping the cloth away from whatever hold he had been using. And like that he was gone. Kirishima worried he may have fallen, but in the distance now he could see him along the adjacent wing of the building that was visible from Kirishima’s window. He was only visible for a couple of seconds. He switched between three holds with his binding cloth. It was amazing how he could flick the cloth, quickly wrap it around an object, swing past it, and then flick it again to loosen it and find the next hold. The last hold brought him to the edge of the roof. He swiftly climbed to the top of the building and vanished.
Chapter 36: Bakugo
Chapter Text
It was midnight and he couldn’t sleep. He had decided to study around 10:30 when sleep, which normally came so easy to him, evaded his exhausted mind and body. He had sat at his desk and felt sorry for himself, ignoring his English textbook laid out before him. Momo had not texted him back or come to his room. He had told her ‘no,’ he didn’t want her to check on him and he had meant it at the time, but he had secretly hoped she was worried enough about him to go against his request. He had wished she would err on the side of possibly stoking his anger and come see him anyway. Damn, I’m immature he thought. He should have just texted her. He realized with Kiri in Recovery Girl’s hospital wing overnight and having pushed Momo away, he was alone. He thought he wanted that, to be alone. He definitely didn’t want to deal with the class as a whole downstairs, but now he wished he had reached out to Momo.
Bakugo: You up?
He texted Momo, hopeful.
He waited a minute. Of course, she wasn’t up he thought.
His mind went back to his brief talk with Shinso at the nurse’s office. He grabbed his phone from his nightstand. He looked at Class 3A’s group chat and found Shinso’s number. He entered his contact information into his phone.
Bakugo: You up?
30 seconds later.
Black Eye: new phone. who dis?
Bakugo: f*ck you
Black Eye: lol nice
Black Eye: srsly dont know who you are
Bakugo sighed. He was now regretting the sent texts, but he also knew Shinso was one of the few people still up at this late hour. Everyone knew he was an insomniac. Bakugo was worried about Kiri and he thought maybe Shinso had additional information from Aizawa-sensei. Maybe he talked to him after Aizawa-sensei had left 3A dorm.
Bakugo: This is Bakugo
Black Eye: why are you up late? you always go to bed early is everything ok? is Kirishima ok?
Bakugo: I haven’t heard anything new. I just thought you’d be up and maybe you heard sh*t from Aizawa about Kiri
Black Eye: no. i did talk to aizawa around 9 tonite at faculty dorm. Kirishima mri normal but waiting on blood work and other test
Bakugo: ok
Bakugo turned off his light, tossed his phone on his bed, and got under his covers. He heard his phone vibrate. He ran his hand around his left side, found it, and read the message.
Black Eye: cant sleep
Black Eye: ?
Bakugo tossed the phone back down on the bed. He laid there for a while and the only thing he could think about was Kirishima. What if he couldn’t control his quirk anymore? What if he couldn’t be a hero now? That would kill him. Kirishima was alone dealing with this heavy burden, with the possibility of all his goals being put on hold or completely dashed. It ate at Bakugo. He threw the covers off him, snatched his phone, and barreled out of his dorm. He took a few steps, opened Kirishima’s door and stomped inside, slamming the door behind him. He stood in the mostly dark and lifeless room for several seconds. Kirishima's curtains were halfway open and moonlight spilled into the room dimly illuminating everything. Bakugo looked around at the dwelling that had become almost as familiar as his own; the punching bag taped up so many times with black and gray duct tape you could barely tell what color it was originally. A barbell, free weights, weight plates, and kettle bells lining the walls and a weight bench in the corner. Various posters on the walls, fitness related ones, inspirational ones, and one of Crimson Riot. Above Kirishima's worn oak desk on the wall there were pinned pictures of the class. Mainly of Bakugo, Mina, Kaminari, and Sero, but everyone from Class 3A was caught on film at least a couple of times, even Todoroki. Kirishima’s faded green comforter was actually smoothed out, proof that Kirishima had made his bed the morning before. Bakugo was always harping on him to keep his room more tidy. He had stubbed his toe on the barbell on several occasions letting out a string of expletives every time. He threw himself on Kirishima’s bed. He grabbed a pillow, wrapped his arms around it, and laid on his side. His phone vibrated again and he searched for it, finding it wedged under his side. He read the text.
Black Eye: if you need to talk i am up
Black Eye: call or txt
Bakugo looked at the text for a long time, until his phone went to sleep mode and the message disappeared. Bakugo laid the phone on the bed. He inhaled a deep shaky breath and let it out gradually. He suddenly heard the door open slowly with a deep creak. He quickly sat up and could see who was standing in the doorway by the dim footlights from the hallway. It was Momo. She closed the door behind her. “I woke up and saw your text.” She stood there, still and quiet, and waited. He laid back down and rolled inward towards the wall away from her. He couldn’t look at her face to face in his current state, but he was glad she was there. The conflicting emotions left him at a loss of what to say or do. Then the knowledge that she had found his room empty and thought to look for him in Kirishima’s room hit him hard. This fact further pushed at the edges of his already frayed emotions. After a minute, he felt her lay down next to him and wrap her arm around him. He felt tears sting his eyes and he held his breath. After several seconds, he finally let it out shakily. He felt Momo run her fingers through his hair. A few more silent tears made their way down his cheek and on to Kirishima’s pillow but the flurry of emotions had passed now and his breathing went back to normal. Momo lifted her hand from his head and laid her arm back over him. He fell asleep a few minutes later.
Chapter 37: Aizawa
Chapter Text
“I don’t know, bro. It doesn’t look right to me,” Kaminari said to Sato as the two of them and Aizawa stood over the grilled meats.
“Who normally grills this recipe when you make it?” Aizawa asked.
“Kirishima,” Sato replied.
“And you followed the directions of the recipe?” Aizawa asked. Sato nodded.
“Well, maybe we can just put the sauces on it now, instead of letting people choose their meat and add the sauce themselves? It will cover up how bad they look at least,” Kaminari said. Both boys looked at Aizawa for approval. Cooking anything beyond a simple soup was something outside of Aizawa’s comfort zone. Best to leave it to them to figure it out. They were capable enough. And knowing Kirishima, even if they tasted awful, he would be the last to share that sentiment.
“Whatever you think is best. I’ll leave it up to you two,” Aizawa replied steadily.
“Daddy! Look!” Eri’s voice rang out from the living area. Aizawa walked out of the kitchen and saw streamers hanging from the ceiling and party banners crossing the room and running across the tops of walls. Momo was creating more banners from her upper arms. Eri looked up at the ceiling beaming at her handiwork. “What do you think?” she asked him.
“I think it looks great.” He said simply. He walked over and lifted Eri up on his shoulders so she could attach the freshly created banners to an empty corner. Sero provided the tape. Ahane, Bakugo, and Mina walked in from the pantry with sodas, paper plates, cups, and napkins and started to set them up on the table nearest the kitchen bar. Tokoyami and Kyoka were tuning their guitars. Todoroki was putting the sodas on ice and Mineta and Shoji were vacuuming. Tsuyu and Toru were placing desserts on a platter, and Iida was writing the itinerary of the night on the white board so they would have time to do EVERYTHING they had planned and keep on schedule. Ochaco and Deku were wiping down the tables and placing bright red tablecloths over the tops. Ojiro and Shinso were cleaning the windows, the former using his strong, flexible tail to wipe and making quick work of it. Koda was in the kitchen cleaning up the mess made from dinner and Aoyama was critiquing Tsuyu and Toru’s handiwork at setting the platters. “If you do it this way, it will look so much better!” Tsuyu looked a little annoyed but she humored him.
As Aizawa glanced over the living quarters and observed his students, he realized the remaining time they had together was now short. They would all be graduating in 5 months. They had all been through so much and he hoped that they would still keep in touch with one another as they continued their lives beyond U.A. Before he could get too sentimental, his logical side took over, he looked down at his watch, and realized it was time to get Kirishima. Recovery Girl had demanded he have an escort to the dorm. She wanted to make sure he wasn’t exerting himself too much and wanted him supervised as much as possible over the next week. Earlier in the day when he had checked on Kirishima and brought him a change of clothes for when he would be released, she had threatened to send Kirishima to the dorm in a wheelchair if he didn’t stay in bed. He immediately leapt back into bed looking equal parts apologetic and embarrassed.
“Sensei,” Shinso walked up to Aizawa, window cleaner and paper towel still in hand. “Are you about to leave to get Kirishima?”
Aizawa nodded at him.
“Could I do it? I’ll make sure we come straight here and that he walks slow and takes it easy.”
Aizawa took a moment to assess the situation. No paper work had to be signed for release since Kirishima was no longer a minor, but considered an adult now since he was 18. Kirishima had chosen to not let his parents know of the incident much to the disappointment of Recovery Girl, but it was his choice as a legal adult. Due to this, Recovery Girl was being a bit more strict with other aspects of his care. Kirishima would probably be much happier to see a friend of his instead of Aizawa, but Recovery Girl might not be too pleased about it. Shinso had a good report with Recovery Girl as far as avoiding injury for the most part, so she probably saw him as more responsible than most of Class 3A. He would err on the side of making this afternoon about Kirishima and cheering him up. If Recovery Girl had issues, she would definitely call him.
“Okay,” Aizawa replied.
Shinso nodded and handed the cleaner and paper towels to Aizawa with a slight smirk on his face. Aizawa sighed and took the supplies and joined Ojiro. Shinso grabbed his coat from a hook in the foyer and left the dorm.
Chapter 38: Shinso
Chapter Text
It was a few minutes after 5 on Thursday. It was a very cold and windy day and Shinso was walking as quickly as possible through the school grounds. He had his hands in the pockets of his coat and his hood up to protect him as much as possible from the bitter wind. He was glad he had decided to wear the thick magenta scarf that his mother had knitted him the previous winter.
He opened the door of the main school building and headed up the stairs towards Recovery Girl’s Office and the hospital wing. He was pleased that Aizawa-sensei let him take on this task. He was anticipating the sight of Kirishima’s surprised face. Kirishima was an open book so things like these little surprises were always such a big deal to him and he showed it. He knew where Kirishima’s room was due to the previous night. He had hoped that last night there would be enough moonlight to see inside the rooms and that the windows of the hospital wing would have their blinds drawn up. If not, his little plan would not have worked. But luck had been on his side and laying eyes on Kirishima had set him more at ease, especially after the texts he received from Bakugo. Bakugo’s uneasiness and worry had made him feel that perhaps he wasn’t considering the situation as seriously as he needed to be. Shinso was so thrilled Kirishima was alive, living, breathing, and still with them. He had not really processed how this strange quirk behavior could affect Kirishima in the future until after those texts. Kirishima’s career as a hero could be in jeopardy. Shinso started to mull this over and then he couldn’t sleep himself, although that wasn’t outside the ordinary for him. He was lucky to get 3 to 4 hours of sleep most nights. Hopefully Shinso’s clandestine operation dangling outside Kirishima’s window also cheered him up. They were going to the Formal together and even the self-composed, more serious Shinso could not help but feel some excitement about the event. He was thankful he had not gotten caught out on campus as well, although traipsing around the grounds after midnight was something he had been doing the last several months. He just saw it as additional training in stealth and thought it worth the risk.
He didn’t see any staff in the hallway or at the nurse’s desk, so he turned and walked straight into the open door of Kirishima’s room. Kirishima was laying on top of the hospital bed, his arms folded across his chest, asleep. He was in his street clothes which consisted of faded, distressed baggy jeans, a red knit v-necked sweater and what looked like a long sleeve black t-shirt underneath. His bed was at an incline so his upper body was upright like he was sitting. Shinso wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. Did he wake him or let the poor guy sleep?
Shinso sat in a chair next to Kirishima’s bed and decided to wait. He texted Aizawa to let him know they would be a bit later than the 5:30 time they had estimated. He put his phone in his coat pocket and looked at Kirishima. His medium toned complexion looked much more pale than usual and he had pink vertical scars on both sides of his neck and one running down his left cheek. He heard the door down the hallway open and then footsteps in the hallway and knew they were Recovery Girl’s. The faint noise was enough to wake Kirishima. He slowly opened his eyes and they immediately shifted to Shinso’s face.
“Shinso! Hey, bro!” Kirishima’s face was priceless. His eyes were wide with surprise and just pure joy, plain and simple. Shinso’s heart raced in his chest. He stood up and immediately put his arm out towards Kirishima, who also brought his hand out and clasped his thumb, Kirishima’s typical ‘bro-handshake.’ It was the way they had always greeted each other, ever since Class A and Class B’s joint training the middle of their first year. Right after, they both looked at each other, Shinso felt a bit awkward; he was still clasping Kirishima’s hand. Shinso let go first and put his hands in his pockets but not before Kirishima glanced at the bandages and tape on Shinso’s palm.
“I’m sorry about the cuts, man. I…”
“Not your fault. Definitely not your fault. Don’t even think about apologizing,” he said sternly.
Kirishima sighed. “So, how’re you feeling?” Shinso asked with as much gusto as someone with his personality could muster, which wasn’t much. He wanted to steer the conversation to more positive things instead of having Kirishima worry about his hands now. His stitches were nothing compared to what Kirishima went through and was still going through.
“Better. I haven’t been shaky today like I was yesterday. Gonna sleep like a rock tonight, was pretty restless last night.”
Shinso gave him a slight smile, “Hope I didn’t have anything to do with that.”
Kirishima grinned back at him, “Well maybe a little. That was something last night. I…”
Recovery Girl sauntered in and was surprised when she saw Shinso. “Hitoshi Shinso! I take it Aizawa sent you to escort Kirishima back to the dorm?” She now looked a bit suspicious. Shinso bowed towards Recovery Girl. “Yes, Sensei. We’ll go straight to the dorms and I’ll make sure he walks at a slow pace. You have my word.” The look on her face softened.
“Well, you two follow me out to the nurse’s station. Kirishima, I have some follow-up paperwork for you and a list of do’s and don’ts until you see Watabe, our quirk specialist, next week.”
“Of course, Sensei!” Kirishima said enthusiastically as he jumped down off the bed. Recovery Girl immediately turned towards him and bellowed, “Too much energy, Kirishima! You have to settle down! Lower your voice and quick jumping around! Goodness me!”
“Oh sorry, Sensei.” Recovery Girl walked out of the room and Kirishima’s face turned red. Shinso chuckled low and deep. This was going to be rough for Kirishima. He did everything at a 10. They both followed her out.
Chapter 39: Kirishima
Chapter Text
They had to take the elevator. Recovery Girl insisted and Kirishima knew not to complain even though he wanted to protest. He and Shinso were alone now, waiting for the elevator that was notoriously very slow.
“So… Kirishima. I need to ask you something.” Kirishima started to sweat suddenly and felt clammy, maybe even slightly sick. Ever since the courtyard, when Shinso mentioned (or wrote on glass) wanting to ask him something it made him nervous which was a mostly foreign feeling for him. Last night he had an idea of what the question would be, so it had been a pleasant feeling, but now reminiscent of the courtyard, with Shinso standing next to him looking ahead and not at his face, he had no idea what to expect. He kept his eyes on Shinso, trying to read his face, but it didn’t reveal anything. Shinso now met his gaze. “Funny. You react to my questions now like most people. You tense up. You used to not do that.” His face was still the same.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, because of my quirk most people hesitate when they talk back to me or answer my questions. I make then uneasy when I speak.”
Kirishima felt awful, “No, Shinso, it’s not that. I just, well I guess you make me nervous now. It’s different though. In a good way. It’s hard to explain.”
Shinso gave him a half-smile. What he wouldn’t give to have a quirk that could read minds. These cryptic half-smiles and smirks of Shinso’s. He wished he knew what he was thinking. What was so amusing to him? What was even more frustrating was when his face was impassive, his mood completely inscrutable. That was how Kirishima had picked up on the subtle flirting. Shinso had gone from being so aloof and disinterested for the most part with his engagement with the class to more involved. And the staring. Kirishima had caught Shinso staring at him. He was quick to look away when Kirishima would meet his gaze. His reflexes were as fast as a hummingbird’s but Kirishima wasn’t that far behind.
“Oh, so what do you want to ask me?” Kirishima asked, feeling a little less nervous.
The elevator door opened and they stepped into the empty cab. Shinso looked down at Kirishima and asked, “How far in the closet are you?”
Kirishima looked at him confused at first. After several moments he understood. “I don’t know. I really never thought about it that way. You’re either ‘in or out’ I thought. My parents know, my hero agency head, Fat Gum, and Tamaki Amajiki know. And Momo…. and you.” Shinso looked ahead and didn’t respond. “Is that what you mean?” Kirishima asked.
Shinso’s face was unreadable again. He took his hand out of his coat pocket and grabbed Kirishima’s hand, not looking down at him, keeping his gaze forward. They had been standing very close to one another so it didn’t take much effort for Shinso to reach for his hand and hold it. Kirishima’s heart raced. Shinso’s hand was so warm compared to his. He could feel the tape that covered part of Shinso’s palm. His fingers were smooth and soft compared to Kirishima’s rough and callused hands. This felt so right and natural. He looked down at their clasped hands. Kirishima’s palms were larger, but Shinso’s fingers were longer. His skin was pale, you could see the purple veins on the top of his hands under the almost translucent skin. The elevator dinged and opened to the first floor. Still holding his hand, Shinso led them out. They walked side by side. Kirishima noticed two girls talking to each other, walking towards them far down the opposite end of the hallway. They were second years in one of the hero classes, Kirishima knew one of them, she had a pretty amazing quirk, fire-breathing, and her name was Miura. As her head turned towards them, Kirishima let go of Shinso’s hand. His heart sank and he felt ashamed. “Hey Kirishima! We heard about what happened at Gym Gamma yesterday. But you look like you’re feeling well now!” Miura said brightly.
“Yeah. Feeling much better!” Kirishima replied.
“Good to hear!” She said as they passed by each other. They proceeded to walk about 10 more feet and then Shinso said plainly, “That’s what I meant.”
Chapter 40: Shinso
Chapter Text
When they got to the door leading outside Kirishima turned towards Shinso, his face pained. They were alone, in the large foyer. “I’m a coward!” Kirishima spoke with fueled emotions but he kept his voice low, just above a whisper. “How can I call myself a man if I can’t even be myself? That I’m ashamed to show that we like each other? That we’re going to the dance together? You were brave enough to ask me to it, and I can’t even hold your damn hand in public! It’s like what you asked me last night meant nothing because I’m not man enough to show the world my true self!” His chest was rising and falling erractically and Shinso was worried now. Kirishima was supposed to be taking it easy; this couldn’t be good for him.
“Kirishima, you gotta calm down,” Shinso sighed. “This is my fault. I shouldn’t have done that back there. You can’t get worked up, remember. Deep breaths, come on now,” Shinso said, with an even tone.
Kirishima shook his head in disgust. Shinso reached out and placed his hand on one of his broad shoulders. Kirishima’s breathing became normal again. He was looking down at his feet, too embarrassed to meet his gaze, Shinso assumed.
“I’m sorry,” Kirishima said in a low rumble, eyes still downcast. He held himself so rigid, muscles were tense visibly at his neck and Shinso felt it in his shoulder. Shinso began to worry again. What if his quirk went haywire again? Aizawa sensei was minutes away. He went through his head what he would need to do to help Kirishima in the most efficient manner silently in his head if what happened in the gym occurred again. It was probably a good plan for him to have at all times now until they learned more about Kirishima’s diagnosis.
“Quit apologizing for everything,” Shinso couldn’t help but smile a bit before he got serious again. “Hey. Look at me.” Kirishima’s crimson eyes shot back up and locked onto his.
“Am I any better?” Shinso said low and calm. “Did you know I was bi before the courtyard thing? You had just guessed right?” Kirishima nodded.
“My family knows, my friends back in my hometown, and probably about half of Class 3C, maybe some Class J students. Seems like a lot, right? Yet I’ve still managed to keep it quiet, too. But I’m getting tired of it. Seriously, I’m just standing in the doorway of the damn closet waiting for a push. You’re not there yet, but this is new territory for you, right?” Shinso lowered his hand from his shoulder. Kirishima shook his head frustrated.
“I’m not even standing in the closet, bro. I’m like, leaning against the back wall. Like behind all the clothes and frickin’ hangers are poking me in the eye,” Kirishima said in a gruff, matter-of-fact tone.
Shinso grinned from ear-to-ear. Then he started to laugh.
“Hey! What the hell? We’re trying to have this serious conversation. Come on, man.” Kirishima tried to stare him down with a serious expression but he ended up grinning, too. After several seconds, Shinso cleared his throat. “Sorry, the hanger part was too much. I haven’t laughed like that in a long time.”
“I can do without the laughing at my expense, but I love seeing that grin. The same one you had on your face last night. I thought about it all night and was wondering when I’d see it again.” Shinso shrugged at this, not sure how to reply. He had a very hard time accepting compliments. And an even harder time thinking someone as popular, attractive, and personable as Kirishima would give him the time of day. Shinso looked around to make sure they were still alone. He then wrapped his arm around the back of Kirishima’s shoulders and rested his head against Kirishima’s as he spoke. “We go to the dance together. We don’t have to tell anyone. We’ll just hang out, it will be fine. We’ll both know we’re there together. That’s all that matters right now. We figure the rest out later.” He turned his head to look down at Kirishima. Kirishima suddenly turned his head up towards Shinso and kissed him gently on the lips. Shinso parted his lips slightly and kissed him back lingering several seconds. They heard voices coming down the hall. Shinso looked behind them quickly lowering his arm, the approaching group had not turned the corner yet and couldn’t see them.
Shinso smiled and said, “That was bold. I don’t think you’re as deep in that closet as you claim.” He stepped away from Kirishima as the group of students were now visible down the hall. They came about halfway down and then turned into a classroom.
Shinso took off his coat and handed it to him.
“What?!?” Kirishima said in an incredulous tone.
“You don’t have your coat and it’s really cold out.” Shinso took off his scarf and placed it around Kirishima’s neck wrapping it twice. “You won’t win this one, Kirishima. Just put the coat on.”
He sighed. His face looked as if Shinso had told him to get ready for a Calculus pop quiz. Shinso decided to keep his own face as expressionless as possible even though he wanted to smile. Kirishima donned the coat and zipped it up. It fit him perfectly thought Shinso. They had the same shoulder broadness, except Kirishima was almost 4 inches shorter than Shinso. Shinso was also all legs for his build whereas Kirishima was more evenly proportioned. “You should keep that. It fits you better than me.”
“That won’t raise a ton of red flags with everyone if I start wearing your coat,” Kirishima said with a laugh.
“Well, rainbow flags in your case,” Shinso said dryly. Kirishima rolled his eyes. He placed his hands in the coat pockets.
“Let’s get you to the dorms before Aizawa sends out a search party. It’s almost 6.”
Shinso opened the door and they walked quickly out into the bitter cold.
Chapter 41: Kirishima
Chapter Text
They were almost to the dorm. Kirishima was freezing even though he had a scarf and coat on. He glanced over at Shinso who was walking beside him. His hands were in the pockets of his black denim jeans and his head was facing downward as he walked through the frigid cold. His hair whipped around him, yet he seemed unfazed by the chill. His black, long sleeved shirt fluttered up at his lower back revealing his pale skin underneath. He wasn’t shivering, his teeth weren’t chattering, and this made no sense to Kirishima.
“How are you not freezing to death? You look completely unfazed!”
“It’s because of training. Aizawa-sensei doesn’t play around. Immense cold or immense heat, it doesn’t matter.” Kirishima always thought Aizawa-sensei was softer on Shinso since he privately mentored him, but now he realized it was probably the exact opposite.
They were finally at the dorm, and Shinso opened the door for Kirishima.
“Seriously, Shinso, get out of the cold!” Shinso didn’t move and waited for Kirishima to enter first. Kirishima reluctantly barreled in saying behind him, “You’re gonna be an icicle bro, I-“
“Surprise!!!” Kirishima turned his head and his jaw dropped from what he saw before him. The whole class had gathered in the foyer, some deploying paper canons into the air sending confetti flying everywhere. Eri was on Midoriya’s shoulders holding a sign that said, “Welcome Home,” in big block letters that she had obviously drawn herself. Kirishima saw Fat Gum standing at the back of the group holding a large box of Takoyaki from Kirishima’s favorite place in Esuha City. Tamaki Amajiki was standing next to him, a timid smile on his face.
“Wow guys, I don’t know what to say….” Kirishima said with a wavering voice. His eyes began to well up with tears at the outer corners.
“That’s a first!” Kaminari blurted out.
Mina ran up to Kirishima and wrapped her arms around him, looking equally emotional. “Let’s eat first! Before the food gets cold!” she said as she let go of him. She grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen and the rest of the class followed.
Chapter 42: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
The party so far had been a lot of fun and was a much needed reprieve for the class. Momo was sitting on the couch watching a very animated game of Shadow Hunters being played. The group was playing in teams of two and it was getting pretty competitive. After the last move, Bakugo looked highly irritated and Tokoyami had a smug look on his face. Momo was surprised Tokoyami could even make that expression with his beak. It was an expression she had ever seen him wear before and it was priceless because it made Bakugo even more irritated. Kirishima was all smiles, she hadn’t seen his face relaxed the whole night. Just constant smiling, talking, and joking around. Although Momo could not help the nagging feeling she really should have been studying, she realized there were things much more important than that. Earlier, she had been standing in the kitchen about to make a plate of some slightly dubious looking barbeque, when Kirishima had bounded up to her and lifted her off the floor into a huge hug. He had tears streaming down his face and a huge grin. “I can’t believe you told Fat Gum and Amajiki about what happened, I mean, I’m actually thrilled you did. I wasn't gonna tell them, but they probably would've found out eventually. Then I'd have to deal with the wrath of Fat! But I am so glad they are here… I …. thanks, Momo.”
Momo smiled back at him. “Well I knew you didn’t tell your parents, so assumed you didn’t let Fat know. He probably would've come yesterday and mowed Recovery Girl over to see you if I hadn’t talked him into waiting to come tonight.”
The evening thus far had been everything they had hoped for: Taking Kirishima’s mind off his worries about his quirk. But it had also had the same effect on Bakugo and this made her grateful. He was having a hard time. He had been very quiet all day through classes and throughout the evening as they prepared for the party. This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for him, but she was close enough to him now to see the subtle difference. The last couple of hours over dinner and activities had him back to his normal self.
Fat Gum, Amajiki, Ahane, and Aizawa were huddled together talking quietly. Momo got up from the couch and on her way to the kitchen, heard parts of their conversation that made her realize they were talking about the practical the next day. She felt a slight twinge of trepidation. She and Todoroki had discussed many plans over the last week and although they were ready, she was all nerves when she thought about it. Suddenly the front doors burst open and a heavily coated figure bounded in followed by gusts of chilled air and snow. The man was very tall and broad-shouldered, and was wearing a thick dark blue and brown uniform, a formal military styled hat, and a fur trimmed cloak that fell heavily around him due to the layer of snow that clung to it. He took a few steps toward the gathered group of adults and immediately belted out in a deep, over-exuberant voice, “Aizawa-sensei! My apologies for my tardiness! The weather was not cooperative!” He bowed deeply before Aizawa. Aizawa gave him a slight nod. “Todoroki!!!” Inasa Yoarashi belted as he bounded into the kitchen and wrapped the unsuspecting Todoroki in a bear hug. This bear hug made any previous bear hugs in existence irrelevant. With his breath squeezed out of him, Todoroki was able to eek out a very strangled, “hEy, InAsA…”
“What the hell is he doing here?” Bakugo said from the couch. Some of the other students had confused looks on their faces. Aizawa walked over to the students gathered in the living area and addressed them.
“Inasa will be our guest over the weekend. Originally he was going to be Shinso’s partner for the practical tomorrow. But then after the incident on Wednesday I talked to Shinso and Sato and decided it would be more prudent for Shinso to take Kirishima’s place and fight alongside Sato for the fight against Cementoss. After contacting Inasa about the change of plans, he asked if he could still come to observe the practical since he already took the time off and had it approved by Shiketsu. So I told him yes. He has a dorm room on the fifth floor made up for him the next two nights. Please make him feel at home 3A.”
Iida walked up to Inasa and shook his hand several times enthusiastically. “Good to see you again Inasa! As the Class Rep president, please let me know if there’s anything you need! We have dinner in the kitchen and drinks, desserts, and snacks on the tables so help yourself!”
Several minutes later, Bakugo and Kirishima were crowned the winners of the Shadow Hunters match much to the disappointment of the other groups. Bakugo, however, didn’t gloat like he normally did. He was reserved again, Momo noticed. Over the next half-hour, the students hung out talking in groups in the living and dining areas. Momo, Bakugo, Kirishima, and Mina sat on one couch talking about the practical. Well, Bakugo was watching the other three talk about the practical. Mina was very nervous since she had failed the practical her first year.
Meanwhile, Kaminari was pestering Shinso for a request he often had for him, but that Shinso never fulfilled. They were both sitting on the floor in front of the couches. Kaminari was making pray hands and pleading at the reticent Shinso. Kaminari took this expression as a go-ahead to keep begging.
“Please, please, please! It will be hilarious, you gotta do it, just this once.”
Shinso shook his head although his face wasn’t impassive anymore, his mouth had a bit of a smile playing at one end, Momo noticed. He had been in a very good mood most of the evening, well at least for Shinso.
Sero walked up with Shinso’s backpack that had been hanging on a hook in the foyer. He unzipped it and dug for an item he then pulled out.
“Hey! That’s my backpack. Not cool,” Shinso said, visibly annoyed.
Sero grinned as he tossed a ring-shaped, black object at Shinso.
“Careful!” He said as he caught it, shaking his head and looking slightly pissed.
“Aww come on Shinso, pretty, pretty, please.” Kaminari batted his eyes in an overexaggerated manner. Kyoka, who was standing near them, now walked over and pressed a knee into Kaminari’s back.
“Leave him alone. You’re so annoying!" she said to Kaminari as she leaned into her knee almost knocking Kaminari over.
“Ow!” Kaminari turned towards her, grabbed her by the arm, and used his other arm to sweep her knees towards him. Kyoka landed on her back on the rug and Kaminari now hovered over her, pinning her arms down with his legs and mercilessly tickling her.
“Get off me, you ass!” She tried to sound mad but couldn’t help but laugh from the tickling.
“Kaminari! Jiro! Stop with that horseplay immediately! It’s against rule 37 addendum A of the dorm rules guidebook!” rang out Iida’s voice. Only it wasn’t coming from Iida who was quite a distance away at a dining table with Ojiro and Toru. Shinso, who now donned his artificial vocal cords, the ring-shaped device Sero had thrown at him earlier, turned to the students on the couch.
“Bakugo and Yaoyorozu! Please sit at least 3 feet apart! No PDA when on common space property!” Shinso sliced his hand through the air towards the couple on the couch. Bakugo rolled his eyes and Momo chuckled. Sero and Mina started to laugh and Kaminari bellowed out a,” Yes!” finally getting his wish.
“Do Bakugo! Do Bakugo!” Kaminari yelled.
“No, don’t do Bakugo,” Bakugo said hoarsely, his face not at all amused.
Shinso fiddled with a few knobs on the vocal cord device, and he turned to the other couch where Midoriya, Ochaco, and Tsuyu were sitting.
“Hey extras! I’m talking to you!” bellowed the voice of Bakugo.
The three students turned their heads towards Shinso and then across at Bakugo confused.
“Deku!” Shinso drew out the vowels long and dramatic. Kaminari was laughing so hard, he was crying.
“We’re gonna murder Endeavor tomorrow!” Shinso bellowed in Bakugo’s booming voice. Midoriya shook his head chuckling, Ochaco laughed, and Tsuyu gave a strained, “Ribbit!”
The adults who were standing nearby had their attention piqued by the yells of Bakugo and they started to walk towards the couch. Shinso turned more knobs on his device.
“Aizawa-sensei, tell me,” the voice of Todoroki emitted from the masked Shinso. He turned towards his mentor and pointed his finger at him. “is Shinso really your secret love-child or something?” More laughter erupted. Ahane who had been standing next to Aizawa, now grabbed Aizawa’s shirt at the shoulder and pulled it erratically laughing. Aizawa stood there, his face stony and unfazed.
“Shinso! Do one of Aizawa!” Ahane said in between laughs.
Chapter 43: Bakugo
Chapter Text
Mina pulled Shinso behind her into the kitchen area, Sero and Kaminari on their heels, all three laughing. The two teachers, Amajiki, and Fat Gum followed the lively group into the kitchen. Kirishima chuckled, but he stayed seated on the couch. Bakugo was looking at him thinking he suddenly appeared overly tired. His eyes looked oddly hollow and his skin more pale than usual. Kyoka and Momo locked eyes for a moment, and then Momo stepped away from the couch, helped Kyoka off the floor and they walked to a far corner of the living area to talk in private. Kirishima let out a long breath and closed his eyes, his face and body relaxed. Bakugo suddenly wrapped his arm around Kirishima’s shoulders and stared at him. Kirishima opened his eyes and smiled ruefully. “Bro, I’m fine. I promise,” Kirishima said reassuringly.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” He moved the arm he had around Kirishima up, brought a closed fist down, and gently bopped the back of Kirishima’s skull with it. “They find out anything new today?”
“No, they made an appointment with the specialist next week and Recovery Girl made a list of do’s and don’ts,” Kirishima replied.
“Let me see it.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Seriously.” Bakugo’s face was stern and his mouth twisted impatiently.
Kirishima dug into his front pocket and produced the list. Bakugo gave him an exasperated look of disbelief at the almost wadded-up sheet of paper. Kirishima scowled back at him.
“I already read it. It’s typical stuff. It’s fine, man,” Kirishima said.
Bakugo smoothed out the paper and read it.
Raucous laughter boomed from the kitchen area. Shinso was still entertaining it sounded like.
A loud, muffled voice in a strange timbre could be heard from the crowd. “No one cared who I was until I put on the mask.”
“Ah, he’s doing Bane quotes from Batman now, that’s pretty basic right there,” Bakugo said. Kirishima grinned and shook his head.
“Well, he has to read the room and play to the audience, right?” Kirishima said nudging Bakugo with his elbow.
“So. Your boyfriend’s a regular comedian.” Bakugo said it smugly, his eyes not leaving the paper. The grin that appeared on Kirishima’s face was immediately dropped, replaced with grave seriousness. Bakugo looked sideways at him. Kirishima's face was now equal parts shocked and worried.
“How did you….” Kirishima managed to whisper out.
Bakugo smiled wryly. “I won’t tell anyone. I’m guessing you two are keeping it under wraps?” Kirishima immediately looked at the adjacent couch that Midoriya and Ochaco were lounging on. They were both whispering to each other oblivious to the rest of the world and Tsuyu was now in the kitchen with most of the class. “Kiri, I won’t say anything. Not like I talk that much to everyone else anyway.” Bakugo returned his attention to the piece of paper. “Hey, it says no stimulants. So none of those stupid energy drinks you like. That sh*t’s so bad for you anyway.” Kirishima, his composure having returned, now laid his head against Bakugo’s shoulder and closed his eyes.
“Fine, I’ll give the ones in my fridge to Kam,” Kirishima said sleepily.
It was late and students, guests, and faculty started to return to their respective dorms. Fat Gum would stay an additional night so he could watch the practical the next day with Kirishima. At least he could learn something from watching his fellow students since he couldn’t participate. Aizawa-sensei had an alternative assignment for Kirishima in place of the practical where he was to write a three-page essay on the strategy used by his fellow classmates. Bakugo couldn’t help but laugh when Kirishima was told this earlier in the evening. This assignment was adding insult to injury it seemed, an incredulous look lighted quickly on Kirishima’s face but he dropped it almost immediately and had given an affirmative to Aizawa-sensei. The living areas were slowly clearing out. Amajiki left the dorms after speaking with Kirishima on the couch for several minutes. He would return to Esuha City the next morning. Both teachers returned to the faculty dorms, Aizawa leading a very reluctant Eri out the front door. She didn’t seem tired at all and wanted to stay, but it WAS a school night her dad reminded her, and way past her bedtime.
Bakugo wondered what Momo and Kyoka had talked about privately at much length. She eventually returned to the couch and sat next to Bakugo and Kyoka gave Kirishima a hug before heading up to bed. Other than the 3 on the couch, only Shinso remained in the dorm’s common area. He had just finished talking to Sato, who was now heading up to bed. Shinso walked towards the couches and sat next to Kirishima. Wrapping a long arm around his shoulders, Shinso pulled Kirishima against him. Kirishima’s face went bright red. At first, he was rigid, very aware of Bakugo and Momo’s presence, but then he relented. He leaned back into the couch, resting his head against Shinso’s shoulder and drawing an arm across Shinso’s abdomen, his hand resting on the other’s opposite side. Shinso rested his head against Kirishima’s and he sighed contentedly. Momo looked at Bakugo and smiled. Bakugo couldn’t help but give her an apprehensive look. His first inner reaction to his best friend and his new boyfriend on the couch just now was a defensive feeling of wanting to protect Kirishima. And this made very little sense to Bakugo. Kirishima was more than capable of defending himself and Shinso cared for Kirishima. He cared for Kirishima as much as Bakugo did. This would take some getting used to.
“I’m gonna check on the kitchen to make sure it’s tidy,” Momo said as she left the couch. She took several steps until returning and grabbing Bakugo by his hand. “And you can come and help me,” she continued as she pulled him behind her.
“What?” he said highly annoyed. Once in the kitchen, Momo grinned at Bakugo.
“What’s this all about?” he asked.
“I’m assuming those two want some alone time, and that means you not sitting there with them.”
“Wait. How do you know about them?” Bakugo asked suddenly.
“Well. How do you?”
Bakugo shrugged. “I had my suspicions a couple of weeks ago. Then Monday Kiri was acting weird after school and then the whole bedroom fight thing. But I…..” He paused for several moments.
“You what?” Momo asked.
“Well at the gym, just never mind. I 100 percent knew after that, okay?” His voice rose a bit, irritated.
Momo nodded. Bakugo let out his breath. They heard Kirishima give his normal deep chuckle and his gravelly voice said something, but they were too far from the couches to discern it. Momo smiled.
“But what about you, Momo? How do you know?” Bakugo looked at her critically, his question more of a taunt.
“Kirishima told me about his feelings for Shinso Monday night.
“What the actual f*ck?” Bakugo bellowed. Momo grinned. Bakugo continued, trying to defuse the heavy feeling of, was it jealousy? “Wow. That just… that cuts deep. Not gonna lie.” Momo couldn't help but grin even wider. Bakugo realized she reminded him of someone with that wicked grin on her face, but he couldn’t pinpoint who at that moment. “Did Kiri tell you he was gay?” he asked.
Momo nodded, her face still playful, but the wide grin was gone.
“When?”
“Sunday, on the way to lunch.”
“This is too much bullsh*t. I’m gonna turn in.” He brought his broad hands to his face and rubbed his eyes.
He took several steps through the galley kitchen until the couches came into view and then said loudly, “It’s almost 10 and you have the practical tomorrow Black Eye. And Kirishima needs to rest. Just… ya know, FYI.” The two were still sitting on the couch next to each other, like before, with Shinso’s arm around Kirishima. They both turned their heads towards Bakugo, giving him amused looks. As he walked back towards Momo, Kirishima yelled, “Okay, Dad!” in a sing-songy tone. Momo had the wicked grin on her face again, very unlike her. Bakugo’s face turned red. He turned around to yell something back, he wasn’t exactly sure what that second, it was going to be very profane, but Momo grabbed him by the arm and threw her arms around his neck.
“So I guess you’re Daddy now,” Momo chuckled. She ran her hands through the hair above the nape of his neck. His anger quickly receded. He dipped his head back slightly, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. He gave a slight involuntary shudder as he exhaled. Why did Momo running her fingers through his hair feel so good? Bakugo opened his eyes and Momo gave him a questioning look.
“What am I again?” he asked, his face serious. Momo opened her mouth to answer, but then stopped. A deep blush spread across her face. He lowered his arms, grabbed her by the waist with his hands, pulled her in close, and kissed her slowly. Taking her gently by the hand, they both walked through the stairway door.
He now remembered who Momo’s grin reminded him of. It reminded Bakugo of himself. He was rubbing off on her and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Chapter 44: Kirishima
Chapter Text
They heard the stairway door on the other side of the kitchen close loudly. Momo and Bakugo were gone. They were alone. Kirishima wondered if he and Shinso would have an opportunity to be alone ever since their walk back from the hospital wing. No, Kirishima had been thinking about it a lot longer than that. And here he was in Shinso’s arms. They had talked earlier about the party while Bakugo and Momo had their own conversation in the kitchen. Shinso spoke freely with very little prompting from Kirishima which was an oddity. In the past Kirishima would ask Shinso questions, joke with him, fall into easy conversation like he could with anyone, always trying to engage the introvert. Often times he felt he was pestering him but Shinso, even as early on as the Class 1A/Class 1B faceoff first year, would at least humor Kirishima. A subtle smile, maybe a nod, Shinso often bringing his hand up to the back of his neck. But tonight, the introvert had turned into the extrovert. Kirishima always knew Shinso wasn’t shy. If anything he seemed to care very little about other people’s opinions of him, for when he did speak it was freely and without reservation. He just chose to not engage. The close contact with Shinso had given him a second wind and he was no longer tired. Kirishima sat up and wrapped his arms around Shinso’s neck. “Well, you’re brave,” Shinso said, his eyes lighting on Kirishima’s eyes and then his mouth.
“If anyone comes downstairs, we’ll hear the door in the kitchen.” Kirishima said as he pulled Shinso towards him. He looked into Shinso’s eyes and his heart began to race, his breath began to quicken. He couldn’t believe this was finally happening. As his face neared Shinso’s, he felt hot, his neck and cheeks inflamed. Right before their lips met, Kirishima’s breath hitched and he closed his eyes. As his mouth finally met Shinso’s in a haze of breath and trembling lips all he could think about was how right everything felt. Shinso’s arms around his lower back holding him. Kirishima’s arms wrapped around Shinso’s neck, resting on his lean-muscled, broad shoulders. Shinso’ soft lips and the slight stubble he could feel on his chin and cheeks. He had waited so long and was relieved to finally find who he really was and he couldn’t be more thrilled that this discovery was made with Shinso.
After a while, he felt the ends of Shinso’s mouth turn up into a grin, his lips now taut. Kirishima brought in a quick breath between his slightly parted mouth before lightly kissing Shinso’s bottom lip and then leaning back a few inches. He looked into Shinso’s grinning face, “What? Why are you smiling?” Kirishima asked.
“You’re just a lot better at this than I was expecting,” Shinso whispered.
“I had a lot of practice first year. Mina, Sero, and I had a lot of off campus parties on Saturday nights before we all moved to the dorms.”
“I see. Lot of girls wanted to kiss the boy with the shark teeth I gather?”
Kirishima gave his trademark, too wide, grin, “Yeah.”
Shinso now pulled Kirishima towards him, his open mouth finding Kirishima’s lips. He felt Shinso’s breath start to quicken. Kirishima straddled him and pressed his body against his. Shinso suddenly made a pained expression and squirmed a bit uncomfortably. Kirishima leaned back. “You okay?” he asked Shinso, his chest rising and falling quickly.
“Yeah…but…something was digging into my chest…” Shinso said quietly. He suddenly lifted up Kirishima’s sweater and shirt revealing a small black box, a few inches in diameter taped on Kirishima’s lower abdomen on his right side. Leading out of the box were wires that led up to Kirishima’s chest. Shinso’s face looked worried. He lifted the sweater and black t-shirt higher revealing four electrode pads taped to Kirishima’s chest that the wires attached to. Shinso didn’t have to ask, his face spoke the question for him.
“It’s not a big deal. It’s just a heart monitor. It sends my heart rate and other stuff to the on-call nurse. Just in case my quirk goes crazy while I’m sleeping. They’ll know and can do whatever…” Kirishima’s voice trailed off.
“Maybe you should have stayed a few more nights at the hospital. This seems to be a lot more serious than you’re making it Kirishima.”
“It’s not a big deal! You know Recovery Girl wouldn’t release me if it was too dangerous to do so,” Kirishima was starting to get annoyed. Bakugo was already treating him like he wasn’t taking things seriously and Kirishima didn’t need Shinso following suit. He was still holding up Kirishima’s sweater and now he looked back at his chest. Shinso's face became grave suddenly and it made Kirishima think of Aizawa. It wasn’t a look he was used to seeing on faces of teens their age. It had too much weight and experience behind it. Shinso brought his other hand to Kirishima’s bare chest and followed the line of one of his jagged, red scars gently with two of his long fingers. Kirishima winced; it was still quite sore. He watched Shinso’s face. It now looked pained. “Kirishima. I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Kirishima now pulled his sweater back down, climbed off Shinso, and sat next to him on the couch. His face became bright red and he couldn’t meet Shinso’s eyes. This wasn’t how he imagined it would play out when Shinso laid his hands on Kirishima’s bare chest for the first time. He didn’t think Shinso would be feeling pity, of all things, for him when it happened either.
“Hey. I shouldn’t be putting you on the spot about all this. You’re right. It’s just seeing the wires and the scars and everything. You’ve been lively and energetic like you always are most the evening and I keep forgetting that you’re-”
“That I’m what?”
“I’m just worried about you, okay?!” Shinso raised his voice in frustration. It wasn’t like him to give these emotional declarations. “A lot of people are. Like Bakugo. And Momo and Mina. I can even tell Aizawa’s worried about you, even if the rest of you can’t tell since he’s almost impossible to read.”
Anyone else would have kept pressing to have an argument. Would have felt insulted by the implications of perceived weakness by the fact everyone was worried. Would grow bitter with the continuous glances of pity he had received all night. But Kirishima was able to see them for what they really were. His friends, no, his family, were worried about him. Even though he found it annoying, he knew where they were coming from. Kirishima’s arm was resting adjacent to Shinso’s. He moved his hand over Shinso’s hand and threaded his fingers through his.
“You guys probably think I’m blowing this all off and I don’t see the seriousness, but I do. Since last night I’ve been thinking about what it all can mean in the long run. I may not be able to be a hero anymore.” Kirishima squeezed Shinso’s hand. “I know a lot of you think I’m not very intelligent, that I don’t think ahead, or deeply, or see the big picture, but I do. I know I could be hanging my mask up for good. That’s a real possibility. And it will suck if that happens, but I will deal with it, if and when, that happens. Why would I want to be down and depressed right now with everything all so uncertain? And make you guys worried even more? Whatever happens, I’ll get through it.” Kirishima looked over at Shinso and smiled. “But I’m begging you, I can’t take the looks of pity, from you especially. Now THAT makes me feel awful. Not the hard truth I’m staring at with this quirk mess.” Shinso nodded at him.
“Okay. I’ll stop.”
Kirishima looked at him with a very doubtful expression.
“Fine. I will try my best to stop. Better?” Shinso replied, an acerbic edge to his voice.
“Better,” Kirishima looked at him smiling. “Okay, I want a do over.”
“Do over?” Shinso looked at him suspiciously. Kirishima straddled Shinso. He took off his sweater and shirt and tossed them on the floor and then pulled the hair tie from his ponytail. His hair spilled over his shoulders, the end of a few waves touching the top of his chest. Shinso swallowed hard, “Okay, do over allowed,” Shinso said in a whisper.
Chapter 45: Kaminari & Shinso
Chapter Text
Kaminari
Kaminari woke up ravenous. The barbeque for dinner had tasted terrible so he barely ate any and then chose to fill up on sweets. Now his stomach was empty. He checked his phone and saw it was 11:45 PM. He laid there for several seconds trying to decide. Should he go back to sleep even though his stomach was protesting greatly with its loud growls or walk down two flights of stairs to the kitchen which meant he had to walk back to his room two flights up? All the snacks he had purchased from the market on Sunday that he kept in his room had been depleted thanks to Mineta and Sero. He rolled over and changed positions thinking that the pressure on his abdomen would make his stomach feel better and he could sleep. “Gurgurgurgurg,” his stomach bemoaned.
“Fine!” Kaminari whined as he stumbled out of bed. He shuffled out of his room and made his way down the stairs.
Shinso
The stairway door leading to the kitchen clicked open loudly from afar. Shinso reflexively jerked his head towards the noise and regretted it immediately. He yelped in pain and brought his hand to his mouth. He felt hot blood drip on his palm and a salty, metallic taste spread in his mouth. “Shinso, I’m sorry!” Kirishima whispered, inches from his face.
They heard mischievous chuckling coming from the kitchen. “I hear you in there, who’s still up?” teased Kaminari, his voice coming nearer. “Say something or I’m turning on the lights.” His voice sang the threat playfully. He was having a lot of fun with this.
“sh*t,” Kirishima whispered. They had turned off the lights in the living area over an hour ago. They were both naked from the waist up and Kirishima was laying on top of Shinso. He slowly sat up, a look of resignation on his face.
“Let’s see who thinks messing around is more important than sleep before the practical.” As the lights flicked on, Kirishima was sitting up tall, looking ahead, facing where Kaminari was standing. Shinso was surprised by the look on his face. It wasn’t ashamed, guilty, or afraid. He actually looked brazen, almost confrontational. Shinso, who was laying under Kirishima, continued to watch his face waiting for his expression to change. After a couple of seconds Kirishima’s face became confused. Shinso wanted to say, “Come on Red, you can figure this out,” but he knew that would hurt Kirishima’s feelings. He knew Kirishima was smart. Sure, compared to all the brainiacs at UA, he didn’t look that impressive on paper, but he had made many decisions in battle and in training that showed he knew strategy and he could come up with it on the spot. He had brains in other areas that mattered a lot more when yours and others’ lives were on the line. But sometimes he took a while with things.
“You brainwashed him,” Kirishima said looking down at Shinso. Shinso nodded. “How did you manage that, you didn’t say anything?”
“The yelp was enough. Technically when he asked who was up, he was answering me,” Shinso said evenly.
“Well, you could have said something! I was freaking out, bro!” said Kirishima.
Shinso smiled. Kirishima now winced as he looked closer at him. “You’re a mess. Your black eye is showing now, and that along with the lip…” Kirishima stood up and grabbed some tissues from an end table. Shinso sat up and now glanced over at Kaminari. He stood there, eyes glassed over, staring at nothing, looking quite similar to how he looked when he overused his quirk. Kirishima knelt before Shinso and blotted at his lip and chin with the tissue.
“It looks really bad….” Kirishima said wincing. “My fault, I’m sorry.”
“I was stupid. Was jumpy when I heard the door and turned my head. It was my own damn fault,” Shinso said irritated. This wound would be a lot harder to explain away. He already had his friends in general studies on high alert over the black eye and the stitches on his hands. He took the tissue from Kirishima and pressed it against the gouges to stifle the bleeding.
“Was it really though? I was the one nibbling on your bottom lip,” Kirishima responded with an apologetic smile. “You okay?” Kirishima asked him with a coy smile on his face. He had noticed Shinso’s blush. Shinso wasn’t one to embarrass easily so it was a very foreign feeling to him. He didn’t like it.
“Yeah. We better get moving. I don’t want Kaminari under for very long. It isn’t right and if someone else comes down and sees this…”
“Kaminari can be a real ass. Anyone else would have ignored any noises and minded their own business. I mean, I love Kam, but he does some crazy sh*t sometimes, so please don’t feel bad for him.”
Shinso smiled. “Oh, I don’t. But it still feels wrong.” They both quickly found their shirts and sweater and got dressed. Shinso grabbed his backpack by the other couch. He turned around to see Kirishima standing there looking completely forlorn.
“Come up with me.” Kirishima’s face was serious. “It’s already way past curfew, you’re more likely to get in trouble if you leave now.” With the lights on Shinso could see that Kirishima’s usually bright and alert eyes seemed tired and almost looked hollow. He now felt guilty for keeping him up. He should have gone back to his dorm hours ago.
“I got my binding cloths and I know where all the cameras and detectors are. I have no issues around campus after dark.”
“Then stay. You can go back early in the morning. Aizawa-sensei doesn’t do any dorm check-ups like he used to. I think once the last of the troublemakers turned 18, he just quit coming upstairs.” He was beyond tempted by Kirishima’s persuasiveness. “Don’t make me beg,” Kirishima said with a smile. Shinso walked over and placed his hand on the back of Kirishima’s neck. Pulling him inward, Shinso kissed him gently on the mouth and then winced immediately after. Kirishima brought his hand up to Shinso’s chin and looked closer at the damage “At least it’s no longer bleeding.”
“You need to rest. I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll come by early and walk you to class. Maybe you’ll be on time for once.” Shinso smiled at him.
“Fine.” Kirishima scowled as he walked away. He hit the light switch and Shinso found himself in darkness. He wanted desperately to stay, but he wanted Kirishima to rest. He had been a lot more hands off with Kirishima when they were messing around earlier. When Kirishima’s breathing had become more labored and quickened by Shinso’s touch or by their kissing, Shinso would stop or slow down, because of fear. He was terrified of Kirishima’s quirk retaliating again. Maybe it was silly to feel that way, but Recovery Girl had stressed for him to keep his activity to a minimum. And just because “making out” wasn’t on the list, it didn’t mean it wasn’t harmful possibly.
“Hurry. I’m gonna give Kaminari his command now.”
Kirishima nodded and headed through the stairway door.
Kaminari
He was standing in front of the open fridge. Kaminari thought this was very odd. Wasn’t he standing over at the end of the kitchen? Wait, weren’t there people in the living room? He walked over and flipped the light switch on. It was empty. But he had heard someone earlier. They had made a weird yelling sound and then someone had whispered, “sh*t.” Kaminari thought it had sounded like Kirishima. But no one was there. Kaminari shrugged, walked over to the fridge, and raided it for anything to fill his stomach.
Chapter 46: Shinso & Kirishima
Chapter Text
Shinso
Shinso grabbed breakfast from the kitchen of Class C dorm. He had slept like a rock the night before. He got five straight hours of sleep once he returned back to his dorm a little after midnight. He had not felt this well-rested in a long time. He sat down at his usual spot next to his friends Chiba and Fujioka.
“Good morning Shinso,” Chiba said in a stilted tone. His eyes shot over at Fujioka and she nodded at him.
“Um. What’s up, guys?” Shinso asked, sensing the poorly executed secret communication the two were having.
“You have a pretty busted-up lip. How’d you get it? I saw you after school yesterday and you didn’t look like that,” Fujioka asked accusatorily. She wasn’t one to be subtle or mince words. Great Shinso thought. Well things got a little out of hand (my fault) with my secret boyfriend. I ended up with a few gouges on my bottom lip because my secret boyfriend has a quirk mutation that gives him pointy shark-like teeth. Yeah. That explanation wasn’t going to happen. There were three small cuts in a perfect pattern a quarter of an inch below Shinso’s lower lip line. It wouldn’t scar, luckily they weren’t too deep. Hopefully, the cuts were general-looking enough to be explained away as something else. Shinso already had an excuse he dreamed up that morning as he was shaving.
“I was careless shaving this morning with a fresh razor,” Shinso said nonchalantly. He saw the duo exchange disbelieving glances.
“Shinso, is Katsuki Bakugo bullying you? Kondo mentioned he came to the dorm Sunday night and said you both were in a fight,” Chiba asked steadily.
“No, we’re actually-,” Shinso couldn’t bring himself to say ‘friends’ just yet. “amicable.”
Fujioka gave an irritated sigh. Here it comes thought Shinso. “Well, someone is abusing you and you’re covering for them. You had the black eye earlier this week and then those stitches-“
“The stitches were from a quirk mishap during PE with Kirishima from Class 3A. You guys know who Kirishima is right? Red Riot? You can corroborate the incident with almost anyone at the school. Everyone on campus has been talking about it the last 2 days,” Shinso said trying to defend himself. They both looked highly skeptical.
“Now this busted lip. You can talk to us Shinso. Or at least go to the school counselor or something. Are you in a secret relationship again? Like Masuda?” Fujioka continued, her anger now changing to worry. This ‘secret’ relationship wasn’t that secret seeing as most of Class 3C and half of Class 3J knew about it. Daiki Masuda and Shinso had been hot and heavy for about a month and a half at the end of their second year. The first guy Shinso had gone out with. Luckily for the most part this information didn’t leak to the rest of the school, but there had been some rumors. The fact that it happened right before a school break probably helped to keep it under wraps. He looked at both his friend’s faces and their obvious concern ate away at the wall he had up.
“Fine. Yes, I’m seeing someone in secret. No, they aren’t abusing me. These are all just injuries from training with Aizawa, a quirk mishap, and my shaving skills. Really. Now can we please drop it?” Fujioka and Chiba now looked apologetic and Shinso felt just a tiny bit guilty for lying. But just a tiny, tiny bit.
“So,” Fujioka said a huge grin on her face. “Who is it?” Shinso now smiled smugly and shook his head. Well, it didn’t take her long to change gears. Chiba looked offended by her sudden question.
“Not telling.”
“You’re smiling! Oh, I have to know! It’s someone in Class A isn’t it?” Fujioka said, her voice quite loud.
“Shhhhhh,” Shinso reprimanded.
“She just hopes it’s Todoroki since that means he could be hanging around the dorm and she can stare at him,” Chiba teased. Fujioka shot him a dirty look. Chiba continued, “Class A are a bunch of arrogant asses and half of them are complete morons so I doubt it. Unless Shinso’s slumming it.”
“They’re not that bad, Chiba. I wouldn’t hang out there sometimes if they were like that.” Shinso said this in an aloof manner. He didn’t want to give them any clues.
“Wait, where were you yesterday afternoon? I don’t remember seeing you at dinner or afterward when everyone was studying,” Fujioka raised an eyebrow. Shinso tended to do his own thing most of the time and training with Aizawa happened a few times a week so his absence in the afternoon wasn’t too alarming. Shinso glanced down at his plate of food, continued to eat, and said nothing. Fujioka now turned to Chiba, “We find out where he was last night, we’ll get answers.”
“Yeah… if he was at one of the other Class’ dorms then you’ll have to weed through 20 students cause Shin’s bi, good luck with that,” Chiba said as he stood up with his empty plate and headed to the kitchen.
“Well, if he’s keeping it secret, it’s probably a guy.” Fujioka stared at Shinso and smiled slyly. Shinso grinned at her and shook his head.
Kirishima
At breakfast, Kirishima couldn’t eat. Kaminari sat next to him with rice, grilled salmon, and miso soup. The smell of the food that would normally be pleasing to him made his stomach turn. Was it nerves? Shinso said he was going to walk him to class. Completely innocuous, nothing for him to feel like he had to hide. Just two bros walking to class. But he was still nervous because that was what it would appear to everyone else, but he knew the truth and so did Shinso (well Bakugo and Momo, too, it seemed) Between bites, Kaminari said, “Were you up late last night?”
Kirishima figured he would get questions from Kaminari so had been prepared. “Nope. I went to bed around 10:30. Why?”
Kaminari shot him a suspicious look, “Thought I heard you when I came downstairs to the kitchen last night.”
Kirishima shrugged. “Guess you’re hearing things.”
Kaminari raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t say anything.
Kirishima felt a flurry of movement to his left side and turned to look. Shinso was sitting next to him, a slight smile creeping across his face. He was too sneaky, Kirishima didn’t even hear the chair.
“Woah, Shinso. What the hell happened to your lip?” Kaminari commented.
“In a hurry shaving.”
“Oh. Straight edge?” Kaminari asked.
Shinso nodded, securing the lie.
“Pretty old school. What are you doing here? I’ve never seen you here in the mornings.”
Okay, Shinso’s presence maybe was not as innocuous as Kirishima had hoped.
“Bro, what’s up with the 20 questions?” Kirishima chided Kaminari.
“Hey, Shinso!” Mina said as she sat next to Kaminari.
“Hey, Mina.” He gave a small smile. “We better get moving if we don’t want to be late,” Shinso said as he stood up from the table.
“Relax, we got like 15 minutes until the tardy bell rings,” Kaminari said.
“Later, guys,” Kirishima blurted out as he left the table and walked with Shinso through the foyer and out the front door.
Kaminari was about to make a comment about how weird Kirishima and Shinso were acting. Kirishima didn’t eat breakfast and what the hell was Shinso doing at their dorm before class? Before he could continue to ponder it more, Mina gave an exasperated groan. “I’m so nervous, Kam! We’re gonna fail the practical!”
Kaminari shook his head. “Nah, we got this in the bag. Trust me, Mina.”
*
Fat Gum, Recovery Girl, All Might, Inasa, and Kirishima all sat at a long table in front of an array of multiple monitors. Each showed different areas the practical was taking place. Kirishima was very excited. Although he would have much rather participated, it would be interesting to be able to watch and focus on the performances of his classmates. Fat Gum was eager to see Kirishima’s classmates in action as well. He had decided to expand his own agency due to so many smaller agencies in his neck of the woods shutting down in the recent year. He saw this as an opportunity to possibly recruit heroes for his roster, although he joked that most of class 3A was probably out of his league. The first match was Shinso and Sato versus Cementoss and Echo. “So how do you think this one will go down?” Fat Gum asked Kirishima.
Kirishima grinned. “I think Cementoss and Ahane-sensei won’t stand a chance. Originally this was the match I was supposed to fight in with Sato. When Aizawa-sensei matched us up against Cementoss first year, it was because it would be a huge challenge for us. Sato and I didn’t have much quirk reserve then, so we both expended our abilities trying to overpower Cementoss’ Cement head-on. His Cement is endless. Rookie mistake so we both failed.” Kirishima smiled thinking back. He and Sato had been so arrogant and foolish.
Fat Gum looked at one of the monitors and saw the names flash across the screen. “I’m not familiar with Hitoshi Shinso. What’s his quirk?”
Kirishima felt awkward suddenly talking about Shinso. “You remember the sports festival two years ago? He went up against Izuku Midoriya in the finals.”
“Oh, I remember him. The brainwashing guy. He didn’t make it that far the last two years in the festival because I don’t remember hearing about him.”
“Our second year he had an injury. And this year, too, now that I think about it…” Although he remembered a couple of months ago that Shinso had refrained from the festival due to injury and then seemed completely fine at combat and PE the following day. Kaminari and Ojiro had talked about it thinking it odd but no one had asked him about it. Shinso was a bit intimidating, even to his friends. Kirishima would have to ask him now. Why would he not want to participate in the Sports Festival? Especially considering how passionate he was about doing his best their first year?
“Well, he won’t be able to use his quirk against Cementoss and Echo, they won’t give him an opportunity. So what makes you think he and Sato can best the teachers?”
“Because Shinso has other talents outside of his quirk.”
They watched the screens and saw Sato drawing Cementoss’ attention away from where Shinso would strike. He came out of nowhere using his binding cloths to shoot across the large expanse of the fake city plaza and capture Cementoss quite quickly. Ahane-sensei had blocked Sato inside a cement prison he was having trouble breaking out of. It looked like Sato had been used for bait so that Shinso could work from a distance where he thrived. It took Shinso seconds to position himself behind Ahane-sensei. She was unaware of his position trying to keep Sato in the prison he was about to break out of. Seconds later her hands were bound with binding cloth making it impossible to direct Cement where she wanted it. Sato broke through the prison and both he and Shinso passed through the gate with 6 minutes to spare.
“Well, if the names hadn’t flashed across the screen I would have assumed that was Eraserhead,” Fat Gum said with grin. “Eraser and I have history. We worked together quite a bit in Narahata several years ago. I’m assuming he must mentor your classmate?” Kirishima nodded. “Has Shinso signed up with an agency?”
“No actually. He says he hasn’t gotten any offers to tempt him last I heard a few weeks ago.” Kirishima felt embarrassed he didn’t know more about Shinso considering the last week. Especially considering all the things they had talked about the night before. Although in hindsight he realized Shinso had been asking a lot more questions and Kirishima did like to talk. Shinso did evade some questions as well, but Kirishima didn’t push. What were Shinso’s plans after graduation? What if they got serious? What if they ended up on opposite sides of the country?
“You okay, Red? You look kinda intense,” Fat Gum asked.
“Yeah, I was just thinking about the other matches and how they might go.”
“Kirishima! Your classmates fought valiantly!” Inasa bellowed to him. He was sitting on the other side of Fat Gum brimming with too much energy. It was a mood Kirishima could respect.
“Yeah, man! It’s only just started, too!” he barked back enthusiastically. Fat Gum cheered. Recovery Girl glanced at All Might and said quietly, “I may need a Xanax if they keep up like this.” All Might grinned at her. “You better not join them Toshinori! I need at least one sane person in this room with me!”
Chapter 47: Yaoyorozu & Bakugo
Chapter Text
Yaoyorozu
Momo and Todoroki were about 70 feet from the gate. They had managed to trap Aizawa-sensei in a duplicated binding cloth via Creation and then Todoroki trapped him in an ice prison for added security. Their plan was to try and separate both their teachers and for Todoroki to not use his ice wall or fire unless he absolutely had to due to Ahane’s Echo. She couldn’t Echo Momo’s quirk so they would rely on Creation at least for the first half. Todoroki had to eventually use his ice wall to keep Ahane away so they could capture Aizawa. Now they were so close to the gate, but Ahane-sensei was standing between them and their escape. Her copy of Todoroki’s quirk had at least 4 minutes left by Momo’s calculations and Todoroki’s timer let them know they only had 45 seconds left to cross the gate and pass the practical. When they drew the card to see what their handicap would be, they were pleased it seemed to not be a harsh one. They only had 10 minutes instead of 15. But now with less than a minute, they felt the reality of that stolen time. It had taken a couple of different strategies to capture Aizawa-sensei and that had eaten up a lot of time, especially trying to keep both the teachers as separated as possible.
Todoroki told her if he used his ice quirk to make an instant tunnel towards the gate, Ahane-sensei would most likely create an ice wall to block it before it reached halfway. He had sparred enough with her to have an idea of how she utilized his quirk. She would be reactive at this point, but she would be quick enough he thought. Momo had enough reserve to create one more large object, but that was it. They came up with a plan in 20 seconds and now it was time to put it in action. They both started to run, side by side, with Todoroki slowly making an ice tunnel around them that grew as they ran, its edges always about a foot in front of them. Todoroki intently watched Ahane-sensei ahead of them, waiting for those subtle physical tells that she was about to use Ice. As she lifted her hand and he saw a wisp of flurry he yelled, “Now!” Todoroki dropped back behind Momo and she leaned into her run. Suddenly several large metal rods shot up from her body in front of her. They had spring-loaded spikes at the ends and were specifically created to pierce through the ice wall that had instantly been created in front of them. At the same time, Todoroki threw one arm around Momo’s waist and pressed one shoulder and his upper chest into her mid-back. He threw his other hand behind him, creating a forceful ice slab that pushed them forward making them a battering ram. They broke Ahane’s ice wall sending chunks of ice flying through the air. As the expended rods fell to the ground, Todoroki let go of Momo and at the same time, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Now with his free arm, he laid an ice flume in front of them they slid through, his other hand still creating the ice slab that pushed them along. They both slid through the gate with 10 seconds to spare. They passed the practical; Momo and Todoroki made a great team.
The two of them walked back to the classroom in silence, a small smile on Todoroki’s face. He was still basking in their victory, and this was as much basking as he would express due to his reserved nature. Momo met his eyes and she grinned at him and he nodded back. They were close enough to not need words at times and this suited Todoroki just fine. Looking at Todoroki, her mind went back to his father. Endeavor had given her the offer to be one of his top heroes at his agency and he had done this in person months previous. He also said the offer would always be available to her. Endeavor’s Agency was located in Shizuoka which would mean she would only be 2 hours away from Tokyo, where Bakugo would be working. Fat Gum’s agency was in Esuha City, which was over 5 hours away from Tokyo. Todoroki had signed on to his father’s agency and would someday lead it. They were so in sync on the battlefield, they could accomplish a lot working as heroes together. And her family would be thrilled, for two reasons. Endeavor was the number one hero and by proxy had the number one agency and this would be a badge of prestige for them to have a daughter who had hit the pinnacle of hero status right out of high school. The other reason was she had received much pressure from her parents to pursue a relationship with Shouto Todoroki.
Her family was very old-fashioned and still supported the ideals of quirk marriages and class marriages. The Todorokis were old money, like her family, and came from powerful quirk stock. One of the reasons she had turned down the offer from Endeavor was because she saw it as a symbol of rebellion. She would never marry for anything other than love. She cared for Todoroki, but they had always been just friends. But maybe it was time for her to think about the long term and look at things maturely instead of just trying to push back against her parents. At Endeavor’s, there would be no patrolling for her, no working with the police, or small time cases which she felt was unfortunate because she wanted to make a daily difference in people’s lives. She would only see big battles and natural disasters at a large agency like Endeavor’s. And she would definitely be one of their main celebrity heroes. She would have to wear a façade which wasn’t something she felt comfortable doing. But being closer to Bakugo and getting to build an agency with Todoroki, someone she felt she had so much in common with could be worth the switch. She had time to think about it. Not much time, but time enough.
Bakugo
The mid-term exam had been a success for all the third years of class A. Even Mina and Kaminari had managed to pass by the skin of their teeth. There had only been minor injuries and Recovery Girl was all smiles. Bakugo and Midoroya had a surprisingly easy victory over Endeavor and Ahane-sensei. In fact, after Bakugo and Midoriya had finished passing through the gate, they rushed back to pull Ahane from the rubble. Aizawa-sensei had beaten them to her and had dislodged her from the debris and she only had a few scrapes and scratches. She had used her Echo on Endeavor’s quirk and had wielded its power well, so Bakugo had not held back when he sent a whole building toppling her way. But he obviously didn’t want her hurt. He had been very disappointed with the ease of the practical, but it showed how powerful he and Midoriya were as a team.
Now the students could focus on the written exam that was only a week away. Bakugo had hoped that he could get some studying in, maybe even drop into Momo’s study session for English, he was still behind, but the whole class was still buzzing about the practical after dinner and how well everyone did. Aizawa-sensei and Ahane-sensei had made the class dinner as a special treat and to give the students a break. Although the soup was simple, it was delicious, and Eri was quite proud since she had cut up some of the vegetables herself. It looked like it would be another wasted evening of visiting and hanging out Bakugo realized. Momo didn’t even attempt to hold the study session. He was sitting by Momo on the couch with his books out trying to study. Momo had her books out, too, but she was talking to Kyoka. Again. He had asked Momo what they had been talking about the previous evening and Momo replied ‘girl stuff’ and wouldn’t expand on it. Probably about Kyoka pining for Kaminari. What was sad was Bakugo knew Kaminari had a thing for Kyoka ever since the end of first year. But Kaminari was too chicken to do anything about it and it seemed Kyoka was, too. Of course, it took him 2 years to man up and ask Momo out so he thought it best for him to quit feeling superior about it.
Shinso was over at their dorm. Again. Bakugo had heard about the “shaving” incident and laughed. Bakugo knew exactly how Shinso got those marks. Kirishima and Bakugo had been sparring buddies since they started at UA and sometimes they would fight dirty. He had been bitten more than once from those shark teeth and knew what those bite marks looked like. Those two idiots were gonna out themselves if they weren’t careful. Like right now, Shinso was sitting on the couch opposite him and Momo. He had a history book open in his lap and he was actually reading it. But Kirishima was sitting on the floor at Shinso’s feet talking to Mina, his back lightly pressed up against Shinso’s left leg. Idiots. Everyone else seemed oblivious to it so they were idiots, too, Bakugo figured.
Inasa and Todoroki were sitting at the other couch talking about the practical. Inasa had been very impressed by Momo and Todoroki’s performance. Bakugo was surprised how close the two seemed to be. They had kept up a correspondence apparently since the first year licensing exam. They were complete opposites but the friendship seemed to work.
The following day was a holiday off from school so the class was also excited about this as well. They always had the Saturday off before written exams so they had an extra day they could devote to studying. Although with the Formal looming it seemed this would be taking some of their attention, too.
Ahane-sensei approached the couches from the kitchen with a grin on her face and an announcement. “So I talked to the principal and I got clearance for all of you to go off campus tomorrow and go shopping for the formal!” This was met with much cheering, even from most of the guys that didn’t care about shopping for the formal, but just wanted a day of freedom. “You guys can’t be alone though, so at least in groups of two, but the larger the group the better. And everyone has to be back on campus by 3 PM. I’m taking Eri by bus to the large formal boutique downtown around 10 AM tomorrow morning if any of you girls want to join us!”
“What? Aizawa-sensei’s not gonna take Eri dress shopping?!” Sero laughed with a snort.
Mina poked him in the side. “Ahane-sensei, are teachers gonna be chaperoning the dance?” Mina asked.
“Yes, there will be several. I’ll be there and so will Eraserhead, and a dozen other third-year teachers. And of course Hound Dog for extra security. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing Eraserhead in a suit! It’ll be hilarious!” Ahane said.
“I doubt that will happen,” Kaminari remarked with a smirk.
“A girl can hope right!?”
A loud clearing of the throat could be heard. Ahane turned her head and saw Aizawa-sensei with a hand towel in his hand standing at the edge of the kitchen. Apparently, they were both on clean-up duty as well. Ahane mouthed “I’m sorry,” to the students and joined Aizawa.
“Guys. I have an idea,” Mina said suddenly.
“No, you don’t," Bakugo replied.
Mina shot him a harsh look and then continued. “I think we should play a bit of match-maker! Let’s try to set up Ahane-sensei and Aizawa-sensei!” This statement was met with peals of laughter from Kaminari and Sero. “What? I think they would be so cute!”
“Cute isn't the right word Mina. Aizawa-sensei can’t stand Ahane-sensei. And Ahane is out of his league big time,“ Kaminari said.
“And you’re the expert on these things, Kam?” Kirishima said. “Not everyone’s as shallow as you are.”
“Hey! Not cool!” Kaminari bellowed back. “I’m just being realistic. And that’s hilarious coming from you Kiri. You’re one of the best-looking guys at the school yet you seem to think you’re too good to go out with any of the girls on campus. Maybe you should practice what you preach.”
Kirishima opened his mouth to retort, but Sero interrupted him. “He’s too busy lifting weights in his room or hitting the gym.” Kaminari laughed again.
“Sorry if I take being a hero seriously.” Kirishima grinned his wide toothy grin. “My quirk is dependent on my strength so if I wasn’t hitting the gym daily, I’d be worthless.” Although he was smiling ear-to-ear Bakugo saw something in Kirishima’s eye he didn’t like. It was a tiny bit of doubt. It was his damn quirk issue thought Bakugo. It was getting to him.
“Well, are ya gonna stoop low enough and ask someone to the dance, Kiri?” Kaminari teased. Bakugo shot a glance at Shinso. He was looking down at the book in his lap, but a corner of his mouth pulled up slightly. So smug thought Bakugo.
“Who are you going with, Kam?” Kirishima asked. Bakugo realized that Kirishima was good at deflecting. Something he picked up being ‘in the closet’ the last couple of years Bakugo guessed.
“Kyoka and I are going to the dance,” Kaminari answered nonchalantly. Everyone sitting in the area turned and looked at Kyoka.
“Well, that’s news to me,” Kyoka answered in a deadpan manner. She was trying to play it cool, but she was blushing Bakugo noticed. Sero and Kirishima started to laugh.
“I assumed we were going since we go to everything together anyway. Momo’s fancy dinner party last spring and that hero awards dinner thingy over the summer,” Kaminari said.
Kyoka smirked at him. “Yeah. And I asked you to go to both of those as friends.”
“Well fine. Kyoka, go to the formal with me. There. I asked you,” Kaminari said, his words all rushed and abrupt.
Kyoka rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said back in a casual tone.
“Awww you guys are so cute!” Mina squealed, throwing her arms around Kyoka and Kaminari.
“Mina, going back to what you were saying earlier. Were you thinking of Aizawa and Ahane going to the formal together?” Momo asked suddenly changing the subject.
“Yes!” Mina answered back enthusiastically, thrilled she got someone onboard possibly with her idea.
“Please tell me you aren’t gonna be a part of this, Momo? Leave the teachers alone,” Bakugo said.
“Well, they spend an awful lot of time together and Aizawa is mostly even-tempered about it, so that’s a good sign,” Momo reasoned.
“He’s always even-tempered,” Kyoka said.
Momo, who had been leaning against Bakugo, now straightened her posture and stretched, before continuing. “He gets irritated easily by Present Mic, so not necessarily.”
“I think your best bet would be to use Eri,” Shinso said, not looking up from his book. Bakugo was surprised he had been listening and even more surprised he was getting involved.
“Continue,” Mina prompted him, co*cking an eyebrow in Shinso’s direction. By this time they had garnered the attention of all the students sitting on the couches.
“Eri’s really close to Ahane-sensei. After Aizawa, she’s the adult on campus she spends the most time with. Mirio Togata is coming to town to take Eri to the dance and she’s excited about it. Plant the idea that it would be nice for Ahane to get to experience those things, too, in Eri’s head. But Ahane would need a date first. And Aizawa is low-hanging fruit. Case closed.” Shinso lowered his head, shifting his attention back down to his book. Momo and Mina locked eyes and grinned at each other. Bakugo shook his head feeling quite sorry for the poor unsuspecting Aizawa-sensei who just wanted to be left alone. Bakugo understood that sentiment completely.
Eri was sitting at one of the dining tables working on a school assignment. Momo and Mina sat on either side of her with smiles on their faces.
Chapter 48: Aizawa
Chapter Text
Aizawa
It was almost 8 PM and Aizawa, Ahane, and Eri were walking back to the faculty dorm. It was a surprisingly mild evening and Aizawa hoped it would continue into the weekend as forecasted so the students would have a good time on their day of freedom.
“Sensei!” Aizawa and Ahane turned their heads to see Hitoshi Shinso running towards them. He walked up to Aizawa. Aizawa nodded at Ahane, communicating they could walk ahead.
“Heading to General Studies dorm?” Aizawa asked.
Shinso nodded, “I wanted to catch you before I turned in.” He stopped so that Ahane and Eri could walk a bit further ahead and give them some privacy. “Eri’s gonna try to manipulate you into asking Ahane-sensei to the dance.” Aizawa looked at Shinso quizzically. Shinso grinned. “A couple of the girls wanted to play matchmaker with the two of you so I decided to intervene so nothing too embarrassing happened. I told them to use Eri to persuade you, so be ready for that.”
Aizawa’s face returned to its normal stoniness, blank with no expression. “Thanks for the warning. Although you could have actually told them to not bother.” Shinso shrugged.
“This seemed more fun,” Shinso said with a smirk on his face. “You should ask her though. Ahane-sensei’s really nice and she doesn’t seem to mind being around you, unlike most people. She’d probably say yes.”
“Praise, indeed,” Aizawa said sarcastically, giving Shinso a suspicious side-ways glance. Over the last year he now had to look up to Shinso instead of look down. He had grown like a weed the last year. During training and school Shinso was the model of respectfulness and seriousness, but over the last several months, when the two of them were conversing on topics outside of school and hero work, Shinso’s humor, which was dry and instigative, had come to the surface. It reminded Aizawa of himself so he gave Shinso the freedom to speak more freely to him than he should have. As long as it didn’t spill into class and training, he’d let it slide.
“And you should rent a suit,” Shinso said, now grinning at his mentor.
A sharp sigh of annoyance escaped from Aizawa.
“Well, you’re free to do whatever you want, but it’d make me look good if this was successful. Win me some points with class A.” Shinso replied matter-of-factly. Aizawa couldn’t help to notice a change in Shinso the last week. Specifically, the last 2 days. He was grinning a lot more than usual, talking more without prompting, and interacting more with Class A. Aizawa knew why. Very few things happened at his school without his knowledge.
Shinso said good night and headed to General Studies. Aizawa was interested in how Eri would try to persuade him. He smiled to himself.
*
Eri and Aizawa finished brushing their teeth in the bathroom.
“Only 10 minutes of reading tonight since it’s so late,” Aizawa said to Eri evenly.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“I was thinking….”
Here it comes, thought Aizawa. Eri continued, “I’m really excited about the dance because I get to go with Mirio.”
Aizawa nodded. Eri continued, “And Ahane has to go to the dance because she has to cheperone,”
“Chaperone,” Aizawa corrected.
“Chaperone,” Eri repeated. “So I was thinking…. She would have more fun if she had a date to the dance. She would get a corsage and would get to plan the masks and would get to dance with someone. So I was thinking…” Eri looked up at him and tilted her head and batted her eyes deliberately twice. Aizawa saw Mina Ashido immediately in the expression and tried his best to keep a straight face.
“That maybe Mic should ask Ahane to the dance?” Aizawa interrupted.
“Um….”
“Mic’s a lot of fun. Or maybe Toshinori? Or Thirteen?”
“Um….” Eri’s big red eyes blinked. They were off script now it seemed and she didn’t know what direction to go. She was precious thought Aizawa. “Well, I was thinking you should do it, Daddy. You and Ahane make a great team when you teach so it makes sense.” And there was the other culprit. The way Eri said ‘so it makes sense’ was an echo of Yaoyorozu. He remembered Ashido and Yaoyorozu sitting with her at the dining table when he was cleaning the kitchen. He would make them pay for this meddling later. And Shinso, as well. He had some very intense training methods he was going to wait for after the Formal to implement, but those 3 would get an early preview Wednesday.
“Well, I guess I should ask her then,” Aizawa said evenly.
“Really?!?”
Aizawa nodded at her. “Although Ahane could say ‘no,’ so don’t be disappointed.”
“She won’t! I already told her you were gonna ask her to the dance when we were walking to the dorms and you were talking to Hitoshi.”
“Oh, you did? I see,” Aizawa said in his usual monotone.
“She seemed really happy about it. She said she thought it sounded really fun!”
Well, Eri had covered all the bases. Aizawa couldn’t help but think what an enterprising little girl she had been that night. She had changed so much from the terrified little girl she was 2 years previous. It was nice for Ahane to humor Eri. She was kind-hearted. UA was lucky to have her.
“Wow! That was really easy!” Eri said cheerfully. “The girls made it sound like this was gonna be super hard!” Aizawa smiled at her.
Chapter 49: Bakugo & Kirishima
Chapter Text
Bakugo
Bakugo would have much rather been back at the dorm studying than heading out on the town. They were walking to a rental place for formal attire that was about 3 miles away from campus. They had walked Ahane, Eri, and most of the girls of class 3A to the bus stop on their way out. Inasa, who for some reason was still at the dorms much to Bakugo’s annoyance, insisted on accompanying the ladies to the boutique. Mina had made quite a display of how gentlemanly she thought he was.
“None of the guys in our class know a thing about chivalry!” she exclaimed. Kirishima looked over at her, the expression on his face one of shock and hurt. Bakugo found it funny, especially considering Kirishima had just given Mina his sweater because she said she was cold.
As the guys left the bus stop group, Bakugo grinned at Kirishima. He was looking down at the ground, his arms folded across his chest, his face blank, without expression. He looked like he needed a hug or a puppy. “If it makes you feel any better, Inasa probably can’t spell ‘chivalry,’” Bakugo said to Kirishima.
“Kirishima probably can’t spell it either,” Sero laughed.
“Hey Sero, spell ‘chivalry.’” Bakugo said his tone suddenly hostile, the grin dropping from his face.
Sero stopped laughing and went silent.
Bakugo thought it would have been nice to spend the day out with Momo, but she wanted to buy a dress and accessories at the boutique with the other girls in the class. Kyoka, however, already had the dress she was going to wear so she decided to go with the group heading to the nearby rental place since there was a music shop a few blocks away from their destination. The group consisted of Bakugo, Kyoka, Kaminari, Sero, Kirishima, and Shinso.
Kaminari, Sero, and Kirishima were like wild animals being let out of the zoo. This was the unfortunate consequence of the school’s strict rules of going off-campus. They had been in captivity for far too long. They were talking way too loud and being way too boisterous. Bakugo gave them a wide breadth, walking about twenty feet behind them. Shinso seemed to be of the same mindset since he was walking beside Bakugo, hands in his pockets, eyes downcast, the bottom half of his face obscured with his familiar binding cloths. Although Kyoka was walking with the three wild boys, she had her headphones on and her hands in her jacket pockets, enjoying herself in her own little world. Kaminari noticed this and decided to pester her. He took her Bluetooth headphones off her head and put them on.
“Hey! Give those back!” She snatched at the headphones but Kaminari dodged her.
“She’s super bad, heart under attack,” Kaminari sang along to the song Kyoka had been listening to, horribly out of tune and very loud since he couldn’t hear himself. Sero and Kirishima joined in on the singing obviously familiar with the song and Bakugo’s left eye started to twitch. Kyoka almost got her hand on the headphones, but then Kaminari put her in a playful headlock. “You got me in a headlock and I like it, baby,” he sang, too loud and too off-key. She dislodged herself from under his arm and then she forcefully pushed him away. Kaminari bumped into Sero which caused Sero to bump into another pedestrian. The middle-aged man turned towards the teens and gave them a dirty look.
“Sorry, sir,” Sero said, embarrassed.
“You idiots! Knock it off! You’re heroes for f*ck’s sake!” Bakugo bellowed ahead at them. He had lost most of his patience and they still had more than a mile to the store.
“So, is this what it’s always like when you guys go out?” Shinso asked Bakugo.
“Pretty much. Bunch of morons. Well, Mina’s usually there, too, so it’s even more chaotic. Hey! Seriously, Kiri!?!” They were passing in front of the Okura Act City Hotel and Kirishima and Sero were both trying to touch the bottom of the decorative flags that were hanging from the second floor. Kirishima had pushed off of Sero’s shoulder with his left hand as he jumped to get more height. Kaminari attempted the same maneuver on Kyoka, but as he landed he bumped into her too hard and they both ended up sprawled on the pavement. Bakugo expected her to be pissed, but she sat there laughing her head off. Bakugo was done. He sped ahead of the group leaving the idiots in his wake.
Kirishima
Kirishima helped Kyoka to her feet since Kaminari was still having a laughing fit on the ground. Now that she was standing and had the upper hand, Kyoka snatched the headphones from Kaminari’s head and then ran to catch up with the fuming Bakugo. As the now spread-out group continued to the formal rental shop, Kaminari and Sero walked together, still singing at times and just being obnoxiously loud. Kirishima had locked eyes on the less than amused-looking Shinso and decided to drop back at a slower pace to walk with him.
“Sorry about that,” Kirishima said.
“Nothing to be sorry about. You’re allowed to have a good time,” Shinso replied evenly.
Kirishima suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. “Having regrets secretly dating the ‘himbo of Class 3A?’” Kirishima tried to say it in a humorous fashion, but it ended up sounding flatter than he intended. It had been a mean-spirited nickname that made the rounds at school from time to time, especially the last year as Kirishima had grown in height and muscle and his reputation of being kind-hearted made its way throughout the school. This combined with usually falling in the bottom 25% of his class on written exams, Kirishima felt the nickname was somewhat accurate. There were worse things he could be called, he would tell himself. Shinso was one of the top students in his class in general studies. His grades and his class ranking fell under general studies since that was where he resided, and faculty had decided this would keep things consistent as far as class competitiveness. Kirishima imagined he was probably somewhere between Iida and Bakugo if he had been lumped with class A. Shinso was more serious and probably a lot more mature than Kirishima. He was now starting to wonder why Shinso was interested in him. Kirishima thought it was probably solely for his body and his face. Would that mean once Shinso had his fill he would move on? Kirishima started to feel nauseous thinking about it.
“The only regret I have is your terrible taste in music,” Shinso said, a slight smile on his face.
Kirishima grinned, “Well what do you listen to? Let me guess. Whatever it is, it’s only on vinyl right?” He would push those negative thoughts away for now. He would enjoy this time with Shinso even if it ended up being a fleeting experience.
*
They made it to the rental place and the guys took turns getting measured by the staff. Bakugo had shot death glances at the three troublemakers to keep them inline. Any rambunctiousness they had in their system was left outside the shop luckily. Although Kirishima was mainly sticking with Shinso so although he was brimming with energy, it was just exuding from his expressive eyes. As they were looking at different styles, Shinso leaned close to Kirishima’s ear and whispered, “So any ideas on what to get?” Kirishima tried not to react to Shinso’s face so close to his with the others several feet away. His instinct had been to turn towards his face and meet it with a kiss due to last night, but of course he would refrain. Kirishima smiled.
He said back to him, low and private, “We go all out. Tuxes, not suits. I have an idea actually. Masks, too. You want to trust me on it, and I’ll take care of it?” Kirishima asked with a grin.
“Sounds good to me. This isn’t really my forte. So, what were you thinking?”
“I want it to be a surprise.” Kirishima moved to the other side of Shinso and feigned looking at suit coats while he talked.
Shinso frowned. “I don’t like surprises.”
“You don’t like surprises? Wednesday night hangin’ outside my window wasn’t a surprise?”
Bakugo cleared his throat loudly. Kirishima’s voice had gotten louder. He glanced over at Kaminari and Sero. They were both looking at him and Shinso suspiciously.
“I don’t like being the one who’s surprised,” Shinso spoke above a whisper, moving a few hangers of tuxedo jackets over to appear like he was doing something.
“Well, too bad,” Kirishima whispered back. He glanced over and saw Bakugo pull out his phone. He was looking at something that caused a smile to creep across his face. Kirishima was taken aback. It wasn’t Bakugo’s smile that made Kirishima react the way he had, it was the rest of Bakugo’s face. It looked relaxed and the expression was soft. Kirishima could only think of the word, “tender.” He walked over and peaked over Bakugo’s shoulder. Bakugo strangely didn’t seem to mind his intrusion. He was looking at pics Momo had sent him of several different dresses she was modeling. “It has to be the purple one,” Kirishima said.
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.” Bakugo smiled even bigger. “When she wears purple, it does something to her eyes, it’s…” Bakugo looked up from the phone and his eyes met Kirishima’s. A huge grin was plastered on the red-head’s face. Bakugo dropped the smile, it immediately melding into an irritated grimace. He turned away from Kirishima, like a greedy dragon protecting its precious hoard, to text Momo back. Kirishima chuckled.
*
After deposits were put down and they left the shop, they collected Kyoka from the nearby music store. Everyone with dates to the Formal decided to head back towards campus and stop at a local florist to secure boutonnieres and corsages and grab lunch afterward. This was everyone in the group except Kirishima and Shinso. Although technically they weren’t going stag, they had to appear to be to keep up the ruse. Kirishima took this opportunity to say they would forgo the florist shop and do their own thing. Before they split-up, Bakugo approached Kirishima and Shinso with fire in his eyes.
He looked up into Shinso’s face, “He better come back in one piece,” Bakugo said.
“O-Kay…,” Shinso replied not sure what to say.
Kirishima sighed. “Seriously, Bakugo?”
“You were acting ridiculous earlier. Recovery Girl wouldn’t have approved of the roughhousing. The only reason I’m not forcing you to come with me is because you’ll be with Shinso and he has some sense.” Bakugo turned away from them in a huff and barreled down the street to catch up with the others. Kirishima glared at the back of his spiky, platinum head while Shinso softly chuckled.
It wasn’t even noon yet and Kirishima was so excited to have the next few hours with just Shinso.
“So this is kinda like our first date,” Kirishima said. He had threaded his fingers through Shinso’s as they walked next to each other. The street they walked on was mostly empty.
“Well, what are we gonna do then?” Shinso asked.
*
A supplement shop and a record store (Kirishima had called Shinso out earlier) were nearby so these were the first two stops. Shinso was a bit overwhelmed in the supplement shop. He took a daily vitamin and valerian root every night but that was his extent of knowing anything about vitamins, minerals, and all the other kinds of concoctions available. Kirishima spent several minutes explaining to Shinso the benefits of pre-workout and post-workout supplements and also the optimum time to eat your daily carbs in relation to when you worked out. Shinso had to drag Kirishima out of the shop half-way through an in-depth conversation he was having with the clerk about the perfect macro percentages for building muscle. In the record store, it was Shinso’s turn to school Kirishima. Phono preamps, belt drives versus direct drives, and how to spot defects in vinyl pressings. Shinso’s musical tastes varied immensely: classical, jazz, blues, rock including metal and punk, hip-hop, folk, electronic. Kirishima’s musical tastes pretty much could be summed up in what kept him pumped up during his workouts and runs, although he did listen to current pop and alternative rock. Now Kirishima was the one pulling Shinso out of the record store while he was halfway through the ‘S’s in the Rock section.
Shinso used his phone to find a place to eat for lunch. They agreed on a kare raisu restaurant nearby that had several different curry dishes that sounded interesting. They were walking down a busy street when Shinso took Kirishima’s hand and pulled him down an empty alley. “Short cut,” Shinso said still holding his hand as they walked further down the dark and quiet corridor. Suddenly Shinso pushed Kirishima against the nearby wall only a few feet away. He brought his hands up to Kirishima’s face and surprised him with a kiss. Although the push against the wall had taken Kirishima by surprise and was a deliberate almost forceful movement, Shinso’s kiss was gentle, his hands were so light on Kirishima’s face. His fingertips barely touched his jaw and neck, so weightless they almost tickled. Shinso’s thumbs lightly pressed on Kirishima’s high cheekbones. Shinso pulled back and Kirishima looked into his pale, thin face. His eyes appeared bright and alert despite the dark circles of sleeplessness he wore. His deep-set eyes, curtained with heavy lids, added even more of a sleepy quality to his appearance, so to see his face so lively and animated made Kirishima’s heart race and his stomach knot up. Even after the intimate hours they had spent together the night before in the dorm living area, he found it strange he felt at this moment that almost painful lurching in his stomach that preceded their kiss on the couch. Maybe some people called it butterflies in their stomach but Kirishima thought the description was completely wrong. It was gut-wrenching anticipation. Perhaps it was because he was so at ease with most interactions in his life, that these new experiences that seemed framed with so much uncertainty made him feel almost ill. Shinso aided this, his unreadable demeanor coupled with his communication that often lacked expression, leaving Kirishima wondering what he was thinking the majority of the time.
“Tell me what you’re thinking right now,” Kirishima asked, a smile slowly turning up the ends of his mouth. Shinso’s lively expression now changed to one of hesitancy, his mouth slightly open as if he was trying to decide what to say. Seconds later, his decision was to close it and stay silent. Kirishima sighed in frustration but was still smiling.
“You really want to know?” Shinso asked low, barely above a whisper. Kirishima nodded.
“I was thinking about last winter. A game of touch football that one Sunday evening.” Shinso brought his face close to his and he thought surely he would kiss him on the mouth, but Shinso kissed him on his chin instead. He slowly moved along his jawline, leaving soft kisses and shallow breaths to tickle Kirishima’s skin. Eventually, Shinso’s mouth hovered right above the place where Kirishima’s squared jaw-line met his earlobe. His breath against Kirishima’s skin in that one spot made him feel almost dizzy. He shut his eyes tight, and his heart hammered in his chest.
Shinso whispered in his ear, “Shirts and skins. The last throw I made to Sato gave us the win. Right after the ball left my hand, you tackled me.” Kirishima smiled his eyes still shut. He now recalled this forgotten memory. They weren’t supposed to tackle but as the game had progressed most of the guys had disregarded the rule. “You knocked the breath out of me. I was lying there, you hovering over me shirtless, so ridiculously gorgeous,” The words from Shinso’s mouth, all breath and growing intention, brought him deep into the moment, his mind no longer daydreaming about the distant memory. He felt the warmth of Shinso’s body, felt his presence so intense, even though his eyes were still shut. “You looked down at me worried you hurt me, our faces a couple of feet apart. You helped me up.” Kirishima felt Shinso retreat. He opened his eyes and stared at him. “Later in the shower, I couldn’t help but think about you again,” Shinso said in low tones, a slight smile on his face. Kirishima grabbed the front of Shinso’s grey shirt and pulled him in. As their lips met, Kirishima tried his utmost to be in the present. He had spent so much of the previous night he realized letting his imagination run wild and not letting the moment take him. Kirishima barely opened his eyes so that all his senses could partake in this space of time. He didn’t want to take this for granted: Shinso’s soft lips, the taste of him, the rising and falling of his chest beneath Kirishima’s hands, the way his tongue curled briefly in Kirishima’s mouth tempered with the exchanges of their heavy breaths and their lips touching, opening and closing on one another.
A door several feet away slammed open sending out a loud clang that echoed down the empty alley. Two busboys came out with bags of trash to take to a dumpster at the far end. By the time the busboys made it to the space Kirishima and Shinso had occupied, the two students had already run down the dark, narrow corridor, and turned the corner to find themselves back on the main thoroughfare. They merged into the lunchtime crowds on the street, both red-faced and smiling.
Chapter 50: Shinso
Chapter Text
Shinso
By the time they made it to the restaurant, it was past 1, so most of the lunch crowd had cleared out. They sat in a booth and a server handed them menus. It had been such a perfect day so far, Shinso was pleasantly surprised the two of them had been able to sneak away from everyone. He watched Kirishima as he looked over the menu, his eyes skimming the choices, big black lashes framing his red, inquisitive eyes. Kirishima must have felt Shinso’s eyes on him because he looked up and then grinned at him.
“Do you already know what you want? I can’t decide, everything sounds so good!” Kirishima said excitedly. It seemed that the most mundane and everyday tasks that most people would find boring or unimportant, Kirishima could make interesting and exciting. His enthusiasm was palpable. Shinso had never spent an extended amount of time around him so he had no idea this was his constant state. Shinso could not help to see he tended to be the exact opposite. He was cynical most of the time and although he felt pretty neutral in how he saw life, he could lean towards pessimism if he wasn’t careful. When something interested him he rarely showed it any enthusiasm. Although being with Kirishima seemed to pull him from his usual humdrum state.
The server took their orders and Kirishima grinned at Shinso. “I finally have you pinned down so I can ask you questions for a change. Hopefully you won’t find a way to avoid answering them.” Kirishima said. Shinso didn’t like the sound of this.
“Well I already answered one of your questions earlier, so I think a one-a-day limit is enough.”
“That didn’t count because I didn’t know it would be my only one for the day,” Kirishima quickly retorted.
“Fine. Fair enough. You have one question. Ask it wisely,” Shinso replied in a low monotone. The server came by and filled both their waters. She gave Kirishima a radiant smile before leaving. She had not even glanced at Shinso. He found it quite funny.
Kirishima looked off to the side silently deliberating to himself Shinso assumed.
“Okay, this is one question but a two-parter. If you say ‘nay’ then, consider it anyway and I’ll give up tomorrow’s question.”
Shinso rolled his eyes. “Fine. If this means I don’t have to put up with a question for 48 hours, then I’ll take it.”
“Yes! Okay. First question: What are your plans after graduation since you haven’t signed with any agencies even though you’ve had offers? Second question: Why did you blow off the sports festival if you want to be a hero?”
Shinso stared at Kirishima. He had not been expecting these sorts of questions at all. Maybe questions about his former girlfriend/boyfriends or about the training he did with Aizawa. Maybe a more specific questions about how his quirk worked. This question about the future was very personal. Why did he hesitate? Why did he not want to talk about this with Kirishima? He liked Kirishima a lot. He had a strong urge to want to know him better despite Shinso’s normally anti-social sensibilities. Why was he having these hang-ups?
“Hey, you don’t have to answer. It’s fine,” Kirishima relented with a smile.
“No. I’ll answer. After graduation, I’ll be joining the police force in Naruhata Ward in Tokyo. At the same time, I’ll be working on a degree in forensics and criminal justice so I can become a detective. I didn’t see the need for participating in the festival this year since I figured out this was what I wanted to do halfway through second year.” Shinso said this all very plainly as usual. Kirishima’s jaw dropped and his eyes were full of shock. This reaction was what Shinso expected.
“Why?!? You fought tooth and nail to get into the hero course to become a hero and NOW you’re just gonna throw that away to do something any quirkless civilian can do?” Kirishima had bellowed this so loud, a family on the other side of the restaurant was watching him quite amused.
Shinso tilted his head, leaned back in his seat, and smirked, “That sounds pretty pretentious Kirishima. I expected your initial reaction, but your reasoning surprises me. Kinda disappointing. I thought you of all people would be more open-minded.” Kirishima quickly dropped his face of incredulity.
“Yeah, you’re right. That was a pretty sh*tty thing for me to say. I’m just really surprised. What made you decide this?”
“I’ve been doing my work-study for a small agency in Naruhata Ward since second year and they work a lot with the police. I ended up doing 2 undercover assignments over the summer and…. It just felt right. My quirk works so well undercover so, it’s what I want to do.”
“The heart wants what the heart wants,” Kirishima smiled, a sheepish expression spread across his face. “I’m sorry, Shinso. I should have been supportive from the get go. Ya got my support, now. I think it’s awesome you know what you want to do, and you’ll be great at it,” Kirishima said. Shinso wasn’t surprised Kirishima had apologized and then given full support. He guessed even Kirishima couldn’t be perfectly Kirishima all the time.
“I’ll still be a hero technically. It’s not like I am wasting what I’ve learned at UA. I’ll be able to use my quirk legally, so it will all work out.”
“So…. Tokyo?” Kirishima grinned. “You’ll be busy.”
“Well, Esuha City in Kansai isn’t a walk in the park either. Especially considering how many agencies have shut down in that area. Fat Gum will have you busy, too.” Kirishima and he would be 4 and a half hours away by bullet train. 6 and a half hours by car. Shinso had looked this up the day before.
Kirishima raised his glass, “To large crime-infested cities!” he said with enthusiasm.
Shinso raised his glass, “To large crime-infested cities,” Shinso said clinking his glass against Kirishima’s.
*
After lunch, they started to walk in the direction of UA. On the way, they walked by an art shop and Kirishima got way too excited when he saw in the display that they had ink half-off.
“It’s just ink, can’t you get that anywhere?” Shinso asked.
“No, this is Indian Ink. I use it in my wash-out paintings. I’ll have to bring you to the school studio sometime and show you what I’ve been doing.” They went into the store and Kirishima bought a case. They would deliver it to the school for free. “Anything for Red Riot!” the shop owner had said. Shinso knew Kirishima had taken Art as an elective since second year, but he didn’t know how invested he was in it. They had both learned a lot about each other over the course of the afternoon. They had talked all through lunch, although the conversation wasn’t as deep as the one about Shinso going completely rogue with what he wanted to do after graduation.
They continued down the bustling streets toward campus. Shinso heard a very loud “Excuse me?” sound behind them. They turned towards the voice that belonged to a boy with brown hair and a face full of freckles. He had a friend with him who looked very nervous, his eyes downcast, his deep blue hair covering up most of the top part of his face. They both looked to be around 10 years old.
“What’s up?” Kirishima asked.
“Um… Are you Red Riot?” asked the boy with the freckles.
Kirishima grinned broadly. “Yeah. That’s me.”
“I thought it might be you, I wasn’t sure because your hair looks really different from when you’re in your hero costume. Could…. Could we take a picture with you?”
“Sure!”
Shinso extended his hand to the boy who had pulled out his cell phone. Kirishima brought both his fists together in front of him, mimicking the pose the boy with freckles was already taking. The other boy shyly looked up. He took 3 different pics to ensure one was a keeper. Shinso noticed Kirishima looked absolutely flawless in all three, his eyes sparkling, his smile radiant. He handed the phone back to the boy. He immediately looked at the pictures with his friend by his side. “So cool! Thanks, Red Riot!” the freckle-faced boy exclaimed.
“Sure thing!”
“I can’t wait until you graduate and we can buy your stuff at the hero stores when you’re at a real agency! My dad let me have his Crimson Riot figures until then. I’ve watched you at the last 3 sports festivals! You’re always so awesome.”
“Awe, thanks, man.”
The boy with the head full of dark blue hair finally spoke up. “Is your friend a hero, too?”
“Yeah! He’s the hero Mind Jack.”
“I’ve never heard of him,” the freckle-faced boy said.
“Well, that’s a good thing. He’s a stealth hero. The less people know about him, the better a job he can do from the shadows,” Kirishima said matter-of-factly. The boy with the dark blue hair now smiled.
The two boys waved and were on their way. “So how often does that happen?” Shinso asked looking quite amused.
“A couple of times a shift when I’m patrolling for Fat Gum. It’s only happened just a few times when I’m out of costume though. It’s weird to think in the future kids could be playing with Red Riot action figures and wearing shirts with my face on it.”
“I get dibs on the first Red Riot t-shirt,” Shinso said. Kirishima smiled broadly and reached for Shinso’s hand and held it as they continued to campus, despite the bustling street filled with crowds of people.
*
Several blocks later, as Kirishima and Shinso turned the corner, they both had their attention seized by the approach of a very loud delivery truck that was speeding out of control down the quiet street. About 10 feet from Kirishima, who was walking closest to the traffic, was a young boy about 5 years old. He was standing in the middle of the road holding a ball he had presumably just retrieved. He was in the path of the oncoming truck just seconds away from impact. Kirishima instinctively ran out into the road and leapt towards the boy. Mid-air, rocky ridges grew from his skin, ripping through the long sleeves of his shirt, and stone-like shards replaced the soft waves of his hair. Kirishima’s hands, still flesh and human, pushed the boy several feet away a quarter of a second before the truck met the space the small boy once occupied. The truck gave a loud metallic cry that echoed down the street as it rammed into Kirishima’s body. Since Kirishima had been airborne and not able to lock his feet in, he was launched 20 feet down the street and landed with a deafening clatter on the asphalt.
The truck after impact only moved forward about 10 feet before stopping. Shinso ran to the boy to make sure he was okay. A bystander called the police and another passerby checked on the driver to see if he was okay. Shinso talked to the young boy and tried to calm him. After several seconds, a woman, the boy’s mother, appeared and wrapped him in her arms and began to cry. Shinso told her to keep him as still as possible until paramedics arrived to make sure he was okay. The driver came out of the truck and was visibly upset. He had fallen asleep at the wheel and had lost control of the vehicle. He seemed uninjured but Shinso told him to remain calm and immobile until the paramedics arrived. Now Shinso ran to Kirishima. It had been agonizing to do things in the correct order. He had to first make sure none of the civilians were in immediate danger before he could check on his teammate. He also knew that the impact Kirishima had sustained was something his quirk could normally handle easily. But Kirishima’s quirk could not be trusted presently. Kirishima was standing now and appeared unharmed. Shinso’s eyes went wide and a deep panic started to set in. Would they have a repeat of Gym Gamma?
Chapter 51: Kirishima
Chapter Text
Kirishima
Kirishima was standing, unharmed by the collision due to his quirk. He looked down at his arms and chest at the layers of rocky outcroppings that were now his skin. He had not gone into full Unbreakable Mode, but he still wore a thick layer of hardening. He hesitated to try and extinguish his quirk with the worry he wouldn’t be able to. “Kirishima.” Shinso was standing behind him and his voice was thick with concern. Now or never, man Kirishima thought to himself. He had not thrown on additional layers like he had at Gym Gamma so he was probably fine he thought. He counted down from 3 in his head. 3,2,1. Kirishima let out a shaky breath. Hardening had not dropped. “Kirishima?” He turned his head toward Shinso’s voice, now strained with anxiety. He could still move well at least. Before he could say anything, his rocky layers started to retract. A second later, his skin was normal again. He had never had a delay like that. Maybe he was getting better, but it seemed he was still having issues with his quirk. But he was back to normal again, so no harm, no foul. Shinso immediately grinned from ear to ear. It was that special grin, the one he seemed to rarely show but when he did it filled Kirishima’s chest with a warm feeling of comfort. Aizawa-sensei suddenly dropped from above via his binding cloth and landed between Kirishima and Shinso. His eyes were blazing scarlet and his hair floated eerily above his head. The realization hit Kirishima like a ton of bricks. He had not canceled Hardening. Aizawa had.
Aizawa’s intense gaze fell on Kirishima. “Did you try to drop Hardening?” Aizawa asked abruptly.
“No, sensei, you canceled it before I had the chance to try,” he answered assuredly. It was an easy lie to tell because he didn’t want Aizawa and Shinso to worry. Kirishima tried to shrug off the heaviness of the lie. It was a strange feeling, being dishonest. But it was for a good reason Kirishima told himself. He couldn’t bear to see the worry on other’s faces or the pity in Shinso’s eyes.
“Hitoshi Shinso. Where are your binding cloths?” Aizawa asked sternly.
Chapter 52: Shinso & Kaminari
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Shinso
“I… left them at the rental place,” Shinso replied lowly. He had not realized it until he saw the child in the street. He had taken them off to be measured and had left them on a chair. He had been so preoccupied with spending the day with Kirishima he had forgotten about them. Aizawa, early in his training with the binding cloths, told him once he reached the first level of mastery he was to have them on his person at all times when he left the dorms. They were to either be in a backpack he was wearing or draped around his neck. This level of achievement had been earned for Shinso half-way through his second year. He rarely forgot this on-campus and had never forgotten when he left campus.
Police arrived and the boys approached them to let them know what had happened. After taking their names, the police talked to the paramedics and the boy and his mother. Aizawa, Kirishima, and Shinso stood off to the side waiting for their official statements to be taken.
“I wonder if you would have been able to drop Hardening if Aizawa-sensei had not Erased it,” Shinso wondered out loud. Kirishima shrugged. “I guess Aizawa didn’t want to take any chances and Erased it as soon as he saw you.”
“I’ll get some answers on Wednesday. At least we don’t have to worry about it now,” Kirishima replied.
“Eijiro Kirishima?” the officer asked. Kirishima nodded at him. “Do you mind coming with me? I need to take your statement.”
“Sure,” Kirishima answered. He followed the officer towards where the accident took place.
“Shinso.” He met Aizawa’s gaze; his eyes were uncharacteristically angry. “You can’t afford to be careless. Ever. You should see your binding cloths as an extension of yourself now. You should always have them on when you leave the dorm. It’s part of your duty as a hero.”
“Yes, sensei,” Shinso replied, penitent.
Aizawa gave a weary sigh and his eyes softened. “I pieced together what happened from the witness statements I overheard. If you would have had your binding cloths, Kirishima would not have had to use his quirk. You could have grabbed the child with your binding cloths.” Shinso nodded. He knew this to be true as well. When he saw the child in the street and immediately sensed his absent cloths, he cursed himself.
“I’m grateful you were in the right place at the right time,” Shinso said earnestly to his mentor.
“It wasn’t accidental, Shinso. I’ve been tracking Kirishima ever since he left campus. That’s why Ahane took Eri to the boutique. There was no way I was going to let him get too far from me because of his quirk issues. I’m surprised you never noticed me. You were too distracted and weren’t paying attention to your surroundings. I will reiterate what I said before. Being a hero isn’t a 9 to 5 job. Constant vigilance.”
“I’m sorry, sensei. I won’t forget this.”
“I know you won’t. It’s less heart-breaking if we can learn things the easy way, but more often than not many lessons have to be learned the hard way for them to take hold. Have this one be the former, please.”
Shinso thought back to the stolen kiss in the empty alleyway now realizing that Aizawa-sensei had been following them the whole time. On top of being mortified because he let himself and his mentor down, he was now embarrassed for other reasons. He felt a hot blush rise from his neck and paint his face crimson. He kept his head downcast.
“I tracked Kirishima from a distance, but I didn’t watch him. I’ve been tracking a long time and give people their due privacy.”
Sometimes Shinso was convinced Aizawa had a secondary quirk that enabled him to read minds. For someone who was accused of being unfeeling and misanthropic by the general public, his mentor had an uncanny ability to read people like an open book. Even someone as inscrutable as Shinso. His head was still downcast, face red, and mouth rigid.
“After you give your statement to the police, you and Kirishima head back to campus. I’ll go to the rental place and grab your cloths.” Aizawa shot a length of cloth over their heads, ready to move out.
“Sensei. Thank you,” Shinso said with a bow. Aizawa nodded and was gone in a flash.
*
The walk back had been quiet. Shinso felt Kirishima glance at him from time to time. He tried to not seem so rigid, but he was on edge after the accident and by the words Aizawa spoke. Kirishima must have sensed his anxiousness because he refrained from speaking and his eyes were concerned. They turned down a street that was almost empty of pedestrians. “Shinso.” Kirishima had stopped walking and grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “What’s wrong?”
Shinso wanted to wait until they were back at the dorms, but then realized they wouldn’t find any privacy there.
“I’ve been really selfish. I’ve been selfish my whole life so it’s not anything new, but I wanted to apologize. I’ve put you and others at risk today. And last night, I should have gone back to the dorms before curfew. I’m breaking rules and disregarding things that’ve been set in place for your safety. I just got wrapped up in what I wanted and made justifications for it.”
Kirishima smiled. “You worry too much. Everything’s fine. The boy was saved. Don’t think about the ‘what-ifs.’ And last night I wanted you to stay. And today… I wouldn’t trade this day for anything. Who knows when we’ll get to go out like this again before we graduate?” Kirishima leaned in and kissed Shinso on the cheek. “Cheer up.”
Shinso let out a long sigh and smiled despite himself. “Kirishima?”
“Yeah?” he asked with a warm grin.
Shinso wanted to tell him that in the alley, when Kirishima had asked him what was on his mind, he had not been entirely truthful. He did think about that specific Saturday last winter, but not for the reasons he had expressed. Although he had told him the truth about all the stirrings that had begun that day with his attraction to Kirishima, what he had been thinking about was Kirishima’s relentless mission to find him that day. Shinso’s father had been in an accident and was in the hospital. He ended up making a full recovery, but at the time Shinso had been quite distraught. He had hidden this from everyone, however. It was easy for him to do, he was already so dour and taciturn. But Kirishima had noticed he was off somehow. He had texted him after school and Shinso didn’t answer. He then went to Shinso’s dorm and having not found him, went to the faculty dorm and discovered him with Eri and Aizawa. He then practically drug him to the large field by campus to play touch football with a big group from class A. Kirishima said he could tell he was down and thought it would cheer him up and make him feel better. It was one of the first times someone in Class A had gone out of their way for him. After this, Shinso paid closer attention to Kirishima and noticed he did this with everyone. He paid attention to others and took care of them. It didn’t take long for Shinso to notice he, himself, started doing little things here and there for others, too. He had been affected by Kirishima’s actions. Shinso felt Kirishima was an example of the best of humanity. All this was going through his head when he gently touched Kirishima’s face in the alley. But how do you tell that to someone? How do you put it into words and then say it unironically? For the second time today, he chickened out.
“What’s your favorite flavor of protein powder?” Shinso asked.
“Oh, definitely peanut butter. I have some in my dorm if you want to try it. It’s got only 2 net carbs per serving so it’s perfect for….”
They continued to walk towards campus, Shinso smiling as Kirishima excitedly continued to talk.
*
As they walked on campus, Aizawa-sensei approached them with Shinso’s binding cloths.
“Thank you, sensei,” Shinso said, but he couldn’t look Aizawa in the eye.
“Kirishima!” Ojiro yelled a distance away getting their attention, “You’re on the news!” Ojiro was pointing to his phone. He, Shoji, and Mineta were ahead of them on their way to the dorm.
Kirishima walked towards them with a sheepish smile on his face.
“Shinso, can I talk to you?” Aizawa asked once Kirishima was out of earshot.
Shinso nodded. He met his eyes now, he had no choice.
“I wanted to let you know that starting tonight, Hound Dog will be adding some security measures to the already existing system on campus. So, if there were certain students that frequented exploring the campus after curfew to perhaps practice stealth or visit friends, well they may want to hold off until they have time to research this new system.”
Shinso nodded again trying to conceal his surprise. Although it did seem kind of silly to Shinso in hindsight for Aizawa not to know what he was up to anyway. Aizawa was the one who taught him everything he knew after-all.
Kaminari
“Dude! You aren’t supposed to go off alone, remember? Ahane-sensei said so!” Kaminari yelled at Bakugo’s back.
Bakugo turned his head and barked back, “I’m Dynamight! Those rules don’t apply to me! I can take care of myself!” The others had put in their orders at the florist shop near the school, except Bakugo that had several questions for the proprietor, and then fumed when the specific thing he wanted wasn’t there. Sero, Kyoka, and Kaminari stood at the street corner watching Bakugo’s head bobble up and down as he walked hastily away to another florist shop in the opposite direction of campus.
Kyoka put her right fist on the flattened palm of her left hand. “Loser babysits Bakugo,” she said. After two rounds of “rock, paper, scissors,” Kaminari whined loudly.
“This blows!” he bellowed as he ran after Bakugo. Kyoka and Sero both waved at him grinning.
Notes:
I have a short story about Aizawa and Shinso and their relationship as mentor/mentee. The scene mentioned in this chapter where Kirishima goes looking for Shinso when his father is ill is in the short story. You may be surprised about how Shinso felt about Kirishima at the time which is roughly a year before "Three Orchids" takes place! Anyway, if you want more of Shinso and Aizawa and a small scene with Kirishima, here's the story A Cloth that Binds that is set in the same world of MHA.
It “only” took 70,000 words to catch up to the prologue! I have always had an outline to this story, but some added conflict has definitely added much to the narrative (I’m looking at you, Kirishima’s quirk issues, which I decided to add at chapter 27) I haven’t forgotten BakuMomo, we will shift back to them soon. Thanks so much for those of you who are reading!
Chapter 53: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Momo was still reeling from the high of a day spent with friends trying on dresses and feeling a bit like a princess after buying all the accessories needed for the formal. Momo loved to go shopping, she hated the fact that she fit the rich girl mold with this trait, but she didn’t do it often so it was a nice treat she tried to not feel too guilty about when she did. Their group was the first back to the dorms. It had been fun to hang out with Tsuyu since Momo felt she was the one girl in class she spent the least amount of time with. She found out that she and Tokoyami were going to the dance together. She had asked him a few days ago. The two had gotten very close since the summer break, but both were very private so no one in the class knew what their status was (were they just good friends or more?) and luckily the class was respectful enough towards them to not pry. A courtesy Bakugo and I seem to not deserve somehow Momo couldn’t help but think.
Momo decided to make the most of her great mood and have a study session at 4:30 before dinner. She would hold it at the dining tables of the dorm, however, instead of the classroom because with the rate the studying had declined the previous week she was worried less people would show up if they had to leave the dorm. She would still invite the several students of the other classes though via their group chat. Other members of Class A started to meander in. Momo had most of her school work and textbooks spread out on the table before her while she worked on a study plan for the next 6 days. Ojiro, Shoji, Mineta, and Kirishima walked in talking very loudly. Mina bounded up to them to say hello. “Kiri was on the news,” Ojiro said with a grin. Momo stood up and walked over to the group noticing immediately Kirishima’s shirt was shredded a few places on his chest and the sleeves had been ripped off at the shoulder. Momo knew he had used his quirk. “Kirishima, are you okay?” Momo asked with concern.
“Yeah. Don’t worry. Aizawa-sensei was there, so all’s good,” Kirishima said with a grin. Momo nodded reservedly. Did that mean he had to cancel it out? She didn’t want to press Kirishima on it, but she was worried. He went upstairs to change his destroyed shirt and Aizawa-sensei and Shinso walked in a couple of minutes later, followed by Kyoka and Sero. She knew Bakugo would be coming in right at 3 via his texts. Apparently, he and Kaminari went to some extra stores. She returned to her books and prepared her study session.
As 4:30 neared, she was pleased to see most of her usuals were sitting at the tables ready to get to work along with some guests. Inasa, who was sitting next to Mina, was bristling with eager energy. Momo hoped he wouldn’t be too much of a distraction. She noticed he and Mina had become quite chummy during their day out. Shinso, Bakugo, and Kirishima had also joined the study group. Kuroiro and Tsunotori from Class B were present along with business students Tanaka and Mori, and general studies student Ueno. Ueno had brought a friend with her, Fujioka, and they both sat by Shinso. Fujioka and Shinso both exchanged grins as she sat next to him; it didn’t seem to be in just greeting. They talked to each other in hushed tones before Momo started her session. She went over English, History, and Calculus and she was so pleased that Shinso was there, especially with the Calculus, because he helped out a few students with specific problems. Bakugo mainly stuck with helping Kirishima and he seemed to be in a good mood because she only heard him bark at Kirishima once (“Pay attention when I’m talking to you!” “Chill, bro! I’m listening!”) Near the end of the session the kitchen started filling up with delicious smells. It was Todoroki and Hagakure’s turn to cook the evening meal and as the study session closed, Iida walked over and invited the guests to stay and join them for dinner.
Momo sat next to Bakugo after filling her bowl with cold soba. Across from them were Ueno, Shinso, Fujioka, and Kirishima. Over small talk with Fujioka, Momo discovered she and Shinso were from the same small town and grew up together. Kimi Fujioka was tall, blonde, and lithe in body. Although her face was attractive it seemed to be frozen in a constant state of judgment, although when she talked she seemed friendly enough. She had many questions for ‘Soshi’s Class A friends,’ this phrase lilting strangely in her mouth. Bakugo grinned the first time she said it (because she said it many times) and he mouthed the word, “Soshi.” Momo wasn’t sure what to think of Fujioka, but she couldn’t help but catch Bakugo making noises of amusem*nt at times when Fujioka spoke. Shinso seemed to flip flop back and forth between his usual impassive expression and a wry smile at times. Momo looked at Kirishima for perhaps a bit of clarity on the dinner conversation hoping he could supply some, but he seemed distracted for some reason. He was sitting at the end of the table next to Fujioka who had not acknowledged his presence, so maybe that was why he was a bit more quiet than usual. Bakugo stood up and grabbed Momo’s empty bowl (the cold soba had been surprisingly tasty). He looked at Kirishima and said, “Kiri, sit at the sofas, I’ll cover clean up.”
“We’re both on the calendar for tonight bro, I got it,” Kirishima stood up, ready to help.
“If Recovery Girl knew you were standing in the kitchen doing dishes when 20 other people could have been doing it, she’ll have all our heads. Go sit, I’ll help Bakugo,” Shinso chided as he joined Bakugo in clearing bowls and headed to the kitchen.
“I’ve been walking around all day! What’s the difference if I stand around in the kitchen for half an hour?” Kirishima stated emphatically.
“Well, more reason for you to sit down, then. Come on,” Momo said as she grabbed the frustrated Kirishima by his arm and they both walked to the sofa.
Chapter 54: Shinso
Chapter Text
“So, ‘Soshi,’” Bakugo said with a grin, taking great enjoyment in saying Shinso’s childhood nickname with a tone of mocking. He stood next to Shinso at the sink. “Your friend seems super nosy and severely up your ass about your own business.”
Shinso sighed as he rinsed the soapy bowl with cool water on the right side of the sink.
“She’s always been that way. I was very sickly as a child and she was very protective of me when we were small. I guess old habits die hard and now she just drives me crazy because she still worries about me. She means well, she just doesn’t know how to stop.” Shinso handed a bowl to Bakugo and he took it and dried it with a hand towel.
“Tell her to mind her own damn business. That’s what you do.” Bakugo stacked the bowl in one of the upper cabinets.
“It’s fine, I deal with it in my own way, but thanks for the advice anyway, ‘Kacchan.’” Shinso said the pet name in a mocking tone to match Bakugo’s from earlier. Bakugo grinned again.
“Well, she’s fishing. All those questions about your injuries and questions about who your ‘best friend’ is when she’s not around.” Bakugo gave a deep chuckle. “She was trying to play it off cutesy, but she definitely thinks your hooking up with someone over here. You think maybe she isn’t worried about you as much as she’s jealous?”
“No, Kimi’s not like that.” Shinso reached into the soapy water searching for a bowl. “Our families are close, so she and I are practically family.” Shinso washed the bowl, rinsed it, and handed it to Bakugo. “Anyway, I don’t think Kirishima’s ready to be outed just yet.” Shinso thought about how Kirishima grabbed his hand in the crowded street after the interaction with his two fans. He was making some steady progress, but he didn’t want to rush him. “If I tell Fujioka to stop, that will only make things worse. She’s gonna keep pestering.”
“So, about Kiri, what happened today with the accident? I tried to talk to him about it, but he told me not to worry. Did he stop his own quirk or did Aizawa?”
Shinso stopped washing a bowl and turned to Bakugo. “Aizawa canceled it before Kirishima had the chance. Although…”
“What?” Bakugo’s face was serious, his mouth rigid and his eyes narrowed.
“I don’t know. He seemed a bit weird right before Aizawa used Erasure. I’m worried he might be – “
“Lying?” Bakugo interrupted, harshly saying the word like a curse. Did he just severely piss off Bakugo by accusing Kirishima of covering up the truth? Bakugo stared at him, but he didn’t look as pissed now. Shinso was at a loss, but he decided to proceed anyway.
“Yeah. Lying to cover up the truth so we don’t worry.”
“Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything.” Bakugo now shrugged and leaned against the counter. Shinso washed the last bowl and handed it to Bakugo.
As Bakugo put the bowl away, Shinso added, “Wish you would have been there. You can probably read Kirishima a lot better than I can since you guys have been so close this whole time at UA.”
Bakugo grinned. “Well, I don’t know about that. You guys have gotten pretty close. Those bite marks on your mug are proof right there. They look much better today so hopefully no one else will give it much thought and figure it out.” Shinso was surprised by Bakugo’s statement but he kept himself from reacting. He kept his expression impassive because he didn’t want to give Bakugo the satisfaction of riling him up, but he now started to worry who else had figured it out. Bakugo’s face suddenly softened. “Was probably nice to spend all afternoon alone with Kirishima and not have to suffer idiots like I had to.”
“You were alone all day with Kirishima? That’s Red Riot, correct? The guy I was sitting by at dinner?” blurted a voice across from the unsuspecting boys.
Shinso turned his head and saw Fujioka leaning against the dining room side of the island several feet away. She had been sitting at the table studying and now Shinso regretted not keeping a watchful eye on her. She had heard too much.
Shinso took a couple of steps and now stood opposite Fujioka, the island between them. His mind raced to think of a way to save this. She would have no qualms about grilling Kirishima, and Shinso would have no qualms about telling her off about it. He would rather not do that in front of everyone.
“We just hung out since we didn’t have to run the same errands the rest of our group had, Kimi. Nothing noteworthy.”
“Well, you saying it isn’t noteworthy makes me think you mean otherwise. You know how I can tell when you’re lying?”
“My lips are moving, yeah I got it,” he said flatly. Shinso looked at her visibly annoyed.
Bakugo came up behind Shinso, resting his chin briefly on top of Shinso’s right shoulder. Bakugo snaked his left arm between Shinso’s left arm and side and softly patted his abdomen twice. Shinso immediately bristled at the contact. Bakugo brought his mouth up to Shinso’s ear and said low and gruff, but loud enough for Fujioka to hear, “I owe you one for helping me out tonight, Shin. Maybe later… ” Bakugo leaned his head against Shinso’s for a couple of seconds, closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, and then walked out of the kitchen towards the couches. Fujioka’s jaw dropped. A bitter smile spread slowly across Shinso’s face as he shook his head back and forth. Absolutely absurd was the only thought that came to his mind. Shinso would have found it hilarious if he had not been the victim. This would cost him so much trouble from Fujioka when he got back to the dorms. And if she blabbed it to anyone else he would have to do some serious damage control.
“Katsuki Bakugo?!?” Fujioka whispered loudly, squeaking out the name. “Are you crazy? He’s nuts! So that ‘fight’ the other night wasn’t really a ‘fight?’ Wait…I thought he and Yaoyorozu were going out?”
“They are,” Shinso said evenly.
Fujioka covered her gaping mouth with both hands and her cheeks suddenly flushed a dark pink. Great. It was no telling what scenarios were racing through Fujioka’s mind. Bakugo’s absurd display was meant to take the scent away from Kirishima thought Shinso. He wanted to protect his best friend. But Bakugo had to know this would be a pain in my ass and probably thought it would be funny as hell to start some sh*t Shinso thought. Shinso was equal parts grateful and furious.
He walked towards the couches leaving a flustered Fujioka at the kitchen island. He didn’t want any more questions. Once the absurdity and humor of the situation dissolved, Shinso found a growing anger in its wake. Towards whom exactly, he could not place. Fujioka, Bakugo, himself, the world perhaps and its hom*ophobia? Ueno and Fujioka, the latter having found out what she wanted for the evening it seemed, left and went back to their dorm. Shinso hovered over the back of one of the couches and glared at Bakugo.
“Hey, I was just diverting her attention,” Bakugo said with a grin. He was sitting on the couch with his arm around Momo. She looked up at Shinso and had a confused look on her face as did some of the other students.
“Well next time you feel the impulse to insert yourself in my business, don’t. Consider this a warning,” Shinso replied ominously. He looked over and met Kirishima’s eyes. Kirishima’s brows were drawn up in worry and concern. He had saved him a space on the couch next to him. Most of the students in the living area were looking at Shinso due to the exchange with Bakugo. He immediately felt the stares and became self-aware enough to realize the look on his own face was not a pleasant one. He took a deep breath, turned around, and headed for the door. He didn’t want to leave Kirishima in the lurch but his anger continued to grow and he didn’t want to draw any attention to Kirishima that could cause suspicion. He only hoped Kirishima wouldn’t follow after him because that would only garner additional attention.
Chapter 55: Bakugo & Shinso
Chapter Text
Bakugo
“Bakugo, what the hell did you do to Shinso?” Kaminari asked. “I haven’t seen him that pissed in a while.”
Momo whispered to Bakugo, “Did something bad happen in the kitchen with Shinso? Are you guys okay? I thought you both settled things earlier this week?” Bakugo sighed.
“No, it’s that stupid bitch Fujioka,” Bakugo whispered back to her. Momo’s face turned red at his words. He had to really work on his cussing, but it was so easy to let it fall out of his mouth and it helped lessen his anger. “sh*t. I better go talk to Shinso.” Kirishima rose from the couch. “Sit down, Kiri, or I’ll sic Recovery Girl on you.” Kirishima shot Bakugo an intense glare and continued walking towards the foyer. “Dammit!” Bakugo bellowed as he followed after him. Right before Kirishima got to the door, Bakugo grabbed his forearm. Kirishima moved his arm deliberately breaking Bakugo’s grasp.
“What the hell, man?” Kirishima said annoyed.
“I’ll go talk to him. I’m the one that pissed him off. You stay here. If you go and talk to him, it won’t do any good, he’ll still be mad at me.” Kirishima’s lips were pinched together and his red eyes were intense, a deep crease burrowed between his brows. He actually looked pretty pissed off Bakugo thought. He had not seen him like this in some time.
“What happened in the kitchen?” Kirishima asked folding his arms over his chest.
“His friend from gen studies was being a nosy bitch so I got involved where I shouldn’t have. I’ll take care of it and bring him back. Man, your boyfriend is high maintenance.” Kirishima’s mouth was now relaxed but his eyes still showed agitation. Bakugo bounded through the door and headed into the cool night.
Kirishima opened the door behind him and called out, “Bakugo!” He walked several steps up to him. “Before you head to Class C dorm, try the courtyard in front of the main building entrance. The one with the fountain. He may be there up one of the trees. If you’re not back in 20 minutes I’m going to head out to find him.”
*
Bakugo made it to the courtyard and scanned several of the treetops that surrounded the area. The wind had picked up a bit since the sunset and the trees rustled, their leaves and movement giving perfect camouflage for anyone hiding within them. Bakugo sighed. If Shinso was hiding, it wouldn’t be easy to find him. He had gone up against him enough times in training combat to know he was skilled at stealth and sneak attacks. He took several steps towards the fountain and stood there a few moments before thinking how stupid it was running after Shinso. Shinso was as stubborn as he was. If he didn’t want to talk to him, it wouldn’t do Bakugo any good trying to find him.
Suddenly Bakugo felt an object cover his mouth and pull him backward. He reflexively brought his hands up to his face to pull the object away, but then felt his hands being wrapped by a cloth of some sort. They were immediately pulled down and then he was wrapped by a large loop of cloth that expertly whipped around him, bounding his hands and forearms against his body.
Shinso
“People’s first reaction for having their mouths covered is to bring their hands to their face to remove it. Big mistake. Makes my job easy.” Bakugo turned towards Shinso’s voice, his eyes animated with hateful rage, his red irises dilated in anger. The ends of Shinso’s mouth curled up and he showed his teeth, but one could not call this expression a grin. It was too sinister.
“I like you better this way,” Shinso said, his white teeth glinting in the moonlight. “I don’t have to hear your obnoxious voice.” Bakugo immediately ignited his hands. “I wouldn’t if I were you. They installed a new security system today and I think it may have quirk detection. Momo would be super pissed if you miss the Formal because you got suspended for quirk misuse.” Bakugo extinguished his hands and bellowed several syllables that were unintelligible under the cloths. He threw his head back and looked into the heavens completely frustrated. Shinso yanked Bakugo towards him, causing him to stumble a bit. He glowered at Shinso, his eyes bombs of fury ready to ignite. Stepping closer to his bound quarry, Shinso stopped when he was 2 feet away from Bakugo, pulling the cloths taut as he went. Bakugo was fuming, body tense, as he tried to wriggle free, and looked like he would lash out at any moment despite his binds. Shinso knew if Bakugo put up enough of a fight, he could maneuver out of the cloths, then there would be a full-on brawl. “Stop. For a minute just be still and listen.” Bakugo glared at him, body bristling, but he relented, if only for a moment.
“Humiliating isn’t it? Embarrassing? To be patronized?” Bakugo shook his head, not to disagree with him, but to show he didn’t want any part of this conversation. So easy to read, totally transparent Shinso thought, Bakugo’s dramatic display was so over-the-top. “We’re even.” As Shinso said the two words, the fight suddenly went out of Bakugo’s eyes, but they were still angry. Shinso flicked the cloth and tossed it in the air, grabbing a piece further back and adding slack. He then deftly flicked it up and to his right. Bakugo’s hands were no longer bound. Shinso flicked the cloth again and added additional slack. Violently pulling the cloth from his face, Bakugo took a huge gulp of air and started to cough trying to catch his breath. His blistering anger combined with the cloths over his face probably had made it hard to breathe.
“You’re … you’re a …” Bakugo said between heaving breaths.
“Dead man?”
“Crazy son of a bitch.” Bakugo, still panting, walked a few feet and sat on a nearby bench.
“A week ago, you would have killed me for that,” Shinso said as he joined him, sighing as he sat.
After about 30 seconds Bakugo’s breath returned to a resting cadence. “A week ago, I wouldn’t have cared enough to get involved with your sh*t.”
“Awe. I didn’t know you cared,” Shinso said in a mocking tone.
“Don’t flatter yourself. Your sh*t is Kiri’s sh*t now so…” Bakugo shrugged.
Shinso leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and buried his head in his hands. He sighed heavily.
“What the f*ck is wrong with you now?” Bakugo said leaning back on the bench and staring at the back of Shinso’s head.
“Everything has gotten too complicated. My life was so much simpler a week ago.” Shinso’s voice came out muffled through his hands.
“Quit whining about it like a baby. What’s so complicated? The whole gay thing? Who cares, just live your own damn life.” The trees’ rustling picked up its intensity by the increasing wind. It sent a constant thrumming sound throughout the courtyard, like the continuous crashing of waves on a beach.
Shinso sat back up now and looked at Bakugo. His hair was disheveled due to his distressing on the bench, but now the wind continued to tousle it about. “That’s easy for you to say. How many gay pro-heroes do you know about? Ones that are in the top 50? Top 100? I’ll give you top 200, even.”
Bakugo thought about it a moment and then said, “In the top 10, you have Edgeshot.”
“No, you don’t. There are assumptions made about him and why he’s so private. He’s never said anything and it hasn’t been proven by the media digging into his life. If Kirishima comes out, it could hurt his chances at a big agency. His parents and my parents have had the same bullsh*t talks with us. He and I talked about it last night. The whole ‘we support you and love you, but keep your queerness hidden if you want to be a pro-hero’. It’s just the way it is. If Kirishima wants to stay at Fat Gum’s, then yeah, it doesn’t matter, but-”
“He wants to end up at Crimson Tower. The agency Crimson Riot founded.”
“One of the top 10 agencies in Japan. So yeah. It’s complicated. And Kirishima’s quirk!” At this point, Shinso stood up and started to pace in front of the bench. Slowly at first but he paced faster as he became more agitated. “This all may not even matter if he can’t be a hero due to his quirk screwing up. Not to mention if they can’t figure out what’s wrong with him, his health is in danger. And it’s so……” Shinso was gesturing wildly with his hands in front of him searching for words. “…..frustrating that Kirishima and I can’t be together in front of everyone! Like you and Momo or Midoriya and Ochaco.” His eyes met Bakugo’s. Bakugo stared at him at a loss for words; it was a strange thing to see. He seemed to be surprised at Shinso’s declarations and honestly Shinso was surprised by them, too. This was so very out of character for him. Shinso searched Bakugo’s face expecting to see smugness, irritation, or judgment. But it became neutral once the shock wore off. Shinso didn’t know what to think of it, but he continued. “So, you don’t know what this is like. And now with graduation ahead… I had plans, but that was before Kirishima. I don’t want to be on the other side of Japan separated from Kirishima in 5 months.”
Now Bakugo’s face changed. A bit of a smile played on his lips as he spoke. “You guys literally just started dating. You really think you’ll still be together in 5 months?”
Shinso’s mouth turned into a smirk. “You really think you and Yaoyorozu will still be together in 5 months?”
“If she’s smart, and seeing as she’s the valedictorian of the third years so that’s a big yes, I say ‘no.’”
“What about what you want Bakugo?” Shinso taunted.
“That’s none of your damn business.” Bakugo now grinned widely. “You and your ridiculous monologue. Losing your sh*t and talking all emotional. Everyone thinks you’re unfeeling and you don’t care. It’s not true. You just hide it. Props to you man, you even had me fooled until earlier this week.”
“You think you know everything,” Shinso stood still, arms crossed, staring at Bakugo. He exposed his soft underbelly to the last person he thought he would ever do so with. What was he thinking?
“I know what I saw at the gym,” Bakugo said, his tone quite serious compared to his previous statement. Touche’ Bakugo, Shinso thought. No reason to go on pretending with him now.
“You give me more credit than I deserve. The whole ‘giving a damn’ thing is a recent change,” Shinso said, looking down now at his feet, maybe because he felt a little ashamed he had not had this epiphany years previous.
“Ah. Kiri huh? Yeah. He has that effect on people. Makes them start thinking about others. Annoying as hell,” Bakugo replied, his voice growing a bit louder so he could be heard over the growing volume of the murmuring, wind-shook trees around them.
“I hate it. It’s easier to not care and just concentrate on your own goals. I feel like everything is completely out of my control now and I can’t stand it,” Shinso’s eyes still looked downward, the wind whipping around him, his indigo hair being blown in every direction.
“Well, this is what happens when you start giving a sh*t,” Bakugo said. “Try to hang up the whole control-freak thing, too, or you’ll be miserable.”
Shinso now looked at Bakugo. Both his arms were outstretched against the top of the bench. The wind seemed to have very little effect on his platinum tufts that barely moved with the gusts that ran over his body. “You’re a bigger control freak than I am, so I don’t know why you’re telling me this,” Shinso stated plainly.
“True, but I pick and choose when I’m controlling. And I’ve learned that things almost always go better when I give in. Learned that with Midoriya. Dealing with him and Kiri, well I just figured out there is a better way to do things. I don’t always follow that way, sh*t, I probably don’t even do it half the time. But I at least think about it.”
“I can’t believe you of all people are giving me advice on this,” Shinso said and then sighed, his mind a jumble of all his new worries and anxieties.
“Well from one asshole to another, your welcome,” Bakugo’s face was serious again. No mocking grin or smug smile. Shinso realized that the last 24 hours had been filled with so many experiences he would never have imagined a week ago.
“Shinso?” Kirishima walked into the courtyard, his hair whipping about wildly with the weather becoming more turbulent.
“We good, Black Eye?” Bakugo asked as he stood up.
Shinso nodded at him.
“He’s all yours Kiri. Be back before curfew,” Bakugo said to Kirishima as he walked towards him. He thrust his hands in his pockets and walked past Kirishima. Before he exited the courtyard, he turned and barked, “And no f*cking biting! You guys are morons! Don’t make my stunt in the kitchen be for absolutely nothing!” He bounded on towards the dorm.
“Stunt in the kitchen?” Kirishima asked confused.
“Oh, you don’t want to know….” Shinso replied unusually exasperated.
*
Shinso explained to Kirishima about the “show” Bakugo had put on for Fujioka so she didn’t suspect that Shinso and Kirishima were together. He told him that Bakugo and he were on friendly terms (yes he used that specific word) now having worked things out in the courtyard. The wind had settled down immensely and now just a gentle breeze meandered through the trees and around the two teens.
“Man, I wish I would have been there in the kitchen when it happened. I bet I would have thought it was kinda hot,” Kirishima said, brandishing a toothy grin.
Shinso ran a hand down his face as if trying to wipe the exasperated expression off of it. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”
“You’re fun to tease,” Kirishima’s grin became even wider. After a few moments, he got more serious. “You and Bakugo were out here for a while. I was worried you guys may have started fighting or something, so I came out to check on y’all.”
“Yeah, well nothing to worry about. I was pretty pissed but it’s fine now.” Shinso didn’t mention to Kirishima anything about the conversation he and Bakugo had. He was honestly surprised he had opened up to Bakugo. It didn’t make sense, but he realized it helped calm his anxiety. The idea that Bakugo could help calm anyone was sheer craziness but it had happened. “I’ll have a ton of sh*t I’ll have to deal with when I get back to my dorm in a few, I don’t even know what I’ll say. I guess I can tell the other students in C that Fujioka has lost her mind and she’s seeing things.”
Kirishima now wrapped his arms around Shinso’s chest and looked up into his face, “In a few? Are ya heading back already?” Shinso smiled and wrapped his arms around Kirishima now, pulling him into a hug.
“We should probably call it an early night. 30 minutes until curfew anyhow. It’s been a long day for you. And for me, too.”
Kirishima grumbled. While in their tight embrace, Shinso pressed his face into Kirishima’s hair. Shinso could smell the obvious tones of nature, a grassy musk, that clung to his red strands since he had been walking outside and the wind had whipped through it. But underneath that, he could make out Kirishima’s scent. Kirishima exuded the fragrance of earth. The scent made Shinso think back to the days when he was small and he would help his mother plant flowers in the backyard in the spring. It was the smell of freshly dug up, damp earth in the flowerbed. Shinso had noticed it last Monday night when he had leaned in to whisper to Kirishima in the class A living room when they were studying Calculus. He could smell the harsh fragrance of shampoo, assuming Kirishima had just showered, but underneath that was the scent of earth. Pure and nurturing and solid. It had to be his quirk Shinso thought because it was an odd aroma for a person to have but it fit him so perfectly. Shinso felt a tightness in his chest and a sensation as if his throat was closing up ever so slightly. He didn’t like it.
Kirishima let go, but Shinso wrapped his arms around him even tighter. Kirishima laughed. “Change your mind?” After several moments, Shinso reluctantly let go. As he separated himself from Kirishima, he didn’t expect him to grab his face and plant a kiss on his lips. Shinso smiled.
“If you start that now, I won’t leave,” Shinso whispered.
“Promise?” Kirishima said, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Shinso pushed Kirishima playfully towards the courtyard exit. After Kirishima pulled Shinso in for one last peck on the lips, they both left the courtyard walking in opposite directions. Shinso reassured himself this separation wouldn’t always be this way as he walked towards his dorm. He had to be patient.
Chapter 56: Shinso
Chapter Text
Shinso ran his pale, long finger up the length of the jagged scar on Kirishima’s chest. He no longer had to wear the monitoring equipment. It had been a week since his appointment and after testing out his quirk over the last week, it seemed Kirishima could now control it again. His body was now a blank canvas for Shinso to explore with no hindrance or worry. Kirishima was lying on his bed, illuminated by the warm, dim light coming from a small lamp in the far corner of his room. Shinso lowered his head to Kirishima's chest and laid lingering kisses down the scar, all breath and the gentlest of touches. Kirishima inhaled a quick, shaky breath, the kisses feeling ticklish against his skin. Shinso felt Kirishima’s hand on his head now, his fingers running through his hair. Pulling his head back, Kirishima languidly stretched in his relaxed state, exposing his neck, muscles tense and inviting. Shinso grinned and moved quickly, taking Kirishima by surprise as he ran his tongue up one of the faint scars on Kirishima’s neck. Kirishima gasped and with his hand that was still in Shinso's hair, he pulled him upward bringing their lips together in a tender kiss.As they kissed, Kirishima’s breathing quickened and Shinso's heart wildly hammered in his chest.
Suddenly Shinso felt a sharp pain against his bare right arm and the naked right side of his chest that was pressed against Kirishima. Shinso sat up and looked down, discovering his right side now bleeding faintly as if it was covered in hundreds of long paper cuts. He looked down at Kirishima’s horrified face. Kirishima’s skin looked normal, however. “Shinso?” Suddenly, the rocky crests of Hardening surfaced on his bare chest and arms. Shinso Brainwashed Kirishima immediately and told him to drop Hardening. To drop Unbreakable. Kirishima’s face hardened with layers of rock and his abdomen and legs followed suit. His eyes went from the glassy stare of Brainwash to normal. The change in his body was throwing him out of Brainwash, not that it was working anyhow. It should have broken it immediately but it didn’t. “NO!” Kirishima bellowed. The crests grew as they did before in the gym, but much more quickly. Now Kirishima struggled to speak like before, and he was no longer pulling in air to breathe. Shinso hovered over Kirishima, touching his face, neck, and chest, his eyes wide with fear.
“Kirishima, please! No!” Shinso tried to move his body to see if this would help, but he was immovable, his body rigid, unrelenting. A toppled statue. Shinso held Kirishima’s head in his hands, his body shaking in angry sobs. His fractured, stony eyes no longer moved. Shinso threw his fists down over and over again on Kirishima’s chest in a fit of hysteria. Blood spurted around them, chunks of torn flesh flew with every wet thud of Shinso’s punches on the jagged rocks of Kirishima’s chest. An inhuman and defeated scream escaped Shinso’s mouth as he grabbed Kirishima’s head, lifeless and cold, with the remnants of his destroyed hands.
Shinso’s eyes shot open and he sat up, his chest heaving in heavy pants. He was in his bed, his sheets clinging to his sweaty body. “Oh, God….” he gasped. It was a dream. It was only a dream he thought trying to calm himself. He felt around his sides trying to find his phone. As soon as he grabbed it, he immediately called Kirishima. After a few rings, an anguished cry escaped his mouth. It was a dream. Kirishima is fine, the rational part of his brain said. But Shinso would not heed its logic until he heard Kirishima’s voice. After several rings, the line picked up.
Shinso’s heartbeat raced in his ears and he held his breath.
“Shinso?” said the sleepy voice of Kirishima. Shinso could not form the words with his mouth. He took a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly to try and calm himself.
“Shinso?” The voice repeated, more serious and awake now.
“Yeah, I’m here. I…. wanted to check on you, to see if you’re okay.” Shinso barely whispered for fear anything above this would reveal his trepidation. A deep, gravelly chuckle sounded in his ear.
“It’s two in the morning…” Kirishima chuckled again.
“Are you wearing the heart monitor equipment?” Shinso asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice but failing miserably.
“Yeah. Of course. Recovery Girl sent over a whole bunch of the electrode pad things yesterday morning so I can have new ones daily. Try to get some sleep, okay?”
“Kirishima?”
“Yeah?”
“I….” Shinso wanted to tell him that he loved him. It was like a switch was flipped that second and this was now a part of his truth. Shinso could now relate to words like “desperate,” “woebegone,” and “heartrending” because he felt that way with Kirishima not being beside him at that moment. How did this happen? It had only been 5 days since the courtyard. 3 days since Gym Gamma. 2 days since the evening of the party and 14 hours since their first date. How could he feel this way towards Kirishima in such a short amount of time? He had never felt this way before about anybody. He honestly thought he wasn’t even capable of having these feelings, it was a shock to his system. The vulnerability terrified him and he realized he was stuck in his dorm because of the warning Aizawa gave him. He couldn’t grab his binding cloths and escape to Kirishima’s patio and knock on his door to lay his eyes on him for peace of mind. He had almost done this in the last week, sneak over with his cloths to see Kirishima, but he wanted him to rest and assumed he would have the opportunity to sneak over to Kirishima’s dorm once his prognosis with his quirk was good. He knew which dorm room was his from the outside of the building. He had known for quite some time. He wanted to keep Kirishima on the line, but he wasn’t ready to speak about the complicated feelings that were rushing through him. He had to make sense of them first. “Could you … tell me about one of the paintings you’re working on? In Art Class?”
There was a long silence and then Kirishima said hesitantly, “Yeah. But, do you really want to hear about this at 2 in the morning?”
“Please,” Shinso laid back down on his bed. He folded his free arm behind his head. He was exhausted.
“Which one?”
“It doesn’t matter, pick one,” Shinso said low and almost irritated. “Wait, the ink. Tell me about the one you are doing that uses the ink.” He remembered the grin that flashed across Kirishima’s face when he saw they had a whole case of the brand he needed half off.
“Okay…” Kirishima chuckled lightly again. Shinso could imagine him. Kirishima lying in his bed in the dark grinning at the absurdity of his request at 2 am. His voice, even more gravelly than normal due to being awakened in the middle of his sleep, rang in Shinso’s ear. “Okay, so the technique I’m using for the one canvas is called gouache resist, first you…”
As Kirishima continued to talk about his painting, Shinso listened more to his voice than he did to what he was saying. Shinso considered himself a connoisseur of voices due to his vocal cord apparatus he used for his quirk. He realized just then he had never duplicated Kirishima’s voice. Yet it was a voice as soon as he met him, he could always recall and remember distinctly. It seemed tied into Kirishima’s quirk somehow and his very being, the roughness and the raw quality about it. There wasn’t anything duplicitous in those tones. It was straight-forward and sincere.
With Kirishima still on the line, and his voice sounding in his ear, Shinso thought back to the previous day. Shinso and Bakugo were walking behind everyone since they didn’t want a part of any of the ridiculousness. But Shinso had watched Kirishima. Jumping, bounding, singing, pushing Kaminari on the shoulder and laughing. Using Sero’s shoulder as leverage to help himself jump higher to touch the flags in front of the Okura Act City Hotel, his cheeks slightly reddened from the cold air and his exertion. Kirishima had given his brown sweater to Mina earlier at the bus stop so he was wearing a red, long-sleeved top with slim cut, dark denim jeans, and old scuffed up red leather boots. It was sunny and his hair bounced around his shoulders reflecting golden tones in its loose waves. This. This is what he wanted in his mind. Not the nightmare visions. Not Gym Gamma. He needed these happy memories to push out the ones that haunted his brain now. Shinso’s mind was brought out of his daydream into the present as he concentrated on Kirishima’s voice again. Shinso smiled.
“… you don’t want to rinse off too much ink, because you’ll lose that ragged look, oh sh*t, Bakugo’s knocking on my wall,” Kirishima gave a low chuckle he barely heard. He had probably dropped the phone briefly. He heard faint knocking, probably Kirishima knocking back to Bakugo. What he wouldn’t give to be in the same dorm as Kirishima. He now had deep regret for not switching dorms when he joined the hero course. “He might explode into my room and kick my ass for waking him up.”
“Okay. I’ll let you go.”
“Shinso?”
“Yeah.” He realized his face was wet and his voice was thick and groggy.
“You okay?” asked Kirishima.
He wasn’t okay. He wouldn’t be okay until he was with Kirishima again. He wouldn’t be okay until the doctors confirmed Kirishima’s quirk was back to normal again. “Yeah. I’m fine,” he answered in an empty monotone.
“It’s Sunday, so we can spend the whole day together. Wanna meet here at 8 for breakfast? I promise I’ll be up and downstairs when you get here.”
“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning.” He hung up the phone. He laid in the dark the rest of the night falling asleep for short intervals of time and then he would awaken restless and anxious. Finally, at 5 am, he decided to take a shower and begin his day. He’d count down the minutes until 8.
Chapter 57: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Shinso slapped Bakugo’s outstretched hand away and pivoted to his right to create space. The two continued to move around each other, looking for an opening to grapple. They were sparring on a large mat in Gym Gamma, both barefoot and in their gym clothes. Momo didn’t know much about Judo and only hoped that no one would get hurt.
“So…. How do they win this thing?” Momo asked Kirishima, looking up from her history textbook. They both were sitting together a few feet from the end of the mat.
“Well, whoever has the most points after 5 minutes,” he replied.
“Do you know how the points work?”
“Uhhh. Sorta.” Kirishima tilted his head as if trying to access something deep in his memory. “I know the basic throws and that’s really it. Ippon are 1 point and waza-aris are half-points. I haven’t done any judo since grade school though so there are only a few moves I know that are worth an ippon,” Kirishima shrugged as he watched the match.
“Do you know what the score is?” Momo asked.
“Hey, Bakugo! What’s the score?” Kirishima bellowed. At that moment, Shinso had almost grabbed Bakugo in a headlock, but Bakugo had pushed forward through it, rolled, and was on his feet again in a flash.
“Shut up, sh*tty hair!” Bakugo snapped back loudly.
“1 to 1,” Shinso said low, Momo and Kirishima barely caught it.
Shinso lurched close to Bakugo and grabbed the back of the collar of his gym shirt but Bakugo swiftly turned and broke the grip. The two then stepped back away from each other to reassess.
“How much time left?” Momo asked.
Kirishima looked down at his phone. “20 seconds.”
“Kirishima. Let’s make a bet.” Momo’s face was serious.
He smiled at her. “Okay, I’m listening.”
“I bet Shinso will win. If he loses, I’ll cover your trash duty. If Bakugo loses, you’ll take mine. Which is this coming week by the way.” Any fewer duties the week before mid-terms the better she thought.
Kirishima grinned. “It’s on!”
After a few seconds, Bakugo grabbed Shinso by the collar of his gym shirt, turned away from him, and used his back and left shoulder as leverage to throw Shinso overhead. Shinso landed loudly on the mat, flat on his back.
Kirishima’s phone alarm went off immediately after. “That’s it! 2 to 1! I win!” Kirishima boomed loudly.
Momo sighed. She was really hoping to get out of trash duty the week before mid-terms. Shinso had made more attempts and seemed more aggressive with the sparring so she was thinking he would most likely win. Bakugo offered his hand to Shinso to help him off the floor. Momo saw Shinso’s chest heave in an obvious heavy sigh and reluctantly take the help offered. As the two approached her, she was glad they both seemed like they were in good moods.
The 4 of them had spent the morning together having breakfast and then studying before Bakugo reminded Shinso about their ‘rematch.’ Momo was surprised to see Kirishima down in the dining area so early on a Sunday, but when Shinso showed up at 8:00 sharp to find Kirishima already studying with her and Bakugo, she then realized why. After the match, they grabbed a quick lunch at the ramen shop Kirishima and Bakugo frequented on Sundays. Shinso departed from the group afterward to go for a long bike ride like he did every Sunday afternoon much to Kirishima’s disappointment. Road biking would definitely not be an approved activity for Kirishima in the eyes of both Shinso, Bakugo, and most-likely Recovery Girl so he returned with Momo and Bakugo to study back at the dorm. Unfortunately, the living and dining areas were quite loud, some of the members of 3A were not in the mood to study even with mid-terms less than a week away. The noise level immediately put Bakugo on edge, Momo saw his eye twitch and his lips curl in irritation. “We can study in my room then,” Kirishima offered.
*
Bakugo and Momo both sat cross-legged on the orange shag rug in Kirishima’s room comparing notes in their English notebooks. Kirishima had left several minutes before to get snacks for the trio, but Momo could tell he was over the whole studying thing after about an hour and he just really wanted a break. Momo looked over Bakugo’s shoulder at a loose-leaf sheet of paper he had in his hand.
“That’s Todoroki’s handwriting. November 3rd English notes? I missed that class, too, cause of work-study,” Momo said. Bakugo gave her a suspicious look.
“Wait your turn, Ponytail. I’m almost done. Although…. It would help my rank if you DIDN’T see these notes…” he said and then grinned his Cheshire cat grin. Momo looked away from him trying to appear disinterested and turned her attention back to her own notebook. After several seconds she shot her arm quickly under his left arm and grabbed Todoroki’s coveted paper of notes.
“Give it back!” he barked, but there was a tiny bit of humor laced in the harsh command. It was getting easier for Momo to read him now. He did have some subtleties apparently even though that idea seemed so strange. Momo held the paper by its corner, stretched her arm above her head, and leaned as far back as she could, trying to dangle it out of his grasp. His face was determined, his quest to retrieve what he wanted, his eyes focused on her hand and the paper, as he reached. Momo started to lightly laugh, her chest shaking, her intent gaze watching his face and trying to untangle the enigma he was. How was this face different than the one that had threatened the orchid card? It wasn’t, yet she knew he was playing around. His eyes were intense, brow furrowed, but his cheeks were flushed all of a sudden. Was it due to the proximity of their bodies after several hours of lack of contact? They had not kissed or even hugged since the night before due to their focus on studying, the judo match, and their usual Sunday activities. His mouth had a small smile, his thin lips not strained in a grimace or mischievous grin like they often were. Just enough of a smile to pull his lips out of their thoughtful or sulky pout, expressions he wore frequently as well.
Sensing her eyes on him, he dropped his glare from the paper and met her gaze. His brow softened and he leaned towards her, his slightly parted lips finding hers. She took a deep breath, caught off guard. He brought both his hands to her face; they felt enflamed against her cool cheeks and neck. She all but forgot about the paper, letting it go and lowering her hands to rest on Bakugo’s forearms. The paper floated down, landing on the carpet near Momo’s right leg, but Bakugo didn’t seem to notice either.
As they continued to kiss, Momo could not help to briefly open her eyes seconds at a time to steal glances of him. His brow relaxed, his eyes loosely closed, his forehead smooth, not lined with agitation. It was as if he was a different version of Bakugo. This one, eyes closed, was vulnerable. This one, face relaxed, was peaceful. This was the Bakugo from Wednesday night laying on top of Kirishima’s bed beside her, the very same room they were now kissing in. Was this version any less “him” than the cantankerous persona everyone was more accustomed to seeing? Could these fleeting glimpses be enough for her? Yes. They are enough she thought to herself.
Momo leaned away from Bakugo and laid back pulling him down towards her. Instead of immediately lowering himself down to kiss her, he stayed propped on an elbow and gazed into her face. He smoothed a piece of her side bang behind her ear and looked at her, his face still peaceful and relaxed. She couldn’t help but smile a bit, reveling in this side of him. “Momo.” He whispered her name in such a reverent tone she held her breath. His face suddenly shifted to an expression of seriousness, his brows pensive. “You’re…. a goddess,” he whispered. Momo, no longer smiled now, her face matching his earnestness. He ran two fingers over her cheek to her jawline gently. “You’re my Queen,” he whispered this even lower, his voice barely audible. Momo felt her face grow hot and her heart race. She laid there, unable to move. They stayed that way for several moments, Momo letting the shared intimate moment linger as long as possible. Bakugo was never still for long so soon he would get distracted and this special moment would be gone. She reached up and touched his face. Eventually, Bakugo glanced off to above Momo’s head. “Icy Hot’s notes. I think you need to be punished for trying to steal those.” And the tender moment was gone. Momo suddenly felt a little worried at what he meant by punishment. Bakugo quickly grabbed both of Momo’s wrists with his large, broad hand and pinned them over her head, and then started to tickle her, digging his fingers in her sides.
She started to laugh loudly, embarrassed because she felt this was very unladylike behavior, laughing so loud and raucously. “Stop! Stop it!” She managed to squeak out between laughs. Bakugo grinned widely. She tried to break her wrists out of his grasp but he wasn’t letting up.
“You’re super ticklish. That is so great to know.” His playful words were said in a more serious tone, laced with an ounce of menace, that would have sent a shiver down her spine if she wasn’t in the throes of forced laughter.
A loud knock sounded at the door. “Guys…. Um… can I come in? Y’all aren’t doing anything funny in there? Are you okay Momo?” Kirishima asked loudly from the other side of the closed door.
“It’s safe Kiri,” Bakugo laughed as he let go of Momo’s wrists. She quickly stood up, face red, hair disheveled, chest heaving with heavy breaths. She was trying to turn her face serious but still under the effects of being tickled, her mouth involuntarily curled up at the ends. Kirishima opened the door carrying a canvas bag filled with soda and snacks. He had a slightly worried look on his face as his eyes went back and forth between Bakugo and Momo. Momo grabbed a pillow off of Kirishima’s bed and hit Bakugo quite forcefully with it, sending feathers floating everywhere.
“Momo!” Kirishima said exasperated. “What’s gotten into you!?” Bakugo tried to grab the pillow from Momo, but not until she nailed him with another hit. He grinned devilishly as he gripped the pillow, Momo still holding the other end. Momo wasn’t sure what had gotten into her either.
*
At dinner downstairs, Momo had apologized profusely to Kirishima about his deceased pillow. Although Bakugo had also aided in its untimely demise as well. Kirishima shook his head, but couldn’t help to smile back at her. After the disbursem*nt of feathers all over Kirishima’s room after the pillow fight, Momo had immediately created a hand vacuum with her quirk and began to clean up the sad remains of Kirishima’s down pillow that were spread throughout every corner of his room. Before heading downstairs for dinner, she created him a new down pillow, with a pillowcase that matched his bedspread, with her quirk to make amends.
After dinner, it seemed the whole class, even Kaminari and Mina, all had their heads bowed down studying. The dorm was eerily quiet.
Chapter 58: Bakugo
Chapter Text
It was late evening and the atmosphere of the dorm common area was a tense one. Several students were sitting at the couches, books and notebooks open, pencils and pens moving feverishly. Momo, who was leaning against Bakugo, her knees drawn up underneath her sighed. “I think I’m going to turn in early. Just really tired,” she said. She leaned towards Bakugo and kissed him on the cheek. “Goodnight Katsuki,” she whispered in his ear before she pulled away from him and sat up. A light pink blush spread over his cheeks and he cleared his throat. Momo smiled at him as she pulled her backpack over her shoulder and as she walked out of the living room, she ran her hands through his hair briefly. Bakugo’s eyes met Midoriya’s, and the latter had a knowing smile on his face. Bakugo felt the blush on his face grow deeper.
“You want to die to death, Deku?” He rattled out, staring intently at Midoriya.
“If it means I don’t have to take the mid-terms, then yes, please,” he sighed running his hands vigorously through his green wavy hair as if he was trying to wake himself up. “I can’t even read words anymore, they’re all just a jumble.” Midoriya looked over to his left and saw Ochaco had fallen asleep.
“Hey, you didn’t carry the 4,” Bakugo tapped at the paper Kirishima was working on. Kirishima made a low irritated noise that was reminiscent of a wolf’s growl. He was beyond done.
“This sucks, I can’t get the right answer to work out!” Kaminari whined from the other couch. “Where the hell is Shinso? He’s good at Calculus.” Bakugo’s eyes fell on Kirishima. He had been surprised Shinso had not shown up in the dorm since his bike ride. He figured that Kirishima probably knew why, but he wasn’t going to offer it up to Kaminari. “Kirishima?” Kaminari called out. Kirishima suddenly looked a bit worried.
“Yeah?”
“Quit hogging Bakugo. Other people need help too, ya know,” Kaminari whined. Kyoka, who was sitting next to him, stretched her leg out and jabbed him in the thigh with her socked toes. “Owww…” he said lowly, giving her a dirty look, as he rubbed his leg.
“Bro, if you really want his help, by all means, take him,” Kirishima said annoyed. It was strange to hear his gravelly tones so downtrodden Bakugo thought. He was so upbeat and positive all of the time.
“Screw both of you. I’m going to bed,” Bakugo snickered.
“Okay, Grandpa. I swear you have the sleeping pattern of an 80-year-old,” Kaminari said.
Bakugo gathered his things and headed out of the living area. “Bakugo, wait,” Kirishima said as he ran up to him. He handed him a book. “Momo’s history book. She left it on the coffee table. She’d probably rather have you deliver it than me,” Kirishima said to him, his face still annoyed due to Calculus.
Bakugo took the book. “Chin up, Baby Shark. You’ll pass.”
“Well maybe I don’t wanna just ‘pass.’ It’d be nice to not be at the bottom of the class for a change,” Kirishima said. He walked back to the couch and flopped down, pulling his book back in his lap. Bakugo didn’t have the time, energy, or desire to make him feel better, but he knew he probably should. Maybe tomorrow. Of course, if Shinso were here, it wouldn’t be my problem, he could handle it. Bakugo wondered where he was. After Shinso’s overly emotional exclamations in the courtyard the night before he knew it wasn’t because he didn’t want to see Kirishima. Maybe it was just further deflection. If he was over at Class A dorm every afternoon until late evening people would start to become suspicious.
*
Bakugo stood in front of Momo’s door, book in hand, and found he was nervous. He was NEVER nervous, but she somehow managed to make him feel this way at times when they were alone together. He thought after the first few days of them dating those slightly frazzled and foreign buzzings that seemed to radiate from every nerve would die away. But they hadn’t and in some ways, it was even more intense now. He didn’t like it because he couldn’t help but feel weak because of it. Knock, you idiot. What the hell are you waiting for? he thought. The previous nights he had found himself in Momo’s room after walking her to her door for the night. As things slowly started to progress physically both nights, one of them had been in their right mind to stop things. Momo on Thursday and Saturday night and Bakugo on Friday night. They reminded the other they had time and to not rush things. To wait. But tonight, he worried. What if neither of them had the will to slow down the growing eagerness they both felt?
The door suddenly swung in away from him even though he had not yet knocked. Momo stood there in purple silk pajamas, her hair down from its usual ponytail, the black thick locks hung heavy, framing her face. Why’d she have to wear purple? he thought miserably to himself. Her dark brown eyes almost looked black due to the lighting and the effect the color purple had on them when she wore it. Wearing that specific hue seemed to take the warmth from the soft brown and caused her eyes to exude a steely resolve, like her countenance on the battlefield. The class seemed to often forget how different Momo could be when she was a pro-hero away from the domesticities of dorm and school life. It was a side of her that Bakugo had deep respect and awe for, although he would never show it or speak of it.
“How did you?” Bakugo started to ask, wondering how she knew he had been standing at her door. But before he could finish the question Momo had her arms around his neck and her lips had quieted his question. As Momo kissed him, both arms wrapped tightly around his neck, Bakugo held on to the doorjamb with his left hand like a lifeline. He dropped the book from his grasp and wrapped his other arm around her waist and pressed her against him. Momo’s breathing hitched, her mouth opening slightly against his mid-kiss, while Bakugo inhaled a deep and shaky breath through his mouth. As her lips pressed into his again, he felt his face flush and his willpower begin to wan. Don’t let go of the doorjamb…. The soft, slickness of the fabric of her pajamas, her breath warm and sweet billowing around his face, her hands finding their way to the back of his head and running through his hair. His senses were all being overloaded and he knew they were edging towards dangerous territory.
“Momo,” He whispered between kisses. She continued to kiss him, so this time he leaned back letting go of her. “Momo.” She looked up into his face, her expression intense, her lips dark pink, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. He leaned over and picked up her book off the floor. He handed it to her and she took it from him, a confused look on her face. He leaned in and quickly kissed the tip of her nose and whispered, “Good night.”
“Stay. Just for a few more minutes,” Momo said in a whisper, her face serious, her eyes dark and determined.
Shaking his head at her, he smiled impishly, and she smiled back at him giving a sigh of defeat. He turned and bounded down the hall. Luckily he was wearing his trainers, he barrelled through the stairway door, ran down the stairs, and bolted out the backdoor into the chilly night. A quick run would clear his mind. He had to shift his thinking to the mid-terms this week. He always had Momo on his mind and felt he had wasted so much time the previous week, that he could have been studying, with daydreams of her. He wanted to give in to those thoughts and to spend time with her, time that didn’t have their noses in books. But this was also the second to last time he could get the top spot for the mid-terms. And oddly enough she was his biggest obstacle to beat. As he ran on the sidewalk and started to increase his speed, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of resentment towards her, and then he pushed that feeling away, ashamed. “What the hell is wrong with you, man,” he whispered under his breath. He started thinking about the last page of history notes he looked over as he continued to sprint.
Chapter 59: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
The next morning as Momo headed to the kitchen fully dressed in her uniform, she found Iida, Todoroki, and Bakugo talking to each other in low tones, comparing notes, and writing in their notebooks. Momo grabbed rice and miso soup and joined the focused group of studiers who had already finished their breakfasts.
“My November 3rd notes are all wrinkled…” Todoroki commented as he opened his three-ring binder to add the paper back.
“That’s Momo’s fault,” Bakugo said with a grin.
“Sorry, Todoroki,” Momo said. Todoroki shrugged.
Kirishima came through the stairway door by the kitchen all smiles, a huge difference from his demeanor the night before. He was dressed in his uniform, his hair pulled back in a low ponytail, and his frayed and battered backpack on his back, ready for the school day, which was unusual for him. He was notoriously tardy.
“Hey, guys! Starting early, huh?” he said, standing over them at the end of the table.
“Hmmmm,” Iida replied in a half-hearted affirmative, his eyes intently going over Bakugo’s notes. Even Iida was now consumed with the mid-term studying fervor.
The front door to the dorm opened loudly and in walked Shinso. He sauntered over to where they were sitting, face impassive, hands in pockets, eyes downcast. Momo watched Kirishima. He was absolutely adorable. He was trying his hardest to not look over at Shinso, who was walking in their direction. Kirishima’s fingers twitched, his whole body seemed charged with a sudden burst of energy as soon as the front door opened and he was trying his best, and failing, to suppress it. He reminded Momo of an over-sized puppy who was too excited to see their human after a long day separated. Shinso on the other hand was the complete opposite. He walked slowly in lithe, silent steps using the least amount of energy, very efficient, and the rest of his body nimbly followed with a smoothness and simple grace. He reminded Momo of a cat.
Shinso was about 10 feet from the table when Kirishima lost all control. He took 4 large steps and jumped at Shinso, wrapping his arms around Shinso’s neck and almost knocking him over. Shinso stumbled backward a couple of steps and then wrapped his arms around Kirishima’s chest. They stood locked in their embrace; Momo could hear Kirishima’s muffled low voice but couldn’t make out what he said or see his face, but she saw the ends of Shinso’s mouth curl up slightly.
Iida glanced at them, looked away reflexively, and then did an intense double-take back, his bright blue eyes bulging behind his glasses. He then looked across the table at Momo questioningly. Momo nodded with a smile. Todoroki glanced at the two embracing figures and then back at Iida’s Calculus notes, the expression on his face unchanging. Bakugo sighed. “They’re supposed to be keeping it a secret, but they’re idiots,” Bakugo said not looking up, as he quickly added notes from Todoroki’s paper to his own notebook.
“Well, I guess mum’s the word then…” Iida said looking back over at Kirishima and Shinso and then back at his book.
“Won’t matter if you keep your trap shut if those two aren’t gonna be careful,” Bakugo said. He then turned towards Kirishima and Shinso. “Black Eye! sh*tty Hair! Knock it off! All you need is Pinky coming down here and seeing that and then the whole school will know by noon today.”
Kirishima finally let go of Shinso and the two of them dropped their backpacks off at the table.
“You guys are the only ones downstairs and I know Iida and Todoroki will keep things quiet, right guys?” Kirishima asked.
“Sure thing, Kirishima. I’m the soul of discretion,” Iida said seriously, nodding for emphasis.
Kirishima grabbed Shinso by the hand and they walked to the kitchen to grab breakfast.
Todoroki looked up from his notebook, a confused expression on his face. “What?” he asked.
Momo reached across the table and patted his hand. “Don’t worry about it,” she said.
*
The school day was filled with study guides, expectations for the mid-terms from teachers, and the stress every student felt at UA radiating forth with the dreaded mid-term week now in full swing. Momo noticed Bakugo had become increasingly more quiet and irritated as the day progressed. He had missed a lot of school due to his work-study at the beginning of term and he seemed to be frustrated with having to look at or borrow other’s notes because most likely they weren’t as detailed as he liked. Momo had a photographic memory so she didn’t take very detailed notes for that reason and Bakugo learned early in their school career together she was a lousy note-taker by his standards. He never asked to see her notes for that reason. Last period was PE and Cementoss took pity on the class and let them do whatever they wanted. Bakugo went on a solo run and when class was over, Momo noticed he didn’t return to the gym. When she returned to the dorm with most of the other students, she saw him already sitting at one of the dining tables studying.
She sat next to him and opened her backpack and started taking out her books and binders. Bakugo didn’t look up at her. They studied in silence for several minutes until they were joined by Shinso. He sat across from Momo and nodded at her. She looked at him questioningly, “Where’s Kirishima?” she asked.
“He’s getting those stress tests done so that the quirk specialist can evaluate them on Wednesday. Aizawa-sensei is with him incase his quirk acts up,” Shinso replied in a deep monotone.
“Black Eye. What was your score on the finals last spring?” Bakugo asked, staring across the table at Shinso.
“The black eye’s gone now so you should probably call me something else. I suggest Shinso if you want me to actually reply,” Shinso said in a tiresome tone. Momo cringed. Bakugo wasn’t in the mood for any kind of pushback. Why was Shinso in such a bad mood she wondered? He never seemed to care about Bakugo’s silly nicknames before.
“Excuse the hell outta me. Shin. Your score?”
“1230.” Momo was surprised. That was only about 20 points under Bakugo’s. 10 over Iida’s.
“Novel notes from September 12th. Lemme see ‘em,” Bakugo said. Shinso studying with Class A had been a recent thing due to Kirishima and she never heard Bakugo ask him for notes. He only ever asked Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya. She assumed his score must have met Bakugo’s standards. Everyone in class A had no issues sharing notes when asked due to their work studies and how every member of the class missed classes sometimes as often as several times a month.
“Sure. If you say please,” Shinso said his face serious. Momo’s stomach lurched. This wouldn’t end well.
Bakugo smirked, looking down at his books, and shook his head not making eye contact with either Shinso or Momo. He grabbed his books and notebooks, aggressively threw them in his backpack, and pushed himself away forcefully from the table, causing the chair to make a dreadful scraping noise on the tile floor. He stood up and bounded towards the stairway door, going up to his room presumably. Momo stared at Shinso who was looking down at the table, body still and his face devoid of any emotion. After several seconds he looked up at her.
“Mad at me?” he asked her, his face inscrutable. Was this supposed to be a teasing question for her? Accusatory? Or was it truly innocuous and he was just curious? Whereas Bakugo was difficult to read at times because he rarely hid anything and it was hard to discern more subtle emotions through the anger and/or sarcasm, Shinso was the opposite. Momo still didn’t know if he hid his emotions or lacked them at any given moment. He was impossible to read most of the time.
“Why would I be mad? Yours was a simple and reasonable request. I just don’t know why you were egging him on. I’m sure even you could tell he was in a bad mood,” Momo said. Shinso didn’t answer. “Why are you in a bad mood?” she dared to ask. She never really interacted much with Shinso since they were both introverted, Shinso much more than she was. But his interaction with Bakugo revealed he wasn’t his normal aloof self.
“What makes you think I’m in a bad mood?” His indigo eyes were more tired than usual which gave a hardness to his expression since his mouth was resting and didn’t aid in softening his face.
“I’m guessing,” Momo said matter-of-factly. She suspected he was, but who knew with Shinso?
“I’m not in a bad mood. I’m just…. Nevermind. It’s fine. I didn’t mean to run Bakugo off.” He sighed and closed his eyes. She watched him for several moments sitting there with his eyes closed. Maybe…
“You’re worried about Kirishima,” Momo said. It wasn’t a question.
He opened his eyes and looked at her. He gave her a barely perceptible nod. Moments later Kaminari plopped down in the chair next to Shinso.
“What’s up, guys? Ya gonna do a study session tonight, Yao-momo?” Kaminari asked.
Momo nodded. “At 5:00 before dinner in Aizawa-sensei’s classroom.”
“Want help?” Shinso asked.
Momo smiled, “That’d be great.”
*
The study session was very productive and it was one of her biggest turnouts yet with over 20 students. Kirishima showed up half-way through, looking quite pale and had a sheen to his skin as if he was sweating slightly despite the chilly day. He sat in the front row in one of the few seats available. After the session ended, the students were more than eager to leave the room for dinner at their respective dorms. Kirishima stayed seated in the front row, waiting for the room to clear out while Shinso was waiting at the back of the room. Momo had packed up her things and was straightening up some of the desks. With Mina, Kaminari, and Ojiro finally leaving it was just the three of them now.
Shinso walked over to Kirishima and sat next to him staring into his face. “What happened? You look terrible,” Shinso said in almost a whisper that Momo barely caught.
Kirishima smiled weakly. “Well thanks, nice to see you, too,” he answered back with a chuckle that didn’t sound 100 percent Kirishima.
Momo walked towards them and sat on the desk on the other side of Kirishima.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Everything’s fi-“
“Don’t say everything’s fine,” Shinso interrupted.
“I just got sick a few times during the stress test, since I haven’t exercised for almost a week and I’ve gotten out of shape. I had to run on a stupid treadmill at a constant high heart-rate and got really nauseated.”
“Your quirk?” Momo asked him.
“It never activated. I’m fine, guys. Really,” Kirishima answered. Shinso ran a hand down his face, but he didn’t say anything. The trio walked back to the dorm. Momo and Kirishima talked about class that day and Shinso followed behind them silently.
Throughout dinner and afterward until bed-time Bakugo never came downstairs. Momo had texted him when dinner was ready, but he never answered. She texted him about Kirishima, worried about Kirishima getting sick during the stress test and she found it odd because a week of inactivity should not have caused that reaction. Still no reply. Momo went to bed feeling anxious. She hoped Bakugo’s behavior was rooted in his stress about the mid-terms and not something to do with her. But what if it was her? Sunday night she had wanted him to stay in her room, just a little longer, and he had abruptly left. Was she not what he had hoped? Was she too inexperienced for him? Too boring? Was he already done with her? As she laid in bed she couldn’t help but feel the anxiety settle in her stomach in a huge sickening knot.
*
Tuesday morning at breakfast he never came down. When Momo arrived at homeroom he was already at his desk, books in front of him deep into whatever he was studying. He didn’t look up at her. Her heart started to race as she approached his desk.
“Hey,” she said to him in greeting.
“Hey,” he answered, not looking up. She stood there awkwardly for several moments and walked to her desk at the back of the room.
She didn’t approach him the rest of the day. He never even glanced at her through all their classes. She pushed down her feelings of hurt and anger and tried her best to concentrate and study. After 7th hour he disappeared and wasn’t seen in the dorm common area all afternoon and evening. Momo had another study session and Kirishima had mentioned he had dropped by Bakugo’s room and found him studying and not very responsive so he left him to his own devices. Momo made it to her room around 9:00. She closed the door quietly behind her and slung her heavy backpack off her shoulder onto the floor. Her gaze fell upon the corkboard above her desk. Several drawings he had given her over the last 10 days were displayed. And the orchid card. She crawled into her bed without changing her clothes and began to sob until sleep mercifully took her.
Chapter 60: Wednesday Morning
Chapter Text
Yaoyorozu
Momo awoke and immediately felt the dread creep in before she remembered why she felt this way. She glanced at her alarm clock and saw she woke up ten minutes before it was supposed to sound. She felt anger creeping in to take up the sadness she had felt the previous night. Momo wasn’t used to feeling anger. It was a trait she felt was rather wasteful in the long run and ended up hurting the person who felt it much more than the subject who stirred up the feeling of resentment. But she couldn’t help but feel the rage start to simmer within her. Bakugo had been a bad influence she thought because who better wielded such a pointless emotion.
She would prioritize studying and give Bakugo a wide breadth. She would live her life like she did previous to his asking her to the formal. Her mind should be on the mid-terms this week anyway. It was time to embrace rational thought to get through the week and to push all her hurt feelings down deep inside her. But she would keep the slight rage simmering on the back burner. She thought that this would keep her sadness at bay.
Bakugo
Wednesday morning Bakugo was the first one down. He spread his books out on the table and got to work. He was almost done collecting the notes from the missing days of his work-study. The front door to the dorm opened loudly, but Bakugo didn’t turn his head. He didn’t hear the steps walking up but he heard the faint rustle of clothing as Shinso made it to the table and then sat down next to him. He unzipped his backpack, retrieved several papers, and placed them in front of Bakugo. “I got your surprisingly polite text last night about my notes. English for October 14 and 15. Hero course notes for October 23.”
“Thank you,” Bakugo said under his breath.
“You’re welcome,” Shinso replied with a smirk.
“Kiri coming down early?”
“Probably not. I bet he’s sleeping still. He was up most of the night. We texted back and forth quite a bit. He’s worried about the appointment today. He quit replying around 3 am so I’m guessing he finally fell asleep.”
“You sleep?” Bakugo asked as he quickly copied Shinso’s notes.
“No. But I’m used to running on empty.”
Bakugo looked at Shinso, “Maybe, but you look like sh*t. Like worse than normal.” Shinso shrugged. Todoroki and Iida came downstairs together, Iida talking quite emphatically concerning Ahane-sensei not covering nuclear power plant meltdown evacuations as thoroughly as she could have. They both grabbed breakfast, Iida never pausing his rant and Todoroki nodding every 15 seconds or so. They joined Shinso and Bakugo who were both studying in silence.
Shinso
“Where’s Momo?” Iida asked after he finished his breakfast and started unpacking his backpack of books. He had directed the question at Bakugo, but he didn’t answer or look up.
“Maybe she’s sleeping in? She’s been heading those study sessions and she seemed pretty tired last night,” Shinso said after Bakugo didn’t answer.
“Hmmmm,” Iida answered seeming to not be convinced by Shinso’s excuse. Kyoka and Koda walked through the stairway door, followed by Ochaco and Midoriya. Soon it was 7:30 and the kitchen and dining area began to fill with students. By 7:45 most the students were headed out towards homeroom. Shinso stood up and paced a bit in the kitchen by the stairway door after Kaminari and Mina ran out towards class at 7:50. Shinso sighed and headed up to Kirishima’s room.
He slowly opened the door and found Kirishima in his bed snoring. His blankets were a mess, one of them wrapped around one of his legs, he was lying on his stomach his arm hanging off the side of the bed, his bare back rising and falling with his shallow breaths. He looked pale and Shinso wondered if it was possibly just because he was sleeping. He sat on the orange rug, his back against the bed, Kirishima’s arm hanging a few inches from his shoulder. After homeroom, first hour was Japanese and they were going over the study guides. Shinso already had his filled out and he could share his answers with Kirishima. It would look strange both of them not showing up to class though. Skipping class rarely ever happened at UA. Screw it Shinso thought. He had been keeping some distance from the dorm and Kirishima recently to deflect any suspicion but he was growing tired of it. He would let Kirishima sleep. He suddenly got two texts almost at the same time from Momo and Bakugo about where he and Kirishima were a little after 8:00. He texted them both back saying Kirishima had slept in and not to worry. He closed his eyes, leaned his head back, and listened to Kirishima’s even breathing. He started to feel sleepy.
He heard Kirishima’s breathing change and before he turned to look behind him, he felt the bed move behind him and felt an arm wrap around his neck. “This is a nice surprise,” a gruff voice sounded in his ear.
Shinso shivered at the tickling sensation of Kirishima so close to his ear and neck. “Well, I have another surprise for you. It’s 8:20,” Shinso said nonchalantly.
“What!?!” Kirishima sat up, causing the whole bed to shake. “Why didn’t you wake me?!”
“I thought you could use the sleep.”
Kirishima leapt out of bed and took 3 large steps over to his chest of drawers and opened the top drawer. He looked over at Shinso who was now standing up and staring at him, a coy smile on his face. Kirishima’s face went beet red. He reflexively moved his hands in front of himself trying to shield his lower abdomen from Shinso’s eyes. Kirishima was only donning a pair of rather low rise, white briefs.
“Well, I’m more of a boxers kind of guy, but tighty-whiteys are old school so I can’t argue with the choice,” Shinso said with a sly grin.
Kirishima
“Out!” Kirishima now pushed Shinso out of his room his expression serious. Shinso laughed. A very free and ringing kind of laugh. Kirishima had never heard this noise escape Shinso’s mouth, but he was too embarrassed to reflect about it at the moment. Once Shinso was ejected from his room, he swiftly closed the door and locked it. Kirishima quickly started to pull clothing out from his drawer. Shinso was STILL laughing outside his door. Kirishima couldn’t help but grin now.
“Seriously? You change completely butt naked in the boys’ locker room in front of everybody. Yet now you’re modest all of a sudden?” he heard Shinso say through the closed door.
“It’s different now. And you were totally ogling me,” Kirishima chuckled as he pulled a white tank on over his head.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Why is it different now though? Because of us going out? So you’re going to change in a private stall now for PE?” Kirishima knew Shinso was grinning ear-to-ear and he was sad he was missing it.
“No, of course not. It’s just different with you in my room,” Kirishima pulled on green uniform pants and then a white dress shirt. He then unlocked his door.
“May I come in? Are you decent?” Shinso asked in an overly formal tone, followed by a deep chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah,” Kirishima was buttoning his shirt feverishly. Shinso opened the door and walked back into the room, a smile on his face.
“So, if I was Bakugo, you wouldn’t have cared being seen in your underwear?”
“Yeah, It happens all the time, no biggie with Bakugo. Crap I skipped a button,” Kirishima undid two buttons and then corrected his mistake.
“I see,” Shinso said in a patronizing tone.
“My reasons are lost on you,” Kirishima said with a smile as he shoved his now socked feet into worn dark red loafers. Kirishima had a feeling about Shinso that things probably had moved rather fast with his former girlfriends and boyfriends. Kirishima was new to all of this so wanted to take things at a snail’s pace. He only hoped Shinso wouldn’t become bored with him.
“You know you don’t have to freak out about being late to class. I’ll give you my study guide to copy. That’s all the class will be doing this morning anyway,” Shinso said. Kirishima was tucking his shirt into his pants. “What time is your appointment?”
“3,” Kirishima replied. He pulled a uniform jacket from his closet, put it on quickly, and then grabbed a brush and ran it through his hair. He then quickly tied it off in a low ponytail. Shinso started putting books in Kirishima’s worn backpack. The room had gotten suddenly quiet and it unnerved Kirishima. The appointment had been an albatross staring him down all week long.
“Wait,” Shinso said. He grabbed a red tie that was draped over a lampshade in the corner of Kirishima’s room. Kirishima sighed as he pulled up the white collar of his shirt. Shinso placed the red tie around the neck of Kirishima’s white shirt and started to tie the tie. Kirishima looked up into his face as Shinso was looking down concentrating on the task at hand.
“Hmmm. This is trickier trying to tie someone else’s. I almost got it,” Shinso said as he slightly bit his lower lip in concentration. Kirishima felt the tightening knot in his stomach again and smiled. The two quickly headed to class. Kirishima walked in late for Japanese but Shinso decided to skip and join everyone second hour thinking it would draw less suspicion.
Chapter 61: Yaoyorozu & Kirishima
Chapter Text
Yaoyorozu
Momo did not join her fellow classmates for breakfast. She settled for a granola bar from her snack cache in her room and made her way to class early, leaving through the backdoor at the bottom of the stairwell. She noticed Shinso and Kirishima were not present when the homeroom bell rang, and she normally would have been worried due to Kirishima’s present health concerns, but the fact that Shinso was most likely with him made Momo feel better. She texted Shinso and he texted back almost immediately that Kirishima had slept in. Momo smiled and shook her head as she read his text. She was beginning to have a soft spot for Shinso. He was a very different person than the persona he offered up to the world, much like Aizawa-sensei. He had helped her at the last 2 study sessions and his affection for Kirishima was strong. Since she knew the truth about them she could pick up on all the little ways he showed this. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach because these thoughts made her think of Bakugo. She glanced ahead 3 seats in front of her where she could see his spikey blond hair peak out above Midoriya’s head. Push it away, Momo. Let it go, she told herself.
*
When she arrived at combat training, Aizawa announced the class would work on some drills, pretty standard work. It was like a HIIT workout but with some mild obstacle courses to break things up. He seemed to be letting them have it easy since it was the week before mid-terms. Or so she thought. After they dressed in their gym clothes, as the rest of the class lined up to run the drills, Aizawa called out.
“Ashido, Shinso, and Yaoyorozu.” The three students walked up to him, confused looks on their faces. “I have something special for you three. Follow me,” Aizawa said, a sad*stic grin spreading across his face before he turned away from them and walked towards the gym doors. As they walked outside Momo looked up at Shinso and asked, “Do you know what this is about?”
Shinso had a grim expression on his face as he answered. “I think this has something to do with the match-making with Ahane-sensei.”
“Oh, sh*t,” Mina whispered. “We’re screwed.”
“No good deed goes unpunished,” Shinso said dryly.
*
Over the next 40 minutes, the trio underwent what Momo could only describe as some sort of pro-hero, dystopian, disaster bootcamp. Running blindfold with kettlebells up hills, crawling through the mud under barbed wire dragging a dummy behind them, swimming laps (in their gym clothes) across the 50-meter pool but with a vortex of death churning at the bottom. Momo thought for sure she was going to drown after the 5th lap. Then running through a minefield and being chased by Hound Dog’s trained canines at the same time. After 40 minutes the trio threw themselves on the grass in front of Aizawa-sensei who looked down upon them with a demented smirk on his face.
“You survived. Good job. The rest of the class will be starting this new program next week. You three were my guinea pigs so I know where to tone it down a bit so it flows better and isn’t too difficult. See Recovery Girl for those cuts and scrapes. And for the dog bite Mina. Dismissed.” He turned away from them and walked towards Gym Gamma, his hands in his pockets, shoulders slightly hunched forward.
“He’s insane!” Mina whined as she rubbed her bottom.
“I’m already sore. I can’t imagine what we’ll feel like in the morning,” Momo said.
“I’m training one-on-one with him next hour for PE, rip me,” Shinso said in a deadpan that echoed Aizawa’s.
Kirishima
Kirishima sat on the examination table feeling like he was 5 years old again. He was donning a hospital gown and was patiently (or not so patiently) waiting on the results of recent blood work they had just taken. He sat alone in the room thrilled his parents weren’t there. His mother was prone to babying him quite a bit since he was the youngest in their family and this was already mortifying enough as it was. One of the perks of being an “adult” was he didn’t have to let his parents know what had happened, although Kirishima didn’t feel like an “adult” due to still being in high school. He had taken a bus to the appointment and Aizawa would drop by later so he could test out his quirk under Aizawa’s supervision in case things went south and Erasure was needed. Kirishima hoped everything would go well and he could return back to living his life. He had missed lifting, running, combat course, PE, and he was tired of Shinso and now Momo worrying about him. Bakugo had been flying solo the last 2 days probably due to the mid-term stress so Kirishima didn’t have to deal with his pestering as well although he had talked to him briefly due to some texts Bakugo received from Momo. Bakugo being more anti-social than normal had worried Kirishima. Normally he would have inserted himself in Bakugo’s business but today’s appointment had taken up a lot of his own worry the last 2 days. He felt like a bad friend and would make it a point to see what was going on with Bakugo once he got back to the dorm.
Dr. Watabe walked in along with Aizawa-sensei who had just arrived. Known as Squidman, the Squidirific Hero, when he was a young pro-hero, Dr. Watabe was friendly and easy to talk to. Although he was humanoid in body, his head was large, broad, and reminiscent of a squid or octopus. His skin was a dark orange that had the appearance of supple leather. His face housed a flat wide nose, a human-like mouth, and bright blue eyes that exuded a child-like excitement belying he was middle-aged. Although bald, he had several tentacles that spilled over his shoulders giving him the appearance of having long hair.
“So Kirishima, I have a few more questions for you and I hope you don’t mind your teacher being here. I wanted to see you activate your quirk and thought it would be wise for Aizawa to be here in case your quirk acts up. I hope that’s okay.” Kirishima nodded.
“Great! So I’m looking at the food log you filled out with the things you’ve been eating daily. I wanted to specifically ask you if you drank or ate any supplements in the last couple of weeks? Energy drinks, protein powders or gels, pre or post workout supplements, anything like that?”
“Um. Yeah. Like, all of those things. I quit the energy drinks though after Recovery Girl gave me the list of things I couldn’t have.”
“But the other supplements? Do you mind writing down the list of anything you’ve taken? Specifically, in the last week.”
Kirishima took a sheet of paper and a pen from the doctor and wrote down everything he could think of. In the last week, he had only drunk protein shakes but leading up to the events in Gym Gamma the week before he had quite a list going and could hear Bakugo chiding him in the back of his mind. Bakugo would always bark at him about taking too many supplements and to just get nutrients and minerals naturally from foods.
When he was done, he handed the paper to Watabe. Now it was time for him to activate Hardening and he had been dreading this for a whole week. He stood up in the middle of the room and Watabe gave him the go ahead. Kirishima activated his quirk and felt the ridges on his skin build. He only put on a simple layer and didn’t build upon it. He felt his face go rigid and his limbs became slightly heavier than usual. Everything felt like it should. Dr. Watabe nodded at him to drop Hardening. The ridges on his arms and legs retracted, and he felt his face become more malleable and less rigid. His skin was now smooth and “normal.” He sighed in relief. “Okay, let’s try a thicker level of Hardening,” Dr. Watabe said in an encouraging voice. Kirishima nodded. He put on a mid-level Hardening, similar to what he had used in the accident to save the little boy a few days previous. He couldn’t help to keep his heart from racing, one heavy layer and then he built an additional mid-sized layer. He heard the familiar sound of his quirk, like large rocks tumbling down a quarry, the smell of Earth emitting from his skin, the increase in his body temperature when he activated his quirk. He ran around 99.9 degrees when he was in his hardened form. It felt good to finally activate his quirk. Building it up was never the issue though was it?
“Okay, Kirishima. You can drop your quirk.”
He held his breath and would have closed his eyes but he couldn’t in this hardened of a form, his eyelids didn’t function this built up. 3,2,1 and…. He felt the dread spread throughout his body, almost like it was some other body altering quirk he was now able to yield. He felt ill.
“Kirishima?” Aizawa called to him.
Kirishima turned and looked at Aizawa. “I can’t.”
Aizawa shook his head and his eyes went scarlet, his black hair floated up. Kirishima felt his hardening quirk diminish in seconds until his skin was normal again.
“Dammit….” Kirishima whispered under his breath.
“You didn’t cancel it in the alleyway on Saturday did you?” Aizawa asked him. Kirishima saw no point in lying now.
“No. I lied about it.” It was a relief to admit it finally, but he felt awful. And the disappointing look Aizawa shot him didn’t help with his guilt. Dr. Watabe shifted in his standing position awkwardly.
“Gentlemen, I’m going to check and see if the bloodwork is back. Kirishima, the police department has a warrant to look at your results, but I still felt uncomfortable with it. I’d feel better with your verbal consent. Can Aizawa, under police jurisdiction along with being your teacher look at your lab results and share that with Musutafu PD?”
Kirishima had no idea what they were talking about. “What? A warrant? Am I in trouble?”
Aizawa put his hand on Kirishima’s shoulder. “I think your issues might stem from an illegal drug similar to one called Trigger that was manufactured and used several years ago in Naruhata. This last week there have been strange cases of quirk issues and the police are finally piecing them together. I think someone is lacing consumables with this Trigger-like drug in the community. They finally have a blood test for this specific strain so we’re going to check for it in the blood drawn today and the blood work Recovery Girl drew from you last week as well. You’re not in trouble. I just think you were unlucky. I think the culprit might be the products at the supplement store.”
Kirishima had heard about Trigger. This drug would cause people’s quirks to be severely altered, enhanced to the extreme. It would also cause people to go into a euphoric and crazed state, becoming violent and destructive. Kirishima broke out in a sweat.
“Yeah, you can look at whatever you need to Aizawa-sensei. I’m cool with it.” Kirishima swallowed nervously. This wasn’t what he was expecting at all and his mind started to race. If he had this stuff in his system was he a danger to the public? Or would he have any long-lasting aftereffects? Aizawa sensed his unease.
“Kirishima, you’ll be fine. If this is what has happened to you, it was a low enough dose to where you shouldn’t have any lasting effects and you should be back to normal within a week’s time. It will be okay.” Kirishima had no idea how these words through Aizawa’s monotone delivery could somehow make him feel comforted, but it did. He was thankful Aizawa was there.
*
“So, you’re like a drug addict then?” Kaminari laughed.
“No! Kiri was doping on ‘roids man! Trying to get big and buff!” Sero said loudly joining Kaminari in a fit of laughter.
“Wow. You guys are something else….” Kirishima said, not amused.
“Knock it off you two! It’s not funny! This isn’t a joke,” Mina chided.
“Okay! You’re right. Geez, Sero that was so insensitive,” Kaminari said. Sero shot him a dirty look.
Bakugo reached over and popped Kirishima upside the head. “What the hell, man!” Kirishima exclaimed rubbing his ear.
“I told you to quit drinking those stupid protein drinks! Why won’t you listen to me?!” Bakugo yelled.
“It’s not like I knew they were laced with Trigger! Or whatever this new version is.” Kirishima’s face became red now. It made his face blend in with his hair and eyes. “They didn’t catch it in my first drawn bloodwork because they were still figuring it out apparently and didn’t have a test yet. Honestly, I’m thrilled. I was worried there was something wrong with my quirk or me. Glad it was some outside thing,” Kirishima said.
“When will you be able to work out again and do PE and Combat courses?” Sero asked.
“Aizawa-sensei said a week for it to get out of my system completely. He took all the stuff from the supplement store from my room for the police to look at.” Kirishima now sighed heavily.
“Chin up, Kiri. Go cold turkey and quit drinking the shakes and sh*t. Get your protein from actual food,” Bakugo said.
“Kiri!” Mina wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m happy it’s something that can be fixed! You’ll be back to normal in no time!” Kirishima wrapped her in a huge hug and smiled.
Shinso had texted Kirishima he was watching Eri for Aizawa and that was why he wasn’t at the dorm. Once Aizawa had returned, Shinso would head over.
Kirishima had to retell what they had discovered 3 more times to catch all his classmates in waves as they entered the dorm. The other students reacted to the news seriously many voicing concerns about the community and hoped no one else was suffering under the effects. They talked about why someone would do this. Just to cause chaos? Midoriya had mentioned that maybe it was to use its unsuspecting victims as guinea pigs to see how it worked. This caused Midoriya to start muttering to himself about previous accounts of Trigger contamination in other areas of Japan and how they were handled. Ochaco looked at Kirishima and they both smiled at each other as Midoriya continued his extrapolations under his breath. Shinso arrived with Eri and Aizawa-sensei right before dinner. Momo and Kyoka were in charge of cooking dinner that evening. After the buzz about Kirishima’s quirk issues died down, the class went into study mode.
Shinso and Kirishima were on opposite facing couches, the coffee table between them. Kirishima’s phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket.
Shinso H: aizawa told me what happened at the appt on our walk over to dorm
Kirishima: I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in person
Shinso H: it’s fine i’m sorry i wasn’t at the dorm when u got back it’s good news you don’t have to worry anymore
Kirishima: Ikr u don’t have to worry now too
Kirishima looked up and locked eyes with Shinso and smiled.
*
After dinner, the students dispersed between couches and dining tables to continue studying. Momo sat with Kyoka to study instead of sitting with Bakugo. Kirishima thought back on the last couple of days and realized he had not seen the two together. He looked over at Bakugo who was seated next to him.
“Everything okay between you and Momo?” Kirishima asked low to keep the conversation private.
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” Bakugo answered, not looking up from his Japanese/English dictionary.
“Why isn’t she sitting with you? And you guys didn’t eat lunch together today. And all Tuesday and Monday night you were MIA. What’s going on?”
“She’s too much of a distraction to me with the tests coming up. She gets that I need space. So she’s actually giving me space, unlike some people who can’t take a hint,” Bakugo said as he glared at Kirishima. Kirishima rolled his eyes.
“Whatever, man. You’re lucky Momo’s cool like that.”
Chapter 62: Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
“You okay, Momo? You’ve been pretty quiet tonight,” Kyoka commented as she turned towards Momo and gave her a worried glance. They were sitting next to each other at one of the dining tables.
“I’m fine. Just nervous about the mid-terms on Friday. And sore.”
“Oh yeah. I heard about Aizawa-sensei’s ‘dystopian’ boot-camp as Shinso put it. That’s rough.”
Suddenly Bakugo was leaning down on the table between Momo and Kyoka, his back to Momo. Due to their close proximity, she was hit with his familiar scent. A sweet-smelling, pleasant burning smell, like when a candle is blown out. She turned her head and glanced at the platinum tufts that were a foot away from her face. Her hand longed to reach out and run her fingers through his hair, but her anger she had kept simmering all day stilled her hand. And she honestly didn’t know how he would respond if she did. Would he grab her hand to stop her with a look of disgust on his face? The idea of this reaction made her stomach churn.
“Ears, you have Hero Notes for September 4th? No one has anything decent.”
“Um… yeah. Hold on.” Kyoka opened a binder and turned the pages until she got to the right date. “Here.”
Bakugo took the pages from Kyoka and looked at them. “Not bad.” He walked away. He never even glanced at Momo. Even though he was only inches away from her.
Momo looked back at her open history notebook and tried to focus on the text but she couldn’t. She felt her skin flush hotly from embarrassment and a hard grimace appeared on her face that she couldn’t change. She turned away from Kyoka, but she saw Momo’s face out of the corner of her eye. “Momo?” Momo stood up and walked quickly to the stairway door before she lost her composure.
*
Momo barreled into her room, slamming the door, and locking it behind her. Her chest heaved with anguished breaths and her mind raced through all the hurtful interactions she had with Bakugo since Tuesday. Her face became flushed with anger and embarrassment. And then the tears began to sting her eyes when she had the realization that things were over between her and Bakugo. That he was done with their brief fling. Had she become too much of a distraction to his priorities of being top of the class and being the number one hero? Or was he just truly bored and done with her? She thought back downstairs to how he completely ignored her like she didn’t even exist. Angry tears started to fall down her cheeks. But then her mind shifted to Sunday in Kirishima’s room.
Bakugo hovering over her. His face serious, his whispered words earnest.
You’re a goddess.
You’re my Queen.
Those tender words meant so much to her since they were not things that ever spilled out of his mouth. In her heart at the time she had believed every syllable because he had said it in a way so foreign to his lips. He had spoken them like a prayer to her. The tears that continued down her face were no longer angry. She dropped to her knees, she breathed in heavily twice, but could not release her breath. She knew once she did, she would become inconsolable. She closed her eyes and saw his other face in her mind. Serene and vulnerable. She let out the breath now and made several large soundless sobs, her body shaking. As she inhaled for air, she now wept loudly, letting out every hurt moment she had endured by him the previous days with every keening sound. You are my Queen. His words again invaded her mind. She held her hands over her ears and continued to sob. It was a feeble attempt to drown those whispered intimacies out because they had been ingrained in her mind and she couldn’t quit thinking about it. It had meant NOTHING to him.
The week before Tuesday had been everything she had hoped for and more and yet it didn’t matter now. She wished she could forget it all. Her heart ached so much, it had not felt this way since the war with All For One. There had been so much death and so much hope destroyed. It made sense her feelings now would echo that time since this was a death of sorts. A death of a part of her heart. And a hope she had held for years extinguished.
Her doorknob jostled and there were 3 hard knocks on the door.
“Open the door, Momo. Now!” Kyoka’s voice was angry and Momo knew she wouldn’t go away if she ignored her.
Still sobbing, Momo stood up from her floor and slowly walked to the door and unlocked it. She turned away and ran to her bed, climbing on top of it and curling herself into a ball. She did not lessen her crying. Her face and neck were wet with her tears and she no longer cared about social propriety. She wept into her comforter, her body shaking.
“Momo….” Kyoka whispered her name. She felt her bed move as Kyoka sat beside her. Kyoka’s soft, warm hands brushed her wet hair away from her face. Momo now wrapped her arms around Kyoka’s slight waist and cried into her lap. Kyoka stroked her hair gently and made quiet shushing noises trying her best to calm her. After several minutes, as Momo’s crying started to ebb, she sat up and looked at Kyoka. Her dear friend had tears streaming down her face as well, smearing her black eyeliner.
“Kyoka, I’m sorry. Your makeup…” Momo reached her hand up and gingerly wiped the smudges off her face.
“My makeup’s not important. Of all the ridiculous things for you to worry about right now. Please tell me what the hell’s going on?” Kyoka’s face was pained.
“I guess I wasn’t important to him after all…. Now he’s through with me…..” Kyoka’s eyes shifted from sadness to shock.
“Did you guys break up?” Kyoka asked in a whisper. Momo started to cry again as she shook her head.
“Might as well have. He’s been cold and distant the last two days. He literally hasn’t looked me in the eye since Monday. He hasn’t answered texts,” Momo wiped her face and took a deep breath trying to shake off the feeling of wanting to cry again. “It’s over. I guess I just wasn’t what he hoped for. Maybe I’m just too boring or too much of a threat. I have no idea, he never talks about anything.”
Kyoka’s face changed from concern to anger. “Well then, I’m gonna have a ‘talk’ with him!” Kyoka leapt off the bed.
“No! The mid-terms are in two days. If I talk to him right now, or you talk to him, it will just upset the whole class. I’m going to wait until Saturday to tell him what I think of him. I know I’m crying my eyes out right now but I’m also angry,” Momo sniffled. She seemed to have quit crying for now. “Katsuki’s many things, but to do something this low….” Momo paused and started to cry again despite herself.
“Momo...”
“Sorry… just…. Calling him Katsuki as if we were that close… I was just so stupid about everything…. Rushing into things with him…. How did I think this would end….” Momo took another deep breath to compose herself.
“Quit saying you’re stupid! You’re the least stupid person I know. You need to talk to Bakugo about this, if you let this go until Saturday, you’ll bomb the tests. Maybe you should talk to Kirishima? Maybe he knows what the hell is wrong with Bakugo.”
“Kirishima’s dealing with his health concerns right now, I don’t want to add any stress to him. And he’s way too distracted with Shinso on top of that so I think he probably doesn’t know what’s going on with Bakugo either. That is if there is something actually wrong with him. Most likely he is just fine and I am just no longer an interest to him,” Momo said wiping her face again.
“Wait…. Kirishima and Shinso?” Kyoka asked, confused.
Momo’s jaw dropped. “Forget I said anything.”
“Kirishima and Shinso? Are together? Like a couple?” Kyoka asked, her voice going up an octave. She climbed back up on Momo’s bed and sat next to her.
Momo nodded, a guilty look on her face.
“I would have never guessed that in a million years. The jock and the outsider,” Kyoka said and started to laugh. Momo couldn’t help but join her. It felt good to laugh, even if her heart was broken.
“This isn’t a teen movie you know,” Momo smiled. “We aren’t all that one-dimensional. Well…. Maybe Kaminari.”
“Hey!” Kyoka pushed her shoulder playfully into Momo’s. “Sorry, it’s just a lot of info at one time. One that Kirishima is gay. And the other that he likes Shinso. How did that even happen? It’s so crazy.”
“And it’s so secret. Please don’t tell anyone,” Momo said. She now sighed.
Kyoka wrapped her arms around Momo and held her tight. “I won’t say anything about them. I’m sorry Momo. Want me to do something awful to Bakugo? Maybe blast brown noise into his room in the middle of the night? Revenge is a dish best served by making someone lose control of their bowels,” Kyoka said this with a straight face. She was being serious.
“No. But thanks for the offer,” Momo said forcing a smile. She then peered at Kyoka questioningly. “Have you ever tried that on someone?”
Kyoka gave a very seldom expressed ear-to-ear grin. “Ask Kaminari and Sero during those prank wars we had shortly after moving into the dorms,” Kyoka said in a serious tone. Momo shuddered.
“Remind me to never get on your bad side,” Momo said.
“That’s impossible. Even when you’re super bossy you’re still the best, Momo.” She leaned her head against Kyoka’s shoulder and was so thankful for their friendship.
Chapter 63: Yaoyorozu & Jiro
Chapter Text
Yaoyorozu
“Momo!” Kirishima ran up to her on the way to homeroom. She, again, had not joined her classmates for breakfast and ducked out the backdoor by the stairwell. Momo stopped to let him catch up. As soon as he reached her, he stopped running and stood there with a confused look on his face.
“You okay?” Momo asked.
“Yeah…. I….” Kirishima stumbled slightly and before Momo could wrap an arm around him to help steady him, he collapsed.
“Kirishima!” He laid sprawled out on the ground, his eyes vibrating side to side quickly. He closed them and groaned.
“Jus’ give me a minute,” he said as he covered his face with his hands.
She looked around and saw that there was no one near them. It was 7:40, early for students to be attending class. Momo kneeled next to Kirishima and watched him closely. He was breathing steadily and he didn’t seem to be in any acute distress.
“Are you okay? What symptoms are you having?”
He peaked at her from behind his hands. “Just got weak and dizzy after running up to you.” He lowered his hands but kept his eyes closed. After several seconds, he sat up.
“You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?” Momo asked.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll go see Recovery Girl.”
“I’ll walk you over.” Kirishima nodded at her.
“Please, don-“
“I won’t tell Shinso or Bakugo,” she interrupted him, knowing what he was going to ask.
“Thanks, Momo,” he said sheepishly. He stood up and seemed to be steady on his feet. They both took a few steps and he suddenly became shaky again.
“Arm around me, don’t need you falling again,” Momo said.
As they made their way to Recovery Girl’s, Momo asked why Kirishima had followed her out. He didn’t have his backpack so he wasn’t heading to class early.
“You weren’t downstairs with everyone this morning and Iida and Shinso mentioned you went straight to class yesterday and didn’t join them for breakfast. I wanted to see if you were okay.”
“I’m fine,” Momo replied.
“Everything okay with you and Bakugo?” Kirishima asked. Momo could feel his eyes on her, his face just inches away from hers as they slowly walked to the main campus building. She looked up at him and forced a smile.
“Yes. Everything’s fine,” she lied. She didn’t want Kirishima to worry.
Momo left Kirishima in one of Recovery Girl’s exam rooms in the medical wing. As she walked through a hallway door she was almost mowed over by Shinso. His eyes were wide with panic. “Kirishima?” he said, his face animated with concern. Momo was taken aback. She was leaving the medical wing so his worst fears about Kirishima were probably wreaking havoc on him. So much for keeping it a secret, but she didn’t have to go into detail.
“Kirishima was dizzy so Recovery Girl is looking him over. Nothing to be alarmed about,” Momo said calmly. Shinso’s chest heaved up and down as if he had run up to the building. His face changed from concern to panic. Momo had never seen him like this and it sent a shiver down her spine.
“He said he was going to check on something 30 minutes ago and never came back to the dining room,” Shinso said.
He took two large steps past her, but she grabbed him by his elbow causing his tall, lanky form to whip around. “Shinso, he doesn’t want company.”
“Well, I don’t care what he wants! He doesn’t take these things seriously!” he spat out in a nasty tone as he looked at her. Momo let go of him and tried to not react to his ugly display, keeping her face passive.
“Bell rings in 10 minutes. If Kirishima had his wish he would want you in class. And I don’t know if Recovery Girl would even let you see him if it matters. She ran me off.”
Shinso suddenly had a slightly mortified look on his face. “Momo, I’m sorry. That was awful of me to talk to you like that….” Momo sighed.
“Walk with me to class,” she said slightly irritated.
Shinso nodded, seeming to be slightly mollified now. Momo was beginning to think that all the drama happening with the boys around her was much more emotion-filled than the drama that happened with the girls in Class A. It was surprising and exhausting.
*
Kirishima had apparently had side effects (nystagmus and dizziness) due to drug withdrawal. They thought the low dose of the Trigger-like drug would be fine being cut-off cold turkey, but apparently, he had built it up in his system more than they realized. After an IV treatment and being watched for a few hours, Recovery Girl cut him loose. At lunch, he was more quiet than usual and a bit cranky. Bakugo, concerned with Kirishima and berating him about the possibility he was still drinking “that tainted sh*t,” (Kirishima assured him he wasn’t, in a most annoyed tone) had been keeping close to Kirishima after his return and interestingly enough Kirishima had been keeping close to Momo. And Bakugo continued to not meet Momo in the eye. It was torture, but she withstood it. Shinso had sat by Kirishima at lunch but tried to keep his distance the rest of the day to keep up appearances.
Momo had her last study session in Aizawa’s classroom at 4:30. After dinner, she returned to her room and was joined by Kyoka and Mina and the trio continued to study until late. As much as she tried to focus on studying, she couldn’t push away thoughts of Bakugo and how he had changed.
*
Mid-terms were administered the next day. The class was uncharacteristically quiet and the tension was thick, almost palpable. The grades would be posted 2 hours after the last exam had finished and all the students waited impatiently in the common dorm area. Some of the class played on a gaming console, while others socialized. Todoroki was reading a book on the couch. Even Iida was taking it easy, playing a game of “Bang” at one of the dining tables with Shoji, Tokoyami, Ojiro, Mineta, and Asui. All they could do was wait.
Jiro
Ahane-sensei walked into the dorm with a sheet of paper and a tape dispenser and half the students walked up to her, slightly crowding her. Aizawa-sensei, Yagi-sensei, and Eri walked in behind her. “Guys, give her some room,” Aizawa said plainly. She grinned at the students and walked over to the wall in the living room where announcements were pinned or taped. She taped the paper and immediately swung around and walked to the back of the room. Most of the students crowded around the sheet of paper.
“Hey, Bakugo! You got first spot!” Kaminari said loudly with a grin. “’Bout time!” Bakugo’s eyes were wide with surprise.
“You got last place Kam, like always!” Sero snickered.
“Oh! I went up a few spots!” Mina squealed with delight.
“Went up two spots and I barely studied!” Mineta said excitedly.
Momo slowly walked up to the posted paper and looked at it. Many students who were smiling and grinning now looked at her with serious expressions.
- Katsuki Bakugo 1262
- Momo Yaoyorozu 1260
- Tenya Iida 1238
- Shouto Todoroki 1217
- Izuku Midoriya 1215
- Minoru Mineta 1209
- Kyoka Jiro 1207
- Tsuyu Asui 1202
- Mezo Shoji 1198
- Mashirao Ojiro 1192
- Koji Koda 1189
- Eijiro Kirishima 1177
- Ochaco Uraraka 1176
- Fumikage Tokoyami 1173
- Rikido Sato 1170
- Mina Ashido 1168
- Toru Hagakure 1165
- Hanto Sero 1158
- Yuga Aoyama 1156
- Denki Kaminari 1149
Bakugo made eye contact with Momo. Finally. After 4 days. She forced a weak smile. “I guess you got what you wanted…” Momo said to him, her voice wavering. Kyoka turned towards Momo and tried to grab her hand.
“Please… I just want to be alone,” Momo said firmly as she headed towards the girls’ dorm bathroom.
Bakugo’s face turned red, but he didn’t look angry. He looked ill. Kyoka turned towards Bakugo, her dark grey eyes glaring at him.
“So, was this part of your plan? Upset her so she’d bomb the test and you’d get the top spot?” she said with disgust.
“What? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Like you don’t know. You and Momo the last few days? You haven’t noticed something’s off?”
“It’s none of your business, Kyoka,” Bakugo said back to her, his voice low but irritated. Kaminari, who was standing next to Kyoka, began to nervously shift his weight.
“You’re right. It shouldn’t be any of my business, but when you completely ignored Momo and broke her heart, I decided to make it my business.”
“I didn’t do that!” Bakugo belted, his face becoming red with anger now instead of embarrassment.
“How would you know if you did or not? You’ve been completely ignoring her!”
“I’m not taking this sh*t.” He bounded out the front door of the dorm. The whole class had seen this interaction play out and now an awkward silence filled the area.
“It’s a shame girls waste their time simping over assholes like Bakugo when there are actual nice guys around,” said Mineta, finally breaking the silence.
“Um, I’ll take ‘things an incel says for 500,’ please,” Kaminari shot back in an annoyed tone.
“Seriously, Mineta. You’re not even a nice guy,” Kyoka said coldly.
“Geez, I wasn’t even talking about me, but whatever Kyoka,” Mineta spat back.
“Sorry Mineta,” she apologized, looking almost sick. “That was harsh. I just…. hate this…. contention. It’s been a sh*tty week with the stress of the mid-terms. And Bakugo’s an idiot. I don’t care what that paper up there says. He’s an absolute idiot.”
“Momo knows Bakugo’s an idiot when it comes to being human so she should have asked him what his problem was,” Kaminari said matter-of-factly.
“Wow. So let’s victim blame, that’s super healthy,” Kyoka replied.
“No, I’m not blaming Momo, but come on! Expecting him to pick up on subtle or even not so subtle human communication? Even guys without anger issues fail at that stuff.”
“Well, you’re definitely a shining example of that,” Kyoka said in her best deadpan. Kaminari narrowed his eyes at her but then smiled.
“Guys, maybe we should stop talking about them, let them work this out,” Ochaco said.
“Actually, maybe we should get involved? See if we can make things better?” Mina asked.
“I really don’t like this!” The voice of Toru rang out. “I just went down the hall and heard Momo crying in the girls’ restroom!”
“Hmmmm. Maybe it’s best to give both Bakugo and Momo some space and then later today we can see if we can help them out?” Iida offered up.
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to let things stew with Bakugo though. He’ll just get more angry,” Sero said. He turned to his left and locked eyes with who he was looking for, “Oi! Kirishima! What do you think? You’re best bros with Bakugo and pretty close to Momo, too. What should we do?”
Kirishima had been oddly quiet. “Well. I usually give Bakugo space when he gets like this. But this is also between him and Momo. They have to be the ones to figure this out. We should stay out of it and give them both support when they’re ready.”
Students began to talk over each other now either agreeing or disagreeing with Kirishima. Their voices began to rise and unkind words were starting to be thrown around.
Chapter 64: Dadzawa & Dadmight, I mean Aizawa & Yagi
Chapter Text
Aizawa
Aizawa-sensei and Yagi-sensei had been on the periphery, watching the whole class deliberate. Ahane-sensei had taken Eri back to the faculty dorm after taping the test results to the wall. He really wished she had been the one listening to the crowd of students now because this was exactly the type of situation he didn’t like to intervene in. Teenage drama was something he didn’t even quite understand when he was a teenager himself and often times he wondered if he handled these things with the care it needed.
“Great,” Aizawa sighed.
“Should we …uh… intervene?” Yagi expressed hesitantly.
“Since it’s affecting the whole class, yes we should,” Aizawa responded slightly annoyed. “We’ll go straight to the source. You can talk to Bakugo. After Midoriya he’s the student you’re closest to and he looks up to you more than anyone else.”
“Um…” Yagi looked uncomfortable. “Well, I think you probably know him a lot better than I do actually Aizawa. You were his homeroom teacher during a very tumultuous year. Then you’ve been the hero class’ combat coordinator the last two. Isn’t he sort of your unofficial assistant in those classes?”
Aizawa thought about it and nodded. “Yes, that dynamic did happen organically.” Aizawa let out a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll talk to Bakugo. You can talk to Yaoyorozu.”
“Do we know where they are?” Yagi asked.
“I can find out. Ashido! Come here a minute!” he said loudly so she could hear him over the students’ chatter.
Ashido turned and walked up to them both at the edge of the living room. “Yes, Aizawa-sensei?”
“Do you know where we can find Bakugo and Yaoyorozu?” he asked.
“Oh. Yeah. Bakugo left the dorm but he didn’t say where he was going. And Yaoyorozu… well… she’s down the hall in the girls’ dorm bathroom….. crying…..”
Yagi whipped his head around to Aizawa. “I’ll talk to Bakugo,” he said quick as a flash.
Yagi
Yagi stepped out into the school grounds having no clue where Bakugo could have run off to. Maybe I should try the gym first? he thought to himself. As he made his way, walking past the main school building he couldn’t help but hear two students talking loudly to one another.
“Can you believe Bakugo? The nerve! Kicking us out of the Art studio like he owns the place!” said one student.
“What an asshole,” the other student said.
Yagi couldn’t help but smile at his good fortune for a second until he realized he had to have a conversation with the young man that just kicked out two of his fellow students from the art studio due to the foul mood he was in. Yagi groaned and continued on to the Art Studio.
As he opened the door and entered the studio, he saw the back of Bakugo’s spiky, platinum-blond head. He was sitting on a stool at the back of the large room.
“Get lost, asshole,” Bakugo bellowed without turning his head. Yagi blanched.
Yagi cleared his throat. “Young Bakugo, I wanted to see how you were doing,” he said steadily. Bakugo immediately turned his head and met Yagi’s eyes, his cheeks a bright pink.
“A-All Might. I, uh, didn’t know it was you….” Bakugo replied embarrassed. Yagi smiled. He had not called him ‘All Might’ in quite some time. It was usually “Yagi-sensei.” It was only when they had more serious conversations did Bakugo call him All Might. They had had many of those during the war. This endeared Bakugo to him seeing as most people seemed to use his hero name and last name the opposite way. It gave Yagi the sense that Bakugo still saw him as a hero at his core. Yagi walked up to Bakugo and sat on a stool adjacent to him. Bakugo looked at him and nodded as he sat, then cast his gaze at the floor in front of him.
As Yagi sat, he couldn’t help but look up at the canvas in front of him. It was very large, about 5 feet tall at least, and although the style was very abstract the figure on it was unmistakable. The figure sat amongst a backdrop of what looked like a nightscape of stars and galaxies. They were wearing a dark, purple dress, the color reminiscent of the sky at dusk. On the dress were flowers, but their shapes were abstract, more squarish and angled. Yagi recognized the flower but didn’t know what it was called. They were mainly white petaled with differing colors at the center. The face, again done in a modern, minimalist style, was angular, and it lacked a mouth and nose. But it had two dark grey, almost black eyes framed by simply drawn, yet somehow expressive brows. The shape of the eyes and the hair that spilled over the figure's bare shoulders made it unmistakable that it was Yaoyorozu. The whole picture had a rugged edge to it, like some sort of wash that gave it an earthy, rough quality that next to the angular sharply drawn figure and flowers gave it a kind of perfect balance. It wasn’t anything he would have expected to see in a high school art studio.
“That’s breath-taking. I had no idea you were this talented.” Yagi-sensei looked at the large canvas and smiled.
Bakugo didn’t look up, but he shrugged at Yagi’s comment. His eyes were still downcast, a deep frown at his mouth.
“Has she seen it?”
Bakugo shook his head.
“Well, maybe you should show her.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t. I think…. Momo would be happier with someone else… Isn’t that a thing? People letting others go so they can be happy. Because she’s not gonna be happy with me. I keep screwing things up.”
Yagi felt panic within him. What did he say to Bakugo? Yagi felt ill-equipped to offer Bakugo advice on matters of the heart. He had experience with letting people go the way Bakugo described so they would be happy or safe. Being the number one hero for so many years made the ones he was closest to targets for villains so he at times would turn his back on loved ones for their safety even if it broke his heart to not have them in his life. But he had also at times in his life loved deeply and didn’t regret the desperation of going through any obstacle to be beside the one that completed him.
“I think that decision is a noble one. I’ve made that decision at times. And I do harbor some regret because it was a decision I made solely myself without seeing what the other involved party wanted. Perhaps you should say this to Yaoyorozu and see how she feels about it.”
“I said it to her once already because I screwed things up with her literally the first day we were going out.”
“Oh,” Yagi stated simply and then fidgeted in his seat slightly.
“Yeah.”
“And she still wanted to be with you?”
“Well, yeah I guess.”
“Talk to her about it again. Just talk to her, Bakugo. Talk about everything. Say what you need to say. So many relationships go off the tracks because of lack of communication and it’s always been a struggle for you. I get it, I have a hard time with it, too.”
Aizawa
“Yaoyorozu?” Aizawa called from the bay of sinks. He would not go any further. He already felt he probably shouldn’t be in the girl’s dorm bathroom but Yaoyorozu had looked miserable most of the week and he had wished he had intervened earlier.
“Aizawa-sensei!?” Momo exclaimed, surprised. Her voice echoed through the space. She was probably in one of the shower stalls.
“Can I talk to you?”
“Yes. Excuse me a moment.” Aizawa heard her sniffling and then she cleared her throat. She walked over and sat on a built-in bench near where he stood. He leaned against the wall and looked at her. They both sat/stood in silence for a couple of minutes. Momo didn’t seem to mind the quiet or feel awkward in the silence. Although she was his student, they had fought side by side as heroes in several battles and missions the last 2 years, so there was another layer of understanding between the two beyond just student and sensei.
“You’ve been down the last several days. Do you want to talk about it?” Aizawa knew it had something to do with Bakugo. Yaoyorozu being as practical as she was could probably benefit well from talking it out. Especially to an unbiased party. One couldn’t get more unbiased than Aizawa.
“Just relationship struggles,” she said matter-of-factly. “I probably shouldn’t have rushed into things like I did. I’ll be fine though. I’ll be back to normal soon enough.”
Aizawa assumed “back to normal” meant without Bakugo and he logically thought that this would be the easiest route for her to take. He knew Bakugo was extremely difficult to be close to. But when it came to love, the path of least resistance wasn’t what most people probably should consider first and foremost. Aizawa had no experience with long-term romantic relationships, but he knew enough about human nature to realize at times logic wasn’t the best trait to rely on when it came to love. That could even be applied to non-romantic love between friends, which luckily he did have experience with. Goodness knows if that was the case, his closest friend who he considered family now, Yamada, would not have been his first logical choice. But he loved him and could not imagine his life without him now.
“So why are you breaking up with Bakugo?” Aizawa assumed she had or was going to. Yaoyorozu’s face became bright red and she seemed a bit taken aback by Aizawa’s question.
“I… um… well he quit communicating with me. He completely ignored me the last few days. I assume he isn’t interested anymore so the dissolution of our relationship seems to be imminent.” She looked at him with a practical expression that would make someone think she was discussing a math problem.
“I see,” Aizawa said evenly. “What reasons did Bakugo give to his sudden distance?” Aizawa asked.
“Well, I don’t know. I didn’t ask him,” she said hesitantly. Her breathing increased and Aizawa now realized he probably dug a bit too deep and she would burst into tears now. Teenagers he thought to himself. She started to cry and Aizawa wanted to kick himself. Seven years ago he would have been clueless about how to handle this, but teaching had made him a bit of a softy. And then Eri, even more so. He sat next to her on the bench and put his arm around her and she immediately buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed.
“It’s okay,” he said evenly and patted her shoulder with his arm that was placed around her shaking frame. He was good, no adequate, at consoling others now seeing as he was the guardian of a 8-year-old girl. And he learned that teenage girls were not that much different than 8-year-old girls. Teenage boys as well. He realized the boys of Class A were much more likely to burst into tears over things than the girls were. They were made of sterner stuff usually. Poor Yaoyorozu.
“Some people need a nudge, Yaoyorozu. Did you know Midnight put papers into UA for me to become a teacher without my knowledge?” Yaoyorozu stifled her tears for a moment and looked into her sensei’s face.
“Really? That was rather brazen of her,” Yaoyorozu managed to reply shakily.
“Midnight was definitely brazen. But she also didn’t leave me to my own devices. There’s no telling where I’d be now if she hadn’t intervened like she had. I was going down a path that was putting distance between myself and humanity. I think I would have ended up not being a very good hero and may have turned to darker things.” Aizawa surprised himself at this. It was a realization he had just discovered as he started to speak. Yaoyorozu sniffled. “Some of us need a little help at times because we’re too close to our own destructive tendencies; we don’t see how they are harmful to us. I’m thankful for Midnight and Mic for inserting themselves continuously into my business, even when I fought back. Some people need that Yaoyorozu. That nudge. The question is if it’s worth the heartache for you. Because it isn’t an easy job.”
Yaoyorozu nodded at him and smiled, her eyes still glistening with her tears.
Aizawa left her to freshen up and as he turned the corner that led to the exit, he saw Ahane leaning against the wall by the door, and it startled him. She lifted her forefinger to her mouth to signal to be quiet. She turned and walked out of the girls’ bathroom and he followed. Outside the dorm bathroom, Aizawa spoke to Ahane. “You should go back and talk to her. You probably would have handled it better than I did.”
“Actually, I heard you talking to her, forgive my eavesdropping. Apparently one of the students in the dorm reported a male teacher going into the girl’s bathroom,” Ahane gave a deep chuckle.
“Hmmmmm. Probably Mineta or Iida. For completely different reasons.”
“I assumed you were the teacher in question and that you were talking to the student for a good reason. You don’t come off as the pervy type anyway.”
“Thanks,” Aizawa deadpanned.
“Anyway, I heard what you told her. Honestly, I don’t think anyone could have done better. You gave good advice. I wouldn’t have taken you for a pervert but I also wouldn’t have taken you for a good counselor. Especially for a teenage girl.”
“Um…. Thanks again?” Aizawa tried his best not to smirk but he failed. Ahane had a way of saying things at times that were awkward, yet heartfelt. He had the feeling she was someone who probably could not speak as fast as their thoughts. He wondered sometimes if she ever got to the end of a sentence and forgot how she had started it. The way she talked sometimes made him think this happened all the time.
“Well, I feel for her. Students at UA are put under so much pressure. It is sad to see friendships strained. Well, Shinso was at the faculty dorm when I was called away so Eri is with him. I’ll go relieve him. He was there because he wanted to tell you how he did on the exam, I think. I’ll see you later Aizawa,” she said with a smile.
Chapter 65: Bakugo & Momo or Say what you need to say
Chapter Text
Yaoyorozu
After she dried her face and was sure she wouldn’t burst into tears, at least not in the very near future, she left the restroom. As she entered the dorm living area she was immediately met with several sets of eyes from her fellow students. Before anyone could say anything to her, she announced, rather awkwardly, she was going out for a walk. This stopped Mina whose mouth was already open. Momo was sure she was probably going to say something to her. She wasn’t ready just yet to talk with anyone. She left the dorm and then followed the sidewalk, keeping her eyes downcast, trying to filter through all of her thoughts. Could she talk to Bakugo? Could she give him the nudge he needed to speak what was on his mind? Could this have all been a misunderstanding? How could one emotionally stunted teenage boy put her through the wringer like this? She was normally so fearless. As she looked up she almost ran into the aforementioned, emotionally stunted teenage boy since he was skulking around with his eyes downcast as well.
She wanted to take Aizawa’s advice, to ask him, to engage him, but now she realized she wasn’t quite ready for that just yet. She turned away and started walking towards the dorm.
“Momo. Just stop, please.” His tone was low and strangely soft. He walked quickly to keep her pace and he dared to grab her wrist, but gently. She pulled her arm away from his grasp but she turned to look at him. “Will you come with me? I want to show you something. Please,” he said, his voice steady and barely above a whisper.
She nodded at him and followed him back to the main campus building.
They entered the building and then went down a wing Yaoyorozu wasn’t familiar with. Bakugo stopped at the Art Studio and held the door open for Momo to walk through.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. As they entered, her eyes were drawn to a large canvas near the back of the room. Bakugo walked towards it and then stood off to the side near the canvas. She followed him, all the while gazing at the painting.
Bakugo
He tried not to stare at her as she walked towards him, her eyes focused on the canvas. As she stood by him, in front of the painting, he noticed her face had turned crimson. He felt the painting was such a pale representation of its muse. He had made so many changes to it over the last 2 weeks until he realized he would never be happy with the finished product. Because to him, it was impossible to capture everything that made Momo the amazing being she was. “It’s my mid-term project for Art.”
“It’s amazing,” she said quietly. “The colors and the contrasting textures….”
“I’m sorry, Momo.”
Momo paused a bit before she turned away from the canvas and looked at him. “What are you sorry for specifically? Just curious to know if you’re even aware of why I’m upset.”
“I quit talkin’ to you, was blowing you off.”
“Why?”
“Cause I’m an idiot.”
“Not sure if that answer is good enough.”
“Yeah, I guess I should explain it. I….” he didn’t know what to say. He stood there silent for a couple of minutes.
“Just say it, Katsuki,” she whispered.
“Um. Yeah. Fine,” he cleared his throat, and crossed his arms in front of him, trying to keep his hands from shaking. What the hell was wrong with him? Keep it together. He looked at his feet, he wasn’t able to meet her in the eye. Say what you need to say. “I think a small part of me was resentful of you having the top spot for the exams and I knew I had no reason to be.” He paused to find the words that could describe his emotions without making him sound like he was a maniac. I am kinda a maniac though he thought. “It’s my own insecurities, it has nothing to do with you. Kinda like Midoriya that first year. I was resentful because of how much he improved because I thought I was sh*t, even though my words and actions made me seem like I thought I was a god.”
“And that’s supposed to excuse your ignoring me? Treating me like I didn’t exist because you were resentful?” Momo said in an even tone. Bakugo looked at her now, her face belying the steadiness in her voice. She couldn’t hide the hurt. He saw it in her eyes and in the slight way her mouth turned down at the sides. He had caused this pain for her.
“No, Momo, I wasn’t actively trying to hurt you by ignoring you. It’s the fact I started to feel that way, even for a second, that resentment towards you…. I thought avoiding you would be a good idea so that I didn’t mess up or say something mean to you.”
“That was a ….. really stupid thing to do.”
“Yeah, obviously I see that now. f*ck. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Well, I’m not surprised you don’t know what else to say. You’re emotionally constipated.” Normally when people said this about him, they were laughing about it because of some general asshole-ish thing he said. But this wasn’t funny in the slightest. “Can’t you read the people you’re at least close to and see the damage you’re doing when you do these unfeeling things?” She looked at him in a way he couldn’t understand but that made him feel as if he was lost at sea, desperately treading water by a giant incoming wave. He knew everything hinged on the next string of words that spilled out of his mouth. There’s a 99 percent chance I’m gonna f*ck this up royally he thought. And he would lose her. And he couldn’t. He wanted to reach for her hand, but he was terrified she would shrink away from his touch again. She looked at him and waited, ever patient. Just be honest, you idiot. It’s the only thing you have going for you most of the time.
“Sometimes I can read you and sometimes I can’t.” He felt a catch in his throat. The next several words came out hoarse and his lips trembled as he spoke. “Will you help me, Momo? Please?” He couldn’t bear it any longer and he reached out and took her hand. She didn’t pull away. He gave a shaky sigh before he continued. “Will you tell me when I’m f*cking things up?” He looked into her warm, brown eyes as a single tear made its way down his cheek. Bakugo dared to let go of her hand and he gently placed both his hands on her waist. He needed something to ground him. He felt he was drifting now and needed something to steady him.
Yaoyorozu
She placed her hands on either side of his face and looked at him. His brows were raised, his eyes wide and questioning. She felt additional tears touch her hands and she swallowed, trying to keep her emotions at bay. She wanted to make this decision logically. She had let her emotions lead her on this journey with Bakugo and maybe that was why they were hitting these obstacles. Momo made all of her other decisions with logic at its core. Maybe it was time to apply that to their relationship.
“You don’t like people giving you advice that conflicts with your own ideas. And you don’t like people pushing you. So how can I help you? You’ll just blow-up.” She let go of his face and let her hands drop to his shoulders.
“I also don’t like asking for help, but I just asked you. And I mean it,” he said in a low raspy tone.
“I know you mean it, Katsuki, but we can’t build a relationship on intentions.”
“Fine. Let’s make it more concrete. Like a word you can say to me that will make me think of this conversation right now. That I know I have to concede. You help me when I’m being a f*cking idiot. And if I push back or blow up you say the word. And I’ll stop and I’ll listen.” This sounded like a logical request. It made a lot of sense thought Momo.
“Okay,” Momo said. “What’s the word?”
Bakugo looked at the painting and then back at Momo. “Phalaenopsis Aphrodite,” he said. Momo nodded.
“’Phalaenopsis Aphrodite’ it is,” she said. Bakugo smiled at her, his face was peaceful and open. Vulnerable. Momo felt the flood of emotions break through the dam she had foisted up. It had been silly for her to think she could keep them at bay forever. The decision of how to remedy their relationship was based on logic and now that they had come up with a plan, she could let go. She took in a ragged breath and wrapped her arms around Bakugo’s neck. She cried out and clung to him, her tears falling freely.
“Momo, I’m so sorry,” Bakugo whispered. He held her tightly. He rested his hot cheek against her tear-dampened face.
“I was so worried… you didn’t care for me anymore….” Her voice broke through her heavy sobs. “It was unbearable….” She grabbed handfuls of fabric at the back of his t-shirt as she held him and continued to cry. It was as if she was worried he would somehow disappear and she had to hold him tightly.
“You’re the most important person in the world to me. I’ll make sure you know that from now on,” Bakugo whispered in her ear. “I’ll prove to you that I can be worthy of you. Give me until graduation and I’ll show you.” It was a promise.
Chapter 66: Kirishima & Shinso
Chapter Text
Kirishima
Momo and Bakugo walked through the front door of the dorm holding hands. Many of the students’ faces looked towards them, curious or concerned about their current status.
“Thank goodness!” Mina said loudly with relief upon their arrival.
Bakugo’s face turned red. “Yes, I’m a moron and an asshole, can we just move on now please,” he said. Momo led him by his hand over to the couch where they both sat together.
“I’m so happy you guys made up! We can actually have fun now!” Toru said. Kirishima sat by Momo and gave her a hug.
“I knew you guys would get through it,” Kirishima said with a smile. He reached his fist over to Bakugo for a bump and Bakugo rolled his eyes and bumped it.
Kyoka walked over from the tables and gave Bakugo a speculative side-long glance before hugging Momo, Kyoka’s arms reaching from behind the couch and gently wrapping around Momo’s neck.
“So, what should we do guys?” Mina asked brimming with too much energy. “Play a game? Watch a movie?”
Ochaco was on the other couch leaning against Midoriya. He was playing Smash Bros on the gaming console with Kaminari, Sero, and Sato. “Well, if we can get these guys off the TV we can watch a movie. I don’t think my brain can handle games or anything I have to put any effort into after the testing today,” said Ochaco.
“Sure thing, hun. After this round….” Midoriya said, not taking his eyes off the game.
Ochaco sighed as she locked eyes to the space she guessed Toru’s eyes were. “He said that thirty minutes ago.”
Mina and Ochaco finally got the boys off the game and now the class tried to decide on what movie to watch.
“No rom-coms!” Kaminari said loudly.
“I think the girls should get to decide since you guys have been hogging the tv playing that stupid game the last two hours!” Mina was folding her arms over her chest and glaring at him.
Kyoka decided to give her two cents. “A rom-com sounds super boring, Mina. Maybe we should do a horror movie or a dark comedy.” Having finished their game of Bang and somehow knowing he was needed to help make dorm decisions, Iida came over to the couches followed by the other students who had been playing. He opened an ottoman and took out a tattered notebook that had the words “Dorm Activities,” written on it. This was Iida’s book of course.
He turned several pages and then loudly announced, “Looking at the last several movies we have watched as a class, it appears rom-coms seem to dominate other movie genres for this last semester. It would only be fair to watch a movie from another genre. Looking at this list, the least-watched is horror.”
“Yes! Okay, I have the perfect one in mind,” Kyoka said as she took the remote. Mina and Toru both whined in annoyance.
Thirty minutes later, there were twenty faces intently watching the screen. Popcorn had been popped and other snacks and sodas were on the coffee table. Kirishima wasn’t a fan of horror movies but he enjoyed whenever the class did activities that everyone participated in. Movie nights were always one of his favorites. He loved watching his classmates’ faces during the movies. Seeing them laughing, crying, or being surprised. Like Koda almost ending up in Kyoka’s lap after a jump scare in the horror movie they were watching. Koda wasn’t a fan of horror movies it would seem but seeing Kyoka’s face look amused and then concerned was sweet. Koda apologized profusely and was shushed by Kaminari and Sero who were super into the movie apparently. The lights had all been turned off in the dorm living area so the room was only illuminated by the light of the tv screen. This made the movie even more creepy and the scare tactics more effective.
Kirishima was bummed Shinso was helping Aizawa-sensei with something involving the formal on Sunday so he was missing movie night. He wouldn’t see him until the next morning. Kirishima sat between Mina and Momo and several times Mina had leaned against him and then buried her head into his shoulder not wanting to see the graphic scenes. Kirishima put his arm around her after she had stayed against his shoulder for several minutes, peaking at the movie between her fingers. He smiled at her. The movie luckily was more about jump scares than gore, but Kirishima couldn’t help but jerk in surprise, even though he knew they were coming.
“Oh, I hate this,” Mina whispered. She leaned against Kirishima and had managed to grab, seemingly unbeknownst to her, a handful of his T-shirt at his shoulder and had it wadded up in her hand and was twisting it. Kirishima braced for the jump scare because he knew it was coming.
“BOO!” sounded from behind Kirishima causing Mina to let out a blood-curdling scream and for Kirishima to almost jump out of his skin. Kirishima turned his head, looking behind him, and almost jumped again due to the proximity of the purple-colored irises that were inches away from his own face and the glare of white teeth grinning from the glow of the TV reflecting off of them. Kirishima let go of the breath he had been holding, his heart racing in his chest.
“Shinso! How could you!?” Mina called out in a shaky voice. A few students booed and yelled, making their displeasure known. Kyoka shot a dirty look at Shinso who was now standing behind the couch grinning. Kaminari and Mineta threw popcorn at him. Using the remote, Kyoka rewound a minute back in the show and Mina grabbed Shinso by the arm and jerked him over the back of the couch in the space next to her. He plopped on the couch landing sideways spilling into Mina and Kirishima’s laps. Kirishima, whose heart was still racing in his chest, gave him an unamused look. He did not like jump scares.
“You’ll pay for that later,” Kirishima said, hoping he looked a little intimidating.
“Oh, I hope so,” Shinso said back, his face donning a sly grin. Shinso sat up and Mina quickly punched his shoulder. Shinso laughed softly. A minute later the class, now deathly quiet, was exposed to the jump scare that Shinso so rudely interrupted. It didn’t disappoint. Mina was still glued to Kirishima’s shoulder and at some point had collected Shinso’s arm that was now linked with hers and her hand was grabbing his tightly. He shot an exasperated look over her head at Kirishima and then looked down at Mina perplexed. Kirishima smiled and mouthed, “It’s your fault.”
When the movie ended and the lights were flipped on, Kirishima found the shoulder of his t-shirt to now show tiny holes and tears and the fabric was thin having been stretched out. “Oh, sorry Kiri! I guess I owe you a shirt. I’m so glad that movie is over!”
“No worries, Mina. I’m rough on clothes, they never last me long anyway.” The students straightened up the living area, Iida making sure nothing was missed. After several minutes, the couch area was occupied by Momo, Bakugo, Kirishima, Shinso, and Kyoka, the rest of the students in the kitchen or having retired to rooms. Shinso was sitting next to Kirishima, several inches of space between them, gazing off into space. He was patiently waiting for Kyoka to leave it would seem. They had not spent any time alone together, not since Wednesday morning. The class had stayed up late studying most nights and Shinso had to leave before curfew due to the new security changes he had yet to figure out. As if she could read his mind, Kyoka spoke. “Waiting for me to leave, huh Shinso?” her face seemed to challenge him and Kirishima was a bit confused. Shinso stared at her, his expression passive, offering nothing.
“Kyoka!” Momo said, looking a bit embarrassed. It finally dawned on Kirishima.
“Momo!” he said exasperated.
“I’m sorry! It kinda slipped out the other night when we were talking. I didn’t mean to,” Momo apologized.
With Kyoka obviously in the know, Shinso now greedily wrapped his arms around Kirishima’s neck and leaned his head against Kirishima’s. Kirishima couldn’t stop his face from turning red.
Kyoka smiled. “This is how these things start right? Little slip-ups here and there. Soon the whole class will know. Who else knows?”
“Iida. And maybe Todoroki, but I don’t think he was paying attention that morning…..” Momo said.
“Well, maybe it’s not so bad if the class finds out? As long as they can keep it a secret?” Kirishima said hopeful.
“Pinky or Pikachu find out, they won’t be able to help blabbin’ about it to the whole school. Probably can throw Mineta in there, too,” Bakugo said.
Kirishima sighed. He was tiring of the ruse they had to keep putting up. The five students visited for several minutes and then Kyoka, Momo, and Bakugo turned in. As Bakugo walked by Kirishima he roughly ruffled his red hair, “Good job on the test Baby Shark. Beating all that sh*t into your head the last two weeks between Shin, Momo, and I seemed to work.”
“Congrats, Kirishima,” Momo said with a smile as they walked out of the room. Shinso’s face looked at Kirishima questioningly. Kirishima’s eyes couldn’t help but glance at the sheet of paper next to the rest of the announcements. Shinso’s eyes followed his over to the wall and he started to rise from the couch.
“No!” Kirishima said as he grabbed his hand and pulled him back.
“I want to look.”
“Please don’t. It’s embarrassing. It’s not that big of a deal.” Kirishima had been thrilled he had improved and had gone up a few spots. He was nearing the middle of the class now and not near the bottom. But for some reason Shinso, Bakugo, or Momo singing praises to him made him feel so inadequate. They were brainiacs and made this accomplishment feel like it wasn’t that big of a deal. They were alone now in the common area, everyone else had gone up to bed. Kirishima sighed and let go of Shinso’s hand. “Well, go and gawk at it. I won’t stop you I guess.” Kirishima lowered his gaze to the floor and crossed his arms.
Shinso
Shinso sat next to Kirishima on the couch. “If you don’t want me to look at it, I won’t,” Shinso said. He put his arm around Kirishima’s shoulders and looked at him. “I have to leave in five minutes anyway. Curfew.” Kirishima gave an irritated sigh and then leaned towards Shinso, gently kissing his neck below the jawline. Shinso shivered and inhaled deeply through his nose. He realized they had not been alone since Wednesday morning. And they hadn’t kissed each other since Sunday night in the courtyard. It had been a long, grueling week of worrying about Kirishima’s quirk issue and mid-terms. Luckily Kirishima’s quirk drama was no longer a worry but Shinso had been a wreck leading up to Wednesday. Shinso began to rise from the couch and Kirishima wrapped his arms around his neck and hung on him trying to keep him on the couch. Shinso smiled. “Come on, if I get caught after curfew you can forget about having a date to the Formal.”
“Fine,” Kirishima said letting him go. Shinso gathered his binding cloths and coat from a hook in the foyer and Kirishima kissed him goodbye. As Shinso walked quickly, only having five minutes to make it to gen studies, he could hear dogs barking in the distance and he shuddered. Hound Dog’s trained canine force. This was the one component to the new security measures he could not figure out how to get around. Slipping past human awareness was something he had become quite skilled at. A trained dog was an impossibility. He sighed. Opportunities for him and Kirishima to have even a moment alone together were becoming less and less. At least tomorrow would be like last Saturday. The third-year classes would be allowed off-campus again to gather corsages and purchase any other items needed for Sunday. 10 am to 3 pm. The two of them could slip away from everyone else again. Another “date.” Even Shinso couldn’t help but grin at the thought.
*
The alarm on his phone blared at 7 am. Shinso hit the snooze button and stretched. He had not slept well which wasn’t out of the ordinary. After hitting the snooze button two more times, he showered, got dressed, and slipped out the back stairway door of his dorm. He didn’t want to be grilled by Fujioka. She had figured out the whole Bakugo thing was a ruse. Chiba, his second closest friend among the gen studies students, never believed it for a second which helped steer Fujioka into resuming her pestering again. But they both knew he was spending most of his free time at 3A so they would eventually figure it out. Hopefully, Kirishima would be okay with them knowing soon enough. They could keep it quiet if he pushed them to do so. He just didn’t like the idea of Fujioka sinking her teeth into Kirishima. She was very blunt and at times unkind and he wouldn’t allow her to treat Kirishima that way. If it meant losing a childhood friendship over it, so be it. Kirishima seemed to be getting more and more comfortable with the idea over the last week of expanding the circle of who knew about them. His brazenness the one morning in front of Iida and Todoroki was a good sign.
He arrived at the 3A dorm a few minutes after eight. The usual group of Bakugo, Momo, Iida, and Todoroki were already eating breakfast. Shoji was in the kitchen cleaning up it looked like. He must have been in charge that morning for preparing the meal. Kirishima was grabbing a plate and Shinso joined him. “Running a little late, that’s unlike you,” Kirishima said to him as they sat down to eat.
“Couldn’t sleep and hit the snooze button since I knew I could. No classes today.”
“Such a rebel,” Kirishima said with a smile. The rest of 3A slowly made their way down. After breakfast, the students hung out until Aizawa-sensei arrived at 9:30 to hopefully set them all loose on the town.
He had Eri in tow who was holding his hand grinning at the girls who were commenting on her cute pink outfit.
“Students,” Aizawa-sensei said loudly to get their attention. “Tux rentals will be delivered today at noon at the dorm. I thought walking around town with them would be a bit much so that’s one less thing you have to worry about. I know you all are most excited about having fun so please, be mindful of your surroundings and remember you are all heroes. That comes before anything else when you are out in public. There’s a festival happening near Naka Ward if you guys want to walk the three miles to get there. Again, don’t embarrass UA. Also, before you leave, I want everyone to sign this sheet of paper,” he held up a plain sheet in his hand,” of who you will be with the whole time you are out. No groups smaller than four. Since Trigger is in the area, Nezu wanted to cancel this outing, but I told him instead I would just give you rules to hopefully make the outing more safe. Please follow them or you won’t be happy about what will happen if I find out otherwise. Be back by three.” As students found groups and started to fill out the paper, Aizawa-sensei walked over to Kirishima. “Kirishima, you’re to stay on campus today.” The grin on Kirishima’s face quickly vanished. “Until you’re a week out from having any Trigger in your system, you stay on campus, near Recovery Girl. The fact we don’t know if you were a random victim or if you were chosen by those who administered the Trigger also makes me hesitant for you to be out and about just yet.” Kirishima nodded at this statement.
“Yes, sensei. I’ll stay back,” Kirishima replied.
“Since you lied to me last Saturday, it isn’t just going to be fun and games in the dorm for you today. I have work to do so you’ll be babysitting Eri for me,” Aizawa-sensei said evenly.
Kirishima had a sheepish expression on his face. Shinso kept his face impassive but he was definitely going to give Kirishima a piece of his mind in private about lying about his quirk. He had suspected it but wasn’t sure. Aizawa-sensei turned to Shinso who was standing next to Kirishima.
“I assume you’re going to be staying back with Kirishima?” Aizawa-sensei asked.
Shinso was surprised at his mentor’s bluntness but he kept his expression. He glanced at Kirishima and saw his face turn the same color as his hair. Shinso nodded at Aizawa-sensei.
“Two sets of eyes on Eri are better than one I suppose. Stay out of trouble, please.” Aizawa-sensei turned around to gather the piece of paper off the table.
“Kiri, I wrote you and Shin’s name down with me, Momo, Ears, and Pikachu. Come on,” Bakugo said. He and Momo were the last ones to sign and the other students were heading out. Kyoka and Kaminari were standing in the foyer waiting for them.
Kirishima explained to Bakugo why he couldn’t go and the now foursome left the dorm. Aizawa-sensei spoke a few words to Eri and then was on his way to do whatever it was he was working on. Probably had something to do with the formal which had the usually calm Aizawa slightly more irritable than usual. He was worried about the third years possibly being targeted during the event.
“Hitoshi! Kirishima! Can we go to the roof first?” Eri asked excitedly.
“Sure thing!” Kirishima said. “Um… which roof, Eri?”
“The main building roof that’s accessible from East Wing. She likes playing there and it has an amazing view of the campus,” Shinso answered. He had taken Eri up there many times; it was one of her favorite places.
As they made their way to the main building, Eri skipping ahead of them, Shinso decided now was as good a time as any to grill Kirishima. “So you lied last weekend.” Kirishima looked over at him, a grimace now replacing his smile.
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I just –“
“Didn’t want us to worry.” Shinso interrupted him. His face was hard and he kept his gaze forward. Kirishima sighed. “So now I get to worry that you’re hiding things.”
“I won’t. I promise. Really.” Kirishima linked his arm around Shinso’s. Shinso felt Kirishima’s eyes on him, staring him down, waiting for him to look back at him. Shinso wanted to stay a little mad at him, but he knew once he looked at him it would be pointless. He let his gaze fall on expressive, red eyes that held no deceit. They were open and penitent. Shinso smiled at him and believed him.
Now it was Kirishima’s turn it would seem. “So, what does Aizawa-sensei know and… how does he know? About us?”
“Just assume Aizawa knows everything that happens on campus and act accordingly,” Shinso said matter-of-factly.
“Poor guy,” Kirishima answered with a laugh.
*
After many games of “eye-spy,” chalk drawing, and “who can make Shinso freak-out the most by standing too far on the ledge, Kirishima or Eri,” the trio left the roof and returned to Aizawa-sensei’s dorm for lunch. Shinso wasn’t sure who was having more fun, Kirishima or Eri. Shinso knew Kirishima had watched Eri before, especially during the first year since he was one of the few students Eri warmed up to at first. He along with the girls, Midoriya, and Mirio before he graduated had become capable baby-sitters. The last year, however, it had mainly been Shinso, Ahane-sensei, and Yamada-sensei. Mainly because the three of them, after Aizawa, had naturally become her new family so sitters weren’t needed as often. Shinso spent a lot of time with Aizawa-sensei. The relationship had become more than just mentor/mentee. He had become a father figure to Shinso and naturally he and Eri becoming like brother and sister was inevitable. Although now with Kirishima’s enthusiasm he noticed Eri was rather enjoying having someone different to entertain her since Kirishima had not watched her in ages.
After a lunch of rice, grilled tuna, and pickled vegetables, the trio cleaned up the kitchen. Eri and Kirishima chatted away mainly about the Formal. As they finished drying the last dish Eri turned to Kirishima, “Do you want to see my dress?”
“Is it pink?” Kirishima asked with a smile.
“Well… kinda,” she answered as she took his hand and led him to her room. Shinso had been shone the dress five times already. Eri was very proud of it. They walked into her room and it was on full display hanging on the hook for the drapes of her window. It was white but was covered in iridescent sequins that sparkled light pink and lilac when the light caught it. It tied in the back with a huge bow. She had her shoes that were light purple underneath it.
“That’s really nice,” Kirishima said.
“What color suit are you wearing Kirishima?” Eri asked. Shinso raised an eyebrow at him.
“It’s a surprise,” Kirishima replied.
“That’s funny, that’s the same thing Hitoshi told me when I asked him about his tux. And his mask!”
“Yeah, it will be a surprise for me too….” Shinso whispered under his breath looking a bit peeved. Kirishima playfully elbowed him. Suddenly Eri’s smile disappeared from her face.
“Eri, you okay?” Shinso asked her.
“Well, yeah… I’m just a bit worried. I don’t know how to dance so I’m kinda scared I won’t know what to do when I get a chance to dance.”
“That’s easy, you just move to the beat. Most people don’t know any dances anyway, they just move their arms and legs with the music. They usually will play certain songs, too, that have a specific dance that a few people know and then you just learn them on the spot by watching the ones that know it. Nothing to be worried about,” Kirishima offered.
“That’s what Yamada told me, but I was thinking more of the slow dances,” Eri said, her face blushing.
“Oh. Well, I’m as clueless as you Eri,” Kirishima said with a laugh.
“I can help you with that Eri,” Shinso replied evenly.
*
They didn’t have much room in the dorm, Kirishima moved the ottoman that also acted as a coffee table by the front door. Shinso looked through the records that were on the shelf in the corner.
“You keep your records here?” Kirishima asked him.
“No. These are all Aizawa-sensei’s records. Several years ago Yamada-sensei gave Aizawa-sensei a record player as an apartment-warming gift when he started teaching at UA. Anytime there’s a gift-giving holiday, he gifts vinyl to Aizawa-sensei. He doesn’t listen to any of it though, but he doesn’t want to throw it out since it would hurt Yamada’s feelings. Or I’m guessing that’s why. Yamada plays it when he’s here and I do, too. Yamada’s the one that got me into vinyl. Most of them are American or British bands since Yamada’s half-American. Let’s see….. “ Shinso took out an almost completely black album with faint grey letters in English on the cover. He took out the vinyl carefully and placed it on the record player and started to play the album.
An acoustic guitar riff with soft percussion played in the background. “Okay Eri, first things first. Dance position,” Eri stood in front of Shinso, a big smile on her face. “Make a ‘T’ with your arms.” Eri brought her arms out to her sides at the shoulders. “You’ll probably have to correct whoever is leading you, but they place their right arm on your back over your shoulder blade.” Shinso moved into this position. “Now you place your right hand on your partner's left shoulder, or a little lower, their upper arm since your short.” Eri did what he said with a giggle. Shinso now grabbed her right hand with his left hand. “Clasped hands are at your eye level, people tend to want to drop it lower, but they're wrong.” Eri nodded. The song playing on the record player added vocals, a woman with a soulful voice. It brought a dreamy quality to the song.
Now Shinso showed her a simple two count step, with side to side footwork. She caught on fast and was grinning ear-to-ear. He then turned her in a circle and moved seamlessly back into the simple footwork. “Good job, Eri.” Shinso started to hum a bit to the music, then, “ ‘Please don’t take this feeling, I have found at last…’ “ he sang along with the song in English, low and quietly.
“I don’t know what you’re saying, but it sounds nice,” Eri said with a smile.
“You have to get Yamada to teach you English,” Shinso replied his eyes suddenly meeting Kirishima’s. He was sitting on the couch and had a strange look on his face, almost slightly sick, which caught Shinso off guard. Kirishima dropped the look almost immediately after their eyes met and he smiled, his cheeks now flushing with color and then he looked away from Shinso. Now Shinso was the one to blush. He understood the strange look now. He was pleased to know he wasn’t the only one who was lovesick between the two of them. Why had he been staring at him like that? Shinso didn’t think that he could evoke that kind of love-struck expression from someone else. Cranky, aloof, Shinso with the dead eyes and the thin lips in a constant straight line of indifference. Was it that he was teaching Eri to dance so this somehow made him more endearing? Or the singing? Shinso had honestly forgotten Kirishima was there during the lesson he was so engaged in teaching. He would never have sung in front of him if he really thought about it and now he felt slightly embarrassed.
Shinso turned Eri around again and she laughed. “Thanks so much, Hitoshi! You should teach Kirishima that dance since he doesn’t know how to.”
Kirishima immediately protested, “Nope, I’m good! I learned it from just watching.” Eri walked over and grabbed his hand and pulled him towards Shinso, putting his hand in his.
“You can’t learn just by watching. Of course Hitoshi, you’ll have to teach him how to lead,” Eri said.
“Umm…” Kirishima said, obviously having no idea where his hands should go.
“Let me guess, all your middle school dances, girls had hands on both shoulders and boys had hands on their partner's hips and you would just spin in circles.”
“Yeah, pretty much,” Kirishima chuckled.
Shinso moved Kirishima’s hand to his mid-back. “Shoulder blade,” he said. When it came to the footwork, Kirishima had two left feet. “How can you not get this? Eri is 8 and she got it almost immediately,” Shinso said the corner of his mouth turning up slightly.
“I can’t be good at everything, ya know…” Kirishima said, his eyes glancing down at their feet. Eri couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m just nervous…”
“I can tell, your palms are sweaty,” Shinso said watching Kirishima’s face intently. He was concentrating on the timing, his expression deep in thought, eyes on his feet. Shinso couldn’t help to smile and think how cute he was trying to figure out something that was unnatural to him. Kirishima struck him as someone who was a natural athlete so this was probably a bit humbling for him.
“How do you know how to dance?” Kirishima asked, his eyes still on their feet, finally finding the rhythm.
“My mom forced me to take ballroom dancing with her because she wanted to and my dad didn’t. I know a lot more dances, but I thought I’d keep it simple for Eri. And for you.” He squeezed Kirishima’s hand playfully. Kirishima looked up and into his eyes now.
“You got it, Kirishima! Good job!” Eri cheered. Kirishima broke out into an ear-to-ear grin.
The record now went quiet having played the last song. Shinso let go of Kirishima. He couldn’t help but feel a little sad to realize they wouldn’t get to dance any slow dances together at the dance. Maybe they could find some little hidden corner somewhere. And Shinso could lead so Kirishima wouldn’t have to think about it. If only. “Well, I think you both are ready,” Shinso said.
Eri was ready to move on to the next activity. “Okay, time for baking cookies!”
“I’m game!” Kirishima replied.
*
It was dark when Aizawa-sensei returned to his dorm. He found Shinso sitting on the floor, his back against the couch, a sleeping Eri slumped against his right side and a sleeping Kirishima leaning against Shinso’s left shoulder. A movie was playing on the tv and there was popcorn and snacks everywhere.
“Well, it looks like you guys had a good time. Maybe this wasn’t the punishment I was hoping for for Kirishima.”
“Yeah. I think he may have had more fun than Eri. And ate twice as many sweets as she did.”
Chapter 67: Bakugo & Kyoka & Yaoyorozu
Chapter Text
Bakugo
Momo, Bakugo, Kyoka, and Kaminari decided to go to the festival first. Bakugo really didn’t want to go, but Momo did, so he nodded when she asked him. He realized this worked well, however, since the florist shop he eventually found the specific flower he was looking for last Saturday was in Naka Ward. He could collect it afterward. He hoped he somehow could pick it up in secret because he wanted to surprise her with it tomorrow. They would hit the local florist shop on the way back. Bakugo and Momo were holding hands as they walked behind Kyoka and Kaminari. The couple in front of them were talking quite a bit, but the conversation had a very different tone than theirs normally did. Instead of teasing and insults, it seemed to be pleasant and mainly smiles were made and laughs were heard. Responsive laughs, not sarcastic or patronizing. About time, Bakugo thought. Those two were probably more clueless than Bakugo was about love he thought because it seemed like everyone in the class except for Kyoka and Kaminari knew they both had been crushing on each other for the last year. Sarcasm, insults, pranks, and jokes seemed to have unfortunately blurred any hints they had tried to give the other as far as any feelings of affection.
“So you and Kyoka have been talking about her and Pikachu the last few days? In those private conversations?” Bakugo asked. Momo nodded at him.
“I wish his asking her to the Formal would have been less, well, less of a given to him. It didn’t have a huge impact on her. She just doesn’t know how he feels.”
“He likes her. He’s liked her since the end of first year.”
“How do you know?”
Bakugo shrugged. “I can just tell.”
Momo smiled at him. “You can just tell? I don’t know if you’re the best judge about that kind of thing. You didn’t know that I liked you for so long.”
“Isn’t that how it works though? It’s easier to tell when you’re not the one involved. Can’t you tell Kam likes her?”
“All of you guys are a mystery to me. I wouldn’t even fathom to guess for any of you. Honestly, I would’ve thought you liked Kirishima before liking me.”
Bakugo grinned. “Kiri’s the best. He just has bad taste in guys.”
“That’s not very nice. I like Shinso the more I get to know him.”
“I was talking more about me,” Bakugo said. Momo glanced over at him and smiled. He tried to smile back at her, but his face became serious. He was still feeling very off due to what had happened the last few days. About how he had treated Momo. And how finally getting the top rank in their class made him ill to think about now. He knew if Momo would not have been upset by his actions she would have gotten first place.
“You’re not so bad,” Momo said. She let go of his hand and linked her arm through his now. Bakugo smiled at her. For the rest of the walk they were silent, just enjoying being in the presence of the other.
*
The festival was much bigger than they expected. There were many food booths and game booths as well. Bakugo and Kaminari couldn’t help but become drawn to the games. The prospect of playing a game and winning something was too good of a deal to pass up. There was a cork-shooting booth that Bakugo thought would be easy enough. After he and Kaminari wasted 1000 yen between them to try and shoot an object with the cork guns to win it and came up empty-handed, Momo decided to intervene. She and Kyoka had been watching the game unfold and Momo had some suspicions. She walked up to Bakugo and put her arm around his shoulder and leaned against him. Bakugo gave her a curious look. The look on her face told him she was up to something besides just wanting to get cozy. When the booth employee turned his back, Momo immediately spread the fingers of her left hand and a colorful splash of light erupted from her palm. A second later she held a replica of the cork gun in her hand and then pushed it in Bakugo’s hand. She leaned towards him and whispered in his ear. “This one should fire true. The others are all rigged.”
Bakugo curled his lip. He placed a 500 yen coin on the table and asked for 5 corks.
*
Kaminari and Momo were eating from boxes of cookies, Kyoka was holding two All Might action figures that said his most famous lines when you pushed a button on their back, and Bakugo had a stuffed animal unicorn. All 5 corks had hit true. Bakugo offered the unicorn to Momo but she thought Eri would appreciate it more. The boys stopped in a front of a ring toss booth for several moments and Kyoka quickly grabbed them by the back of their shirt collars and pulled them away.
They walked around looking at some of the booths that had little trinkets, goldfish, and art. “Guys, look.” Kyoka pointed at an old building at the end of the plaza. It had a huge sign that said, “Haunted House.”
“You’re quite the scream queen Kyoka. The movie last night and now this?” Kaminari asked.
“Scared?” she taunted him.
“No way. I’m game. Bakugo, Momo, ya wanna?”
The foursome made their way to the feature, the front door of the house giving a loud creak as Kaminari opened it. They entered into a large, dark foyer where the hostess animatedly told them about the ‘history’ of the haunted house and what horrors awaited them as they paid her several yen each. She held back a drape at the end of the room and the two couples enter the haunted house.
The first few rooms which consisted of a torture chamber, a dark room that had a costumed werewolf thrash around in a cage when they drew near it, and a room of zombies, seemed to not elicit much reaction from Momo or Kyoka much to Kaminari’s disappointment. “You guys are no fun! Not a single yelp or scream,” he said looking at Bakugo with disappointment.
“We’re Class 3A. Our real lives have been chock full of actual horrors and you’re surprised fake stuff doesn’t faze us?” Kyoka replied.
“Have you NO imagination to let run wild?!” Kaminari wailed over-dramatically as he draped his arm over Kyoka’s shoulders and cackled wildly trying to draw a reaction out of her. She rolled her eyes at him but didn’t push him away. They came to a fork in the hallway.
Kaminari turned to Bakugo and Momo and said matter-of-factly, “Well, this is where we must part ways, my friends. Go in safety Bakugo and Momo. We hope to see you on the other side in one piece…” Kaminari pulled a slightly reluctant-looking Kyoka away from Momo as they turned left. Bakugo and Momo went right.
Kyoka
Kaminari still had his arm around Kyoka as they went down the corridor. She glanced at him and saw he had a grin of anticipation on his face. He was enjoying himself immensely it would seem. Although none of them had really been scared, Kyoka felt that almost static-like feeling of apprehension from the knowledge that she wasn’t quite sure what they would find around the corner. Even though it had all been pretty cheesy Kaminari’s joking around had made it fun.
In the next room, they found a dilapidated bedroom that seemed empty and had very disorienting blinking lights. As they made their way across the room, an evilly grinning clown jumped out at them from a wardrobe. His face was painted white and he had a large, red, painted smile that made him look demented. His hair was the stereotypical red mane of red springy curls. Kyoka jumped and then laughed. She grabbed Kaminari by his leather jacket lapel and was about to pull him past the crazed clown until she saw the look on his face. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up on end. His eyes were wide, his pupils dilated with fear, his yellow irises thin circles. His jaw was clenched tightly and he stood rigidly, staring at the clown.
“Kam?” He didn’t look at her, he stared on at the clown transfixed. She worried that maybe the blinking lights triggered a seizure in him. Or maybe something more nefarious, like a gas that was being admitted and was affecting him. But she was fine so that was probably not the case. She tried to not think about extreme things like that since more simple explanations were more likely, but she was worried about him. She now yanked on his lapel and pulled him towards her. He began to move along with her but kept his eyes locked on the gruesome-looking clown. She continued to pull him along until they were out of the room and found themselves in a narrow corridor. Kyoka saw an exit sign halfway down. “Kam?” she said to him again, her voice shaking, looking into his face as they walked. His face was slightly more relaxed now, but his jaw was still clenched tightly and it looked like he was sweating at his temples. His eyes met hers, a distant look in his gaze. Kyoka saw a door marked exit under the sign and she pushed it open and pulled Kaminari by his hand into what appeared to be outside access to an alley. She walked him outside and then let go of his hand. He took a deep breath and then crouched down, bringing a hand down between his legs to the ground to steady himself. He shook his head and closed his eyes. Kyoka crouched down next to him and waited for him to recover. She stared at him and saw he still looked pale and his face was slightly damp from sweat.
After a minute he laughed his eyes still closed, “So the class clown’s afraid of clowns. Oh, the irony. Were you thinkin’ that?” he asked. She had not been thinking that. She was actually quite worried about him until she figured out it was the clown that triggered his response. “I’m a complete joke. You can totally laugh. Or say something sarcastic or witty.” He had a slight smile on his face. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. His coloring was coming back. She glanced at his yellow eyes that still seemed to show a shadow of his former fear despite the smile on his face. They were uncharacteristically vulnerable, and she had to look away.
“Not everything has to be a joke y’know,” Kyoka said staring at her feet. “It doesn’t have to be brushed off or treated like it’s no big deal.”
“It isn’t a big deal.”
“Yeah, but your reaction …. I… was worried….” She decided to go there because she knew he would never unless she did it first. “I thought maybe it was something more serious than just a fear of clowns. I’m relieved it wasn’t. You really scared me, Kam.” She said it finally and it wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be. She was looking at a crack in the pavement between her feet. She waited for him to reply. He would most likely poke fun at her or tease her. But maybe he wouldn’t.
“Kyoka.” He said it low and it didn’t sound like him at all. There was a raw quality to it, a seriousness she knew he was capable of, but she had only heard him sound like that on the battlefield. She was terrified to look up at him. She knew in her heart once she did, everything would change, and now that it was finally happening she wasn’t sure she was ready. She had been waiting for so long. She held her breath and turned her head gazing into bright, yellow eyes. His face was serious. He looked older, almost like someone else. He reached his hand out and brushed her hair out of her face. He then ran his fingers down her jawline and brought his face slowly towards hers. Before their lips met, he paused briefly and gave her a small, familiar smile. He closed his eyes and kissed her.
Yaoyorozu
After going down the right fork, Bakugo and Momo found themselves being chased down the corridor by a guy in a hockey mask with a chainsaw. Momo grabbed Bakugo’s hand and they ran until they found themselves in a room that was completely dark. The growl of the chainsaw started to die away, going in the opposite direction. She was holding Bakugo’s hand still and although rationally nothing had really scared her in the Haunted House, she still felt a bit of trepidation. Suddenly the lights flickered on and she couldn’t help but let out a slightly shaky breath at the sudden appearance of the couple standing a few feet in front of her. The lights went out again. She stood still, Bakugo was still holding her hand. She waited for the lights to flicker back on. As they did she looked straight ahead and stared down the couple. Dark brown eyes gazed deep into her own. It was her reflection in a mirror. Her eyes now glanced quickly at Bakugo’s reflection and he stared right back. She took a step closer to the mirror and looked down a corridor and saw that it led to a hallway of mirrors. She turned her head to look back at Bakugo whose face looked impassive.
“Nothing’s scared you so far, huh?” He asked her. She shook her head and smiled back at him. “Wanna make a wager?” The lights went out again and they stood in the darkness.
“Maybe,” Momo said into the void.
“If I can make you scream, I win.”
Momo paused for a second, but her competitive nature couldn’t help itself. “Okay. But what will you win? And if I don’t scream, what do I win?” The lights came back on and his red eyes were staring intently at her. His expression was more serious than she expected.
“Name your prize.”
She knew what she wanted and immediately told him. “If I win, you walk me to my room tonight. And when I invite you in, you stay.” Bakugo’s face blushed a deep red, but his expression didn’t change.
“Okay,” he replied simply.
“And what if you win? What do you want?” Momo asked trying to keep her voice even although her heart rate started to increase. The lights went out and in the same instant, he let go of her hand. A couple of seconds later the lights came back on and she found herself alone staring down the mirrored corridor at varying reflections of herself and no Bakugo in sight. She had not felt him slip by her but she assumed he had. She walked a few paces until she came to her reflection that was staring right back at her. The lights went out and now her heart began to race again. She reached blindly out to her right finding solid mirror and then brought her other arm to the left and felt space so she turned left. As she walked a few paces, the lights flickered back on and she jumped at the person staring at her a few feet away. Her own reflection. She sighed and hurried along. She knew Bakugo would try to scare her somehow and she was annoyed at the blatant heaviness of the unknown that clung around her. Logically she knew there were no monsters, no axe murderers, no other-worldly beings that could hurt her. But she knew there was a very competitive and mischievous boyfriend lurking in the house of mirrors and he wouldn’t be happy until she shrieked out in fear. It was a game of cat and mouse and she didn’t like being the mouse, even if she knew the cat was just trying to scare her. So she decided she would keep her eyes closed and not depend on the intermittent light to aid her. Most likely it would just disorient her anyway and ensure she would scream out. She walked at a steady pace in the maze of mirrors, her hand out in front of her feeling the mirrored wall beside her until she found a dead end and had to backtrack back two turns. She could have sworn she felt a presence at the dead end, but she resisted the unbelievable urge to open her eyes. Instead, she lunged towards the presence and extended her hand until she met the cold mirrored surface. She could have sworn she heard a light snicker behind her, but maybe it was her imagination. With her eyes closed, her other senses seemed almost too sensitive to stimuli so she tried to not let her imagination run wild.
She was surprised at how big the maze was, but she figured she was now more than halfway through it. Having moved through most of it, she now had the layout figured out in her head so she knew she would no longer make wrong turns. She heard a sinister chuckle behind her and a second later heard it in front of her echoing through the large room of mirrors. She kept her eyes closed and continued on. She felt a presence a few feet behind her. She slowed down, but turned the opposite direction and ran her hand down the cool surface of the mirrored wall until her hand touched a bare arm. Her wrist was grabbed and pulled towards the presence. She kept her eyes closed tightly, but didn’t resist as she was pushed against the mirrored wall and she felt a mouth on her neck and an arm wrap around her shoulders. She ran her hands through his thick tufts of hair. He leaned his head back and inhaled a deep breath through his nose. Now she pulled him by his shoulders towards her, and she kissed his neck. “You smell so good….” Momo whispered, her eyes still shut tightly. “That’s how I knew it was you.” He kissed her on the mouth now as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He ceased kissing her for a few moments to whisper, “You cheated. Keeping your eyes shut the whole time took all the fun out of it.” She grinned, keeping her eyes closed, and kissed him back. She ran her hands down his shoulders and biceps, then over his bare forearms. He had rolled the sleeves of his shirt up even though it was chilly. His skin was so warm. Their breathing became labored between their kisses as their hands began searching each other. Part of Momo wanted to open her eyes, but in this chosen darkness everything felt so intense, Bakugo’s heavy breathing seemed so loud it fogged her thinking. His touch so purposeful and exhilarating, she felt as if her whole body was trembling.
Suddenly they heard a scream not too far away from them and they both became still. Momo opened her eyes and was still met with darkness. She felt Bakugo’s breath on her lips, felt his body pressed against hers, but couldn’t see him. Seconds later the light came on and they both smiled at each other as they heard more screams fill the room. People being frightened by their own reflections it would seem. Eyes now open, Momo reluctantly started to move along the wall and Bakugo gave a bellowing whine. He held her hand as she walked away and they found their way out of the house of mirrors.
Bakugo and Momo made their way through the last room, which was just a dilapidated dining room with three skeletons sitting together having a meal. Momo opened a large door on the other side of the table and the couple found themselves blinded by the mid-day sunshine outside. There was a small courtyard and they decided to wait for Kaminari and Kyoka. Momo texted her in case they got out before them. Bakugo sat on a bench and Momo joined him. He put an arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. Ten seconds later he then whispered in her ear. “Look behind you down the sidewalk to your left.” Momo turned her head and leaned back. At the end of a paved sidewalk that ran down the length of the back of the house, Momo saw Kaminari and Kyoka sitting on a bench making out. Momo made an exasperated sound and leapt off the bench pulling Bakugo with her. Her face was red with embarrassment, but she smiled. As they left the courtyard, Momo cleared her throat. “Well… we can walk around the festival and meet back up with them later I guess.”
After not hearing from Kyoka and Kaminari via text after a half-hour, Momo and Bakugo decided to grab lunch from one of the food booths at the festival. They sat by a duck pond in the grass eating festival fare and watching festival-goers. “So, I guess I win,” Bakugo said as they finished their lunch. Momo looked up at him quizzically.
“The scream bet? I never screamed in the haunted house, so you’re sadly mistaken.”
“You did in the courtyard of the haunted house, though, so I think that counts.” Bakugo grinned.
Momo thought about the noise she made upon seeing Kyoka and Kaminari. It wasn’t really a scream, but she was quite surprised and shocked at the time. And Bakugo had told her to look that way. “I think that’s a bit of a stretch.”
Bakugo shrugged. Curiosity got the better of her. “Well, let’s say you did win. Not saying I think you did. But, if we decide you won the bet, what claim do you stake?” Bakugo narrowed his red eyes at her, a serious look on his face.
Before he could say anything, Kaminari and Kyoka walked up, hand in hand. “Sorry, just now saw your text, Momo,” Kyoka said timidly, a blush spreading across her cheeks. Momo looked up at her and grinned.
On the walk back to campus, Bakugo said he forgot something and would catch back up with them. Momo thought it was strange, but about 10 minutes later he rejoined them and had a black bag he was now carrying. He took her hand and didn’t say anything. They stopped by the florist shop near the campus and Momo, Kaminari, and Kyoka picked up corsages and boutonnieres. During the walk, Kyoka and Kaminari had been holding hands. Every now and then, Kaminari would bring Kyoka’s hand up to his face and kiss the back of her hand and she would smile at him.
“Great. We’re gonna have to put up with those two now at the dorms being all over each other,” Bakugo grumbled under his breath.
“Well, everyone has had to put up with us,” Momo replied.
“We’re more discreet though. I have a feeling those two won’t be. They’ll probably be worse than Deku and Pink Cheeks.”
*
They entered the dorm right at 3. Momo wasn’t surprised about the reaction Kaminari and Kyoka received. “It’s about time,” Sero said.
“We’ve been waiting for you guys to make this official! Just glad it happened before we graduated!” Mina added.
Kaminari seemed more serious and less talkative than usual, but he had a constant grin on his face and he was glued to Kyoka’s side. Mineta and Sero decided to play on the Xbox and Mineta was surprised when Kaminari turned down a controller. He was sitting on the couch, Kyoka sitting in front of him, his arms wrapped around her. “And we lose yet another one to the other side,” Sero said with a laugh.
As the evening continued on, talk centered around the formal. Girls were talking about their dresses, some of the guys were planning a prank for the event, keeping their voices low so Iida didn’t hear. Kyoka managed to peel herself off of Kaminari for a few minutes to talk to the girls about their plans the next day for getting ready. As curfew neared, Kirishima walked into the dorm looking sleepy.
“Where have you been, Kiri?” Mina asked.
“Babysitting Eri for Aizawa-sensei,” he said as he yawned and stretched. “Fell asleep watching a movie.”
“That doesn’t sound like a very good job babysitting,” Kaminari said.
Kirishima glanced at Kaminari and Kyoka snuggled together on the couch and gave them a grin.
“Guess I missed out on some developments today,” Kirishima said.
*
It was almost 10 and Bakugo walked Momo to her door. She had been thinking about their bet the whole time they had walked up the stairs. She didn’t want to be the one to bring it up though. Had she won? Could she claim her prize? She wanted to see if Bakugo would say anything about it. She couldn’t help but continue to feel her desire to be with him was greater than his. It seemed on most occasions it was Bakugo who would disengage an embrace or a kiss and then depart. Still her hands and kiss her goodbye. He was someone who was so fueled by his emotions to the detriment of rational thought at times, she couldn’t help but feel the slight. Why did he hold back with her?
She opened her dorm door and entered her room. She turned towards him, standing a couple of feet in her room, and looked at him. He had a serious expression on his face and seemed as if he was thinking about something else. She stood there patiently and waited.
“Is this what you really want?” he whispered, his face grave. It took her a couple of seconds to figure out what he was talking about since his expression was so serious, almost sorrowful.
She wanted him to cross the threshold into her room more than anything, but did he want to?
“What about you? You never said what you wanted if you won the bet.”
He took three steps slowly towards her and reached both his hands out, placing them gently on the sides of her face.
“I want you, Momo. I’ve always wanted you.” She stared at him transfixed. Her knees felt weak and her body felt heavy. How was it that his words meant so much to her and had such a profound effect on her? Was it because he was too honest and truthful? And that he never talked about anything deep so that this declaration held more worth because he wasn’t one to speak of such things? She stood there and stared at him unable to move. After several moments she was able to at least speak the words on her mind. If he could be honest, then she needed to be.
“Why do you hesitate with me then? I’ve asked you to stay here more than once and you leave.”
He was still touching her face gently gazing at her. “Because…” he paused as he seemed to search for the right words but he never drew his eyes away from hers. “I don’t want you to ever have regrets. In time you may realize I’m not worth the trouble….” Momo knew it was too late for that. Even if things did end, and honestly she thought that could be a real possibility considering how the last week had gone, she had already given part of her heart to him.
“I think it’s too late for that.” She brought her hand up to his cheek and smiled. He was so warm, his skin almost hot to the touch. Bakugo closed his eyes for several moments and then he slowly lifted Momo into his arms.
Chapter 68: The one where they all sleep in Momo’s room
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Bakugo
Bakugo slowly awoke, momentarily not knowing where he was due to the canopy of ivory fabric his eyes fell on overhead. He was laying on his back, his left arm resting over his head. His right arm was wrapped under Momo, his right hand resting on Momo’s shoulder. Her head was laying on his chest, her breathing slow and even signaling she was still asleep. The room was barely illuminated; the early morning light cast Momo’s room in a hazy, purplish gray. It almost looked as if the light was coming from the furniture itself instead of the distant sun beyond the horizon that was not yet visible. Bakugo was laying on top of Momo’s covers. She was tucked into her comforter. Her room was very frigid, Momo had lowered the thermostat down to 65 early in the evening due to how warm Bakugo ran, and with them being close to one another, she realized keeping the room as cold as possible made it a lot more comfortable for her. Bakugo rarely slept with covers due to how hot-natured he was, but even he realized he was a bit cold and this was what woke him. He rolled down the sleeves of his long sleeve shirt very carefully so as not to wake up Momo. He rested his head against the top of hers and closed his eyes even though he knew he wouldn’t fall back asleep. Once he was awake in the morning, he was up for the day. But this was nice Bakugo thought. Nice and soothing and comfortable enough to still even his constantly moving self.
The night before had taken an interesting turn. He thought for sure as he lifted Momo into his arms and laid her on her bed and they started to kiss, that things would progress quickly. She obviously wanted their relationship to go in that direction. After he was able to let go of his reservations as far as Momo’s possible future regrets, she seemed to be invested in him despite the downsides of his personality, he was all eagerness. He was a bit ashamed at how quickly he had changed his train of thought, but he was also a hot-blooded human being. After a few minutes, Momo pushed him back gently. “Sorry… I’m burning up. Let me turn on the a/c.” She scootched by him and climbed off the bed. On her way to the thermostat, she shed her sweater revealing a black bra underneath. Upon seeing this, Bakugo pulled his long sleeve t-shirt and undershirt over his head and tossed them to the side, and sat cross-legged on her bed anxiously waiting for her to return. As Momo climbed back on the bed and sat across from him, she smiled as her eyes fell on his bare chest. Her expression changed suddenly, her smile vanishing and her mouth dropping open slightly. Bakugo looked at her strangely and followed her gaze.
“Oh,” he said as her eyes stared at his left pectoral.
“Moonfish,” she said now meeting his gaze. He nodded once at her.
“Almost died in that fight,” Bakugo said with a slight smile. Momo brought her hand up to his chest and touched the knotted, white flesh of the scar. It was circular in shape, a few inches across in diameter. He had no feeling there now, the nerves of the skin permanently damaged, and was also missing a nipple. He never gave it much thought, now. He had gained a lot of scars over the last 2 and a half years. This one was the worst one by far, however. He was lucky he didn’t have permanent damage to his lung. He had been skewered completely through by three of Moonfish’s blades. One at his hip that had just gone through flesh and muscle. One at the shoulder that had only caused one fracture to his upper humerus. The worst was the one that had pierced through his chest, shattering three ribs and ripping a giant hole in him that caused him to cough up blood immediately on impact. He had lost a lot of blood by the time they got him to the operating table.
“You almost died at the hospital,” Momo said, staring at his chest, her hand still touching his skin he couldn’t feel. He perceived the pressure, but couldn’t feel her touch. “Twice.”
“Yeah,” he answered back. He had been told he had flatlined on the operating table twice. He had been too stubborn to die that day though. “You were…” he stopped himself. He felt a flooding of emotions suddenly and the usual tinge of anger that came with it. He was able to push that anger away now since it was Momo. But the flare of feelings was enough to quiet his speech.
“I was in the waiting room with Kirishima, Asui, Sato, and your parents,” Momo answered quietly. “Sero was hurt really bad in that battle, too. Iida and a few others were staying with his parents down the hall.” Bakugo placed his hand over hers. Her fingers were surprisingly cold. He had not been able to feel their frigidness on his chest.
“My mom couldn’t stop talking about you later. She said you had calmed her down, made her feel better.”
Momo’s expression changed to one of surprise. “That’s good to know. I thought I wasn’t very helpful. She was very upset. Very angry actually at you for almost dying.”
“Sounds about right,” he said with a grin.
“And Kirishima was an absolute mess.” Momo whispered this, her face looking pained. Bakugo’s face became serious.
“That sounds about right, too,” he said under his breath. Kirishima had been in the same battle and had fought off Moonfish after he attacked Bakugo. Moonfish would have probably finished him off if Kirishima had not become a battering ram of unbreakable force. Moonfish and several Nomu had retreated. Kirishima didn’t see it this way, though. He felt if he had gotten to the battle sooner Bakugo wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Maybe that was why he didn’t die. The universe didn’t want to give Kirishima that kind of guilt thought Bakugo. Although Bakugo believed he shouldn’t have felt guilty in the slightest. Kirishima always gave it his all. Like all of Class A.
Momo’s eyes misted with tears even though she forced a small smile on her face. “We bury so much so we can function. Being a hero sometimes is too much…” Bakugo scooted back to where he was lying against Momo’s pillows at the head of the bed and pulled her into his arms. She laid her head against his shoulder and draped an arm over his chest. They were quiet for some time until Momo brought up another visit she had made to the hospital when he and Midoriya had gotten injured after being captured by high-end Nomu and narrowly escaping that ordeal only six months previous. She and Iida as class reps had visited them both. Momo laughed at how annoyed he was that they had come to visit him and had brought flowers.
“I thought you would think I was a moron. I still can’t believe f*cking Nomu captured the two of us. I blame Deku…” Bakugo said gruffly. Momo laughed softly again. They continued to talk for another hour, cuddled together on her bed. Bakugo had never talked so much at one time in his entire life. He felt strange that none of it felt forced or unnatural. He and Momo had so many shared experiences, even if they had not been very close until recently. They had been through so much together the last two and a half years. Momo slowly sat up and then straddled him, gazing down into his eyes, her face serious.
“sh*t, you’re so beautiful,” he said before he could stop himself. He brought his hands up and placed them on either side of her face. His mouth seemed like it suddenly had a mind of its own and he couldn’t keep it from spilling out the thoughts flooding through his head. “I’m at your feet, Momo. I’m yours.” His face flushed. Shut up, idiot he told himself. Her face stayed serious and her mouth opened slightly. After several seconds, she let go of the breath she had been holding. He wondered if she thought he was an idiot when his brain and mouth went all soft and stupid and he said these random things to her. But he couldn’t help to speak his mind most of the time. And Momo was a goddess. She was a queen among, well, everyone thought Bakugo. And he felt like he wasn’t good enough, but not in the same way he felt insecurities about his hero status or his quirk or his capabilities when it came to the battlefield. He just felt that no one was her equal. She would always be settling for something less. As he gently held her face in his hands she gazed down at him, a serious expression on her face.
“I love you, Katsuki.”
He felt an alarming rush run through him. It was like his body had suddenly flipped a switch to fight mode and pure adrenaline was pumping through him. His mind oddly went to Shinso in the courtyard. His emotional, unhinged declarations and his taunting question to Bakugo. “What about what you want Bakugo?” And his mind went beyond graduation, beyond the goal of being the number one hero, beyond just his mental checklist of lifetime goals of being the best hero in Japan. The best hero on Earth. He wanted Momo desperately to fit into that future, to be on that checklist. He had never thought that far ahead into the future beyond just thinking of himself. His heart hammered in his chest and his breathing quickened. Suddenly, somehow, those goals about being the number one hero lessened in priority compared to how Momo would fit into his life once they graduated and this realization terrified him. Because up to this point his mind never went there because he always assumed Momo would tire of his bullsh*t and be done with him before graduation. But the way she was looking at him, how she said those three words he was too afraid to say, it made him think that a future was possible. Momo rested her hands on his forearms.
“Katsuki, are you okay?” she asked him in almost a whisper. He realized from her question and worried expression his face had to look like an absolute mess. He gazed into her dark brown eyes that felt so familiar now.
“I love you, too.”
She smiled at him. There wasn’t any surprise or change in her serene expression. She showed no doubt of his reciprocated words. It was as if she already knew he felt that way and this made him ache in his chest. Especially considering how he had screwed things up with the mid-terms. She had really thought he didn’t care for her anymore. But since then perhaps he had finally communicated to her enough that his feelings were far from that. Was he getting better at it? He wished he knew what he had said or done to convey his true feelings, what in the last day or hour had her so sure and certain? He pushed those questions to the back of his mind for now, this moment was really happening and he had to quit doubting his abilities that he could be good enough to deserve her. Not good enough for her, because he definitely wasn’t, but good enough for the chance to be the one by her side. Had he not met every challenge placed before him head-on? He could do this. He just had to be smart about it and keep his emotions in check.
She leaned towards him and kissed him. As their lips met, he realized, this kissing was quite different than before and he felt the ache in his chest spread to the rest of his body. His thinking was going fuzzy, yet his senses were sharp, too sharp. Suddenly a noise from the other side of the room sounded loud enough to gain both Bakugo and Momo’s attention. They both looked over to see Momo’s drapes billow away from the patio door and for a figure, completely clad in black from head to toe, to stumble into the room. Bakugo could hear barking dogs in the distance. The noise that had distracted him he realized now was the opening of Momo’s patio door. A half-second later Bakugo had the figure pinned to the floor and Momo had a bo staff pressed against the figure’s throat.
“Get off of me, idiot. Close the door,” the voice of Shinso sounded from behind a black balaclava.
Bakugo reached over and pulled the balaclava off of Shinso’s head. “What the f*ck, man?”
Momo sighed and withdrew her bo. She closed her patio door and then turned off the lamp in the corner so they were in darkness. Momo had a dim nightlight near her dorm door which kept them from being enveloped in complete darkness.
“Kiri’s room is two floors down on the other side, you moron,” Bakugo said with disdain in his voice.
“I know! That wasn’t where I was planning on going, okay? This was the closest spot from where I was coming from and I saw the light on and took a chance.”
“What the hell are you doing out?”
“I thought a moonlight stroll in the middle of the night sounded fun.” Shinso’s voice was hard and full of venom.
“Both of you stop. Are you hurt Shinso? Your voice sounds strained,” Momo asked.
“Yeah…”
Momo’s light on her phone shone in the darkened room. She knelt next to Shinso. He pulled up his pant leg revealing a very deep and painful-looking dog bite on the back of his lower thigh.
“sh*t, man,” Bakugo breathed out.
“I’m an idiot. I decided to risk seeing if I could get around the new security measures. I was planning on just making it to the roof of the main building and then back to my dorm. The dogs were just too fast and I couldn’t make it back to gen studies.”
“I’ll make some first aid supplies,” Momo said. Her chest and abdomen immediately were covered in colorful sparks that shown brightly in the darkened space. Several bottles fell into her hands along with gauze and tape.
“Thanks, Momo…” Shinso said, his voice low and embarrassed.
“Don’t mention it.” Her tone softened. “You’ll need to start some antibiotics, too, so those bites don’t get infected.” Another splash of color and she grabbed a bottle of pills. “Katsuki, can you grab a bottled water from my fridge? It’s by my desk.”
Bakugo grumbled but did what she asked him.
He tossed the bottle at Shinso and it hit him square on the chest and bounced to the ground in front of him.
“Asshole,” Shinso muttered. He unscrewed the cap and took the antibiotics.
“On the night before the formal. Have you lost your mind? The school’s gonna think villains are trying to set up an attack for tomorrow, sh*t-for-brains,” Bakugo said.
“I had my reasons, okay? I was supposed to go home today for an overnight stay at my parents. Ended up canceling it because of the day off-campus but my residential advisor still had the paperwork I would be gone. Worst case scenario if they found my room empty because I was out and about tonight it wouldn’t matter because I’m technically not supposed to be on campus.”
Suddenly Momo’s dorm room doorknob rattled and since it was locked it didn’t open. Two sharp knocks sounded through the door.
“What now?” whined Bakugo.
Momo shushed him and walked to her door and waited.
“Momo?” It was Kyoka. Bakugo’s eyes had adjusted to the dark and with the faint nightlight, he could see Momo’s room and its occupants well enough. Momo turned towards them and shooed them to move to the side of the room that would be concealed by the door.
She opened the door only a foot, but Kyoka barrelled in through it anyway.
“Kam just left my room! Things are moving way too fast and I needed someone to talk to about it. I hope you don’t mind, I know it’s late but…” Kyoka’s eyes fell on Bakugo who was leaning against the wall and Shinso who was sitting cross-legged on the floor. “Uh….”
Momo sighed. Suddenly a voice boomed through the intercom system that ran through all the personal dorm rooms and the shared living spaces and emergency lights shone overhead. It was Principal Nezu speaking. “Attention UA students. There has been a breach on campus and all residential advisors will be checking on each dorm to account for each student’s safety. Each dorm room has been locked by a master system and only the residential advisor can bypass it. This lock-down will last until 5 am. Please standby until you have spoken with your residential advisor. Thank you.”
Momo flipped her light switch on. No worries of it drawing attention to her room now since the whole school was awake and the emergency system had been engaged.
“Guess the four of us won’t be going to the formal tomorrow once Aizawa-sensei finds us,” Bakugo said with a wide grin.
“Shinso, now that I can see better let me tend to your leg,” Momo said as she knelt before him. He nodded at her and pulled his pant leg up wincing a bit.
“Momo… You’re missing a shirt… in case you… um… didn’t notice,” Kyoka said.
Momo gazed down at her chest looking unfazed. She walked over and grabbed her sweater off the floor and pulled it on and resumed tending to Shinso’s leg.
“The bra covers more than your hero costume if it makes any difference,” Shinso said, a wry smile on his face.
“Watch it, asshole,” Bakugo growled.
Momo sighed. “Play nice guys,” she said. Shinso looked up at Bakugo, the sly smile still plastered on his face. Bakugo glared at Shinso, crossing his arms over his chest.
“So….” Kyoka looked at Bakugo, her eye’s alighted on his bare chest and she looked away, her face blushing. Bakugo, noticing her uncomfortableness, walked over to Momo’s bed, grabbed his undershirt and t-shirt, and pulled them on. He suddenly realized this probably looked REALLY bad from Kyoka’s perspective.
Momo started to wrap Shinso’s thigh with gauze. Momo must have been on the same page as him because she looked up at Kyoka and started to explain the situation. “Shinso was attacked by dogs while traipsing around on campus in the middle of the night,” Momo shot Shinso a disapproving look. Bakugo was expecting his usual impassive expression, but his eyes looked apologetic and he was surprised. “He came into my room via the patio right before you knocked on the door.”
“So you’re the reason for the lockdown? Thanks a ton,” Kyoka said in her best deadpan.
“You’re welcome,” Shinso replied, his voice a low monotone.
Yaoyorozu
Momo stood up. “You two. In the closet,” she said. Shinso laughed softly and Bakugo suddenly looked pissed like Momo had just slapped him. She was surprised at his reaction to her request but stilled her expression.
Shinso stood up and opened the closet door. “After you,” he said to Bakugo, a smug expression on his face.
“Oh, f*ck no. You’re out of your mind, Momo… there’s no way in hell-“
A knock sounded on the door. Momo looked at Bakugo sternly. “Katsuki, in the closet, please.”
Bakugo glared at her and before he opened his mouth she quickly said, “Phalaenopsis-“
“Aphrodite. f*ck,” he interrupted her. He stomped into the small closet and Shinso followed after him, shutting the door quietly behind him. Momo took in a deep breath and went to her door. She heard the master lock unlock. A knock sounded on her door again.
“Yaoyorozu, it’s Ahane. I’m entering your dorm now,” sounded the voice of her teacher on the other side of the door. The door swung inward and Ahane-sensei stepped inside. She was wearing bright pink pajamas and her hair was clipped back away from her face. She had obviously been awoken from her sleep minutes before. “Oh good. Jirou, you weren’t in your room so I was hoping you were with someone else. Are you guys okay?”
They both nodded. “All the girls are accounted for in 3A. Since you are a class rep I think you should know what is going on Yaoyorozu.” Ahane’s gaze shot around Momo’s room suddenly and Momo couldn’t help to notice her teacher seemed very distracted. Was she suspicious? Or maybe she was just worried. Her eyes fell on the spot on the floor where Shinso had sat. Momo looked at her floor to see if any blood was visible or anything looked out of the ordinary but nothing looked suspect.
After several seconds, “Everything okay Ahane-sensei?” Momo asked.
Ahane-sensei blinked her eyes several times and looked into Momo’s face. “Sorry, spaced out a bit. Aizawa-sensei is checking the boys’ dorms so hopefully everyone is safe. If he reports to me otherwise, I will let you and Iida know.” She smiled at Momo warmly. “Okay, I’m locking the door behind me. You both have my number if you need to reach out to me for any reason. Goodnight girls.” Ahane-sensei left, closing and locking the door behind her.
“Wow Momo, hiding boys in your closet. Concealing the person who caused all this ruckus. This is a very different side of you. Thought you were all about following rules,” Kyoka said in a teasing tone.
“Not the best decision I’ve made. Hopefully, it won’t come back to bite me.”
“Should we let the boys out?”
Momo gave Kyoka a smile that was a very un-Momo-like smile. “No. Let them stew in there a little longer.”
Shinso
Shinso could feel the seething anger coming off Bakugo like heat in the darkness of the cramped closet. Yaoyorozu had it stuffed with so many items that they were crowded in one of the corners, Bakugo’s shoulder pressed into Shinso’s. Shinso couldn’t help but smirk in the darkness. He realized over the last two weeks he incredibly enjoyed getting under Bakugo’s skin for some reason. His reactions were so ridiculously overboard that it was somehow really rewarding. Shinso felt the vibrations from his cellphone through the harness on his chest. He quietly opened the compartment, retrieved his phone, and looked at the text. It was from Aizawa.
Aizawa-sensei: If this is because of you, I’m going to make your life miserable over the next 5 months.
Shinso’s stomach was doing backflips and he suddenly felt very guilty. He knew Aizawa had been really stressed about the formal. This was an incredibly selfish thing he had done. Not to mention the fear it would incite in the other students if they believed a villain had infiltrated the campus. I’m a selfish prick Shinso thought to himself in the darkness. So much for turning a new leaf and thinking beyond his own desires. He showed Bakugo his text. The light of the cellphone lit up Bakugo’s sulky face. Upon reading the text, Bakugo smiled with glee. Shinso wasn’t surprised by his reaction. Bakugo reveling in his misery. He was as much of a little sh*t as Shinso was. Suddenly Bakugo pulled his phone from his back pocket. He looked at his phone and then tilted it to where Shinso could read it.
Aizawa-Sensei: You aren’t in your room. Are you with Yaoyorozu?
“f*ck,” Bakugo said softly under his breath. Shinso knew Bakugo thought very highly of Aizawa. He wouldn’t want to let him down, very much like Shinso. Bakugo texted Aizawa-sensei back.
Bakugo: Yes.
Bakugo waited for a reply. After a minute of not getting one, he sighed and put his phone back in his pocket. Shinso, still holding his phone, texted Bakugo. Bakugo retrieved his phone again and when he saw it was from Shinso he shot him a dirty look. Not an “I’m going to kill you,” look but a dirty look nonetheless.
Shinso: what the hell was the ‘plahanopsis aphrodite’ thing about?
Bakugo softly growled and texted him back.
Piss Baby Explodey Hands: phalaenopsis Aphrodite, moron. And none of your damn business.
Shinso: if I had a dollar for every time you said ‘none of your damn business’ I could pay for my night classes next year.
Piss Baby Explodey Hands: if I had a dollar for every time I gave zero f*cks about what you and others f*cking want from me I could ditch the hero thing and f*cking retire.
Shinso noticed that Bakugo’s profanity usage was much worse via texting than his verbal communication. Maybe that meant he showed some restraint when he spoke. Shinso was curious how many times he could get him to cuss via texting while they were concealed in the closet. He decided to keep irking Bakugo. Did Shinso have no instinct for self-preservation? He was literally playing with fire in a very enclosed space.
Shinso: I can’t believe you had the audacity to accuse me of skulking around to see kirishima when I catch you in yaoyorozu’s room. you’re a hypocrite.
Piss Baby Explodey Hands: o look at you. you’re pretty f*cking brave when you’re texting. You wouldn’t dare say that sh*t to my face. And like you wouldn’t have gone there if you thought you could without getting caught. Not like me seeing momo was gonna trip school security or get us in trouble. Aizawa hasn’t checked on 3a dorm rooms after curfew since October
Shinso knew if he had made it to the main building and the coast looked mostly clear he probably would have gone to Kirishima’s room. It would have been too tempting and he was too weak-willed he realized when it came to being with Kirishima.
Shinso: Must be nice. Our RA checks on us after curfew at least twice a week.
Piss Baby Explodey Hands: sucks to be you then
Shinso: don’t remind me
Shinso sighed and lowered his phone. His instigative mood was spent now.
Piss Baby Explodey Hands: aw don’t get sulky now. You’re really boring and disappointing that way.
Shinso was annoyed as he brought the vibrating phone up to read it. He didn’t really want to continue the conversation now.
Shinso: my job isn’t to entertain you
Piss Baby Explodey Hands: and mine isn’t to entertain you either. ‘piss baby explodey hands?’ ha ha you’re so f*cking funny idiot
Shinso looked over at Bakugo’s screen.
Shinso: ‘dead eyes’ for my contact name? that’s so amazingly original. You couldn’t come up with something better?
Piss Baby Explodey Hands: how about sad mopey bastard? Or whiny little bitch?
Shinso: maybe morose motherf*cker?
Piss Baby Explodey Hands: oh I like that one. gonna use it.
Shinso: you’re welcome.
Shinso shook his head and smiled in the dark despite himself. Communicating with Bakugo via text or speaking was like riding a roller coaster with a blindfold on.
The closet door opened and they were met with Momo’s voice. “It was Ahane-sensei. She’s gone, you guys can come out.”
Bakugo told Momo about the text from Aizawa-sensei. Shinso doubted Aizawa-sensei would intervene at the present but he did feel sorry for Bakugo. Aizawa-sensei would definitely make him pay for breaking the rules. In the morning he realized he would have to tell him what he had done. That tripping the alarm had been his fault. Momo pulled some blankets and pillows from her closet. Looks like they would be having a sleepover.
“Shinso and I will sleep on the floor,” Bakugo said as he took the blankets from her.
“We’re all adults guys. You sleep on the bed Bakugo, I’m fine with the floor,” Kyoka said.
“It’s a king-size bed. We could probably all fit on it,” Momo offered.
Shinso took the blankets from Bakugo. “You three on the bed. I’m not gonna be getting any sleep no matter where I’m laying.” He started to lay a blanket on the floor.
“Suit yourself. I won’t complain about the extra room,” Bakugo replied.
*
4:57. Shinso kept checking his phone. He gazed out of the glass patio door, it was mostly covered by heavy drapery but a few feet had been pulled back and he could see the early dawn sky in its deep purple tones. He had not slept which wasn’t a surprise. He stood up quietly, folded the blankets, and placed them on Momo’s desk. He gazed over towards the bed and saw a completely covered up mound on the left side he assumed was Kyoka. Then in the middle of the bed, he saw Momo who was also bundled up in her comforter nestled against Bakugo who was laying on top of the bedclothes. All were asleep. Shinso smirked. Such a weird night he thought. He glanced at his phone. 4:59. He walked soundlessly over to Momo’s door. 10 seconds later he heard the master lock disengage. He quietly opened the door and left.
Notes:
I wrote a one-shot about the incident Bakugou mentions in this chapter, where he and Midoriya get captured by high-end Nomu. Here's is the story Tell me sweet little lies that is set in the same world of MHA. It is written in first-person POV from Bakugou's perspective. Momo is in it as well, when she visits him in the hospital. There are a few BakuMomo moments in the fic (Bakugou's thoughts about Momo and the two of them in the hospital)
Chapter 69: The Day of the Formal
Chapter Text
Kirishima
Kirishima awoke on his own for a change instead of being forced from his sleep by his phone alarm. He was on his side curled around a pillow. He had stayed up late to finish the masks for the formal the night before and as he turned off the lights to go to sleep the emergency system came on. Kirishima was worried until Aizawa-sensei came to his door and said it was most likely a false alarm. He straightened his legs and stretched, pointing his toes carefully until he felt his calves begin to cramp up slightly, and then he drew his toes in towards him. “More bananas…” he mumbled to himself.
He was awake enough now to suddenly notice an unfamiliar weight on the side of his waist and as he looked down he saw an arm draped around him. He tried to not seriously freak out about it because he immediately knew it wasn’t Bakugo, and if it wasn’t Bakugo who the heck was it? Because Bakugo was not a cuddler. Kirishima still was trying to break the habit of sleeping halfway off his bed even when he was alone due to the times they had fallen asleep in each other’s beds and Bakugo would push him away if he got anywhere too close to him. But now with closer inspection of the pale, long-fingered hand, Kirishima knew who it was and had no idea, especially with the lockdown, how Shinso had somehow magically appeared in his bed. He could now hear his low even breathing behind him and feel, so faintly, Shinso’s breath on the back of his neck. Kirishima smiled. He pulled away from Shinso a little, wincing as the bed creaked under his shifting weight. Now he was able to lay flat on his back and turn his head towards Shinso. Kirishima didn’t know it was possible for Shinso to become more washed-out than his usual pallor, but he was. The dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced and puffy. His hair was a tangled mess and he could make out a faint stubble on his pale cheeks and chin. He looked like a wreck, but Kirishima couldn’t take his eyes off of him. He laid there watching him for several minutes, his mind wandering to the formal, to the night before and how much fun he, Eri, and Shinso had, and to finally getting to participate in combat class and hero class on Wednesday. Shinso never moved, just laid there, his arm draped over Kirishima, his rhythmic breathing barely audible. Kirishima wondered if he was in a deep level of sleep. He worried if he tried to climb out of bed, he may wake him. Shinso had such issues sleeping, the fact he looked almost dead made Kirishima think he was in a deep sleep and if anyone needed sleep, it was Shinso. The lighting in the room told him it was after 8:00 am, but probably not later than 10:00 am.
Kirishima’s stomach grumbled loudly. He watched Shinso’s face for any changes but he stayed the same. Kirishima slowly rolled away from Shinso and slipped off the bed as quietly as possible. He went to his chest of drawers and quietly dressed in casual clothes and then ran a brush through his hair. He, as quiet as possible, put the masks and the craft supplies on his desk up in his closet out of sight. He went to his desk and grabbed a granola bar. He noticed Shinso’s binding cloths, chest harness, and boots on his weight bench. He placed his granola bar on his desk and walked over to his bed. It was tempting to lay back down next to Shinso. To lean towards him and wake him up with a kiss. Before Kirishima could decide if he should or to let him sleep, he heard the stairway door slam open and booming footsteps coming down the hall. Kirishima knew immediately it was Bakugo coming down the hall to pull his butt out of bed since he slept in so late. The lock on his door had not worked since first year and since Kirishima didn’t mind his friends coming and going as they pleased from his room, he never got it fixed. Now he wished he had. He grabbed his crocs and flew out of his room closing the door behind him and almost running headfirst into Bakugo.
“Hey, man!” Kiri said in his usual enthusiastic tones.
“What the hell, Kiri! It’s 9-f*cking-30!”
“Chill, bro! I’m up! I’m heading down!” Kirishima said trying to placate his fuming friend.
If Bakugo’s ruckus didn’t wake up Shinso, nothing would.
*
Downstairs Kirishima found out that in the early morning hours school security had found two individuals on campus. They had enough explosives on them to blow up the main school building to nothing. They had yet to figure out how they got on campus. Hound Dogs canines had “caught” them. Luckily the dogs were trained to only incapacitate and not kill, but that didn’t mean they weren’t badly maimed and Recovery Girl had to heal them up before authorities took them away. They were small-time criminals but due to the equipment they had, they were obviously working with someone with means and enough tech or high-powered quirks to get them on campus. One had an invisibility quirk, the other showed up as quirkless on the register. The third years braced for the formal to be canceled. By noon, Nezu would make the call.
Iida pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and nodded after filling Kirishima in with the most updated news.
“That’s so crazy!” Kirishima said around a mouthful of rice and salmon. The food was cold but he was ravenous and didn’t care. Momo and Bakugo sat across from him as Iida had relayed the news. Aizawa-sensei came in through the front doors and made a bee-line to the table Kirishima was sitting at. His face was obscured with his cloths but his posture seemed more rigid than usual.
He made eye contact with Kirishima and curtly said, “Kirishima, a word,” and then walked several feet away from the dining tables away from the others. Kirishima swallowed down his huge mouthful of food in a slightly painful gulp and stood up to follow him. Bakugo, Momo, and Iida looked at him questioningly. He shrugged at them and walked over to Aizawa.
“Where’s Shinso?” Aizawa-sensei asked in a tone that wasn’t in his usual flat delivery. It sent a shiver down Kirishima’s spine. He sounded worried.
Kirishima wouldn’t lie. After lying about his quirk, and letting his sensei down, he vowed to never do it again. “He’s in my room. Was still sleeping when I came down a few minutes ago.”
Aizawa’s eyes went wide (with anger, surprise, relief, Kirishima couldn’t tell, but it was one of those or all of those) for a split second and then he composed himself.
“After you,” he said under his breath, in his usual monotone. Kirishima nodded and walked towards the stairway door, his face enflamed with embarrassment.
*
Kirishima opened his door to find his room was empty. His bed was made and Shinso’s binding cloths, boots, and harness were gone. There was a paper folded in half on his bed with Kirishima’s name written on it in Shinso’s precise, neat handwriting.
Aizawa-sensei glanced at the note and nodded at Kirishima. Kirishima grabbed the note wishing he could just crawl under his bed and die from embarrassment.
“Kirishima, I hope you didn’t mind my crashing in your bed this morning. I hope I didn’t scare you to death when you woke up. Thanks for not waking me and letting me sleep. It was the best sleep I’ve had in a long time. Maybe ever. I’ll see you later today if Aizawa-sensei doesn’t kill me first. I did something pretty stupid last night. Phone is dead so leaving you this.
-Hitoshi”
Kirishima would have been on cloud nine if he didn’t have his sensei side-eyeing him. He looked up at Aizawa-sensei and handed him the note.
“If there’s anything too personal, I don’t have to read it.”
“It’s fine, sensei,” Kirishima said. Maybe this note would help Shinso in not being “killed” by Aizawa somehow? Obviously, their morning meet-up wasn’t planned and it showed Shinso had arrived in his room early that morning so possible alibi as to Shinso’s whereabouts. Kirishima had no clue what was going on, but Aizawa no longer seemed worried. But he did seem possibly angry. It was hard to tell.
Aizawa took the note, read it, and then handed it back to Kirishima. He shook his head looked at Kirishima and sighed. “So arrogant and stubborn. Maybe you’ll be a good influence on him. He needs it.” A second later, Aizawa-sensei was out his patio door, his binding cloths taking him who knows where.
Shinso
He opened his patio door and walked into his room. He took off his chest harness and cloths and laid them on his bed. He had slept so hard he actually felt refreshed and ready for anything. It normally took him a couple of hours after waking to feel like he wanted to do anything other than go back to sleep. Or try to sleep was more like it. His horrendous bite seemed to barely hurt now. Kirishima. Like he needed more reasons to be madly in love with him. The fact that lying next to him was some kind of miracle sleeping aid wasn’t fair. He was better than melatonin, valerian root, Ambien, dozens of other prescription meds he’d tried, exercise before sleep, extreme exhaustion, he wasn’t joking when he had written the note for him. He unzipped his boots and tossed them by his desk and then started going through his closet for clothes to change into for after his shower. He would need to talk to Aizawa-sensei as soon as possible. As he turned back into his room, his heart shot up into his throat. Aizawa-sensei was sitting on his bed. Shinso didn’t jump or show any signs of surprise. Aizawa had trained him to suppress all signs of surprise when he was put in these situations to garner the upper hand when fighting. But his heart rate was flying.
“You got something you want to tell me?” Aizawa-sensei said as he stood up, an edge to his voice that Shinso wasn’t used to hearing.
“I tripped the security system last night. I was going to tell you. One of the dogs attacked me. It was stupid of me to go out. I’m sorry.”
Aizawa shook his head in disappointment. “I warned you about the security update. I could have told you that you weren’t ready to go up against Hound Dog’s canines. It was arrogant and selfish of you to pull a stunt like this. You caused the school a lot of money, all of the students a lot of worry, and I….” Aizawa stopped mid-sentence. Shinso watched him closely. Most people wouldn’t be able to read him, but Shinso could tell he was distressed. He had never seen him like this. Aizawa-sensei regained his composure. “I thought something bad happened to you because you didn’t reply to my texts and I couldn’t find you. After I checked on 3A, after they were all accounted for, I along with other faculty combed the whole campus over the next few hours. Snipe and Ectoplasm actually found two villains in hiding.” Shinso’s eyes went wide. He couldn’t help it. “They had explosives and had somehow made their way into the main school building. We think they were going to set them up to go off during the formal. After they were apprehended and I was finished processing paperwork with the police, I sent you a text asking you to text me back and you never replied this morning. I went to your dorm and you weren’t there. Your RA told me you were off-campus for the weekend but I knew that wasn’t true. I thought maybe you had run into the two villains on one of your middle-of-the-night excursions and something bad happened to you. I was about to go to the police and Nezu at that point, but I thought as a last resort I would ask Kirishima if he knew where you were. And he told me you had been with him.” Shinso now sighed. This was so much worse than what he had been expecting. Aizawa took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“This is partially my fault. I’ve given you way too much freedom. I’ve known about you breaking curfew to sneak around campus for some time now and I should have put a stop to it last year when you started.”
“Sensei…” Shinso started but then abruptly went silent when Aizawa glared at him. After a few seconds, his expression softened and he looked out the patio glass doors.
“You remind me a lot of myself when I was your age and I think that’s part of the issue. I also would sneak about in the middle of the night on campus for additional training. But times were different then and UA didn’t have a giant target on its back like it has now.”
“I’ll stop, sensei.”
Aizawa turned back towards him and met him eye to eye. “Immediately. We have no idea how these villains got on campus. Nezu is going to try to cancel the formal but myself and other faculty are pressing him to still go through with it. The third years need this. Especially both the hero classes.”
“I can talk to Nezu. Tell him what I did.”
Aizawa shook his head. “You’d end up being suspended for at least a week. I’d rather have you in class this next week and suffer under the punishment I have in store for you. And Bakugo. Were you with him and Yaoyorozu last night?”
sh*t. Shinso didn’t want to throw them under the bus, but he was treading thin ice with Aizawa presently. And he knew Bakugo and Yaoyorozu were already found out due to the text he saw from Bakugo.
“Yes. After I was bitten I fled to the nearest building. Yaoyorozu’s dorm light was on so I took a chance, and her patio was unlocked.”
“And then when the lockdown was lifted you crashed with Kirishima.”
Shinso nodded at him. Aizawa knew everything that happened on campus one way or another.
“Great. Looks like I’m back to impromptu curfew checks with class 3A,” Aizawa said in an annoyed tone.
Shinso couldn’t help but wince. Aizawa hated being up late at night. He wouldn’t be pleasant about it.
“Do better, Shinso. You’re eighteen now. This behavior’s ridiculous. You’ll graduate soon and I won’t be around to bail you out or cover for you. Be ready for next week’s training. I won’t be easy on you.”
“I will sensei.”
Aizawa-sensei looked at Shinso with a strange expression Shinso couldn’t fully define. It was kind of smug and full of humor which was interesting considering his whole demeanor of disappointment and irritation up to this point. “I think there’s a real possibility we may not have stumbled across those two party-crashers if you hadn’t tripped the system to begin with.” Aizawa-sensei turned away from him and went out the patio door. Shinso let out a long breath that he had no idea how long he had been holding.
Yaoyorozu
At noon, it was announced the formal would still take place despite the villainous attempt on school safety. There would be additional security, however. This was met with much cheering and Toru immediately pulled the girls together. “We should start on hair and make-up at 2! My room ladies!”
The next couple of hours would see Sato overseeing the preparation of refreshments Class A would be providing for the formal. The class had signed up in 30-minute shifts in groups of 4. Bakugo, Kirishima, Momo, and Shinso had signed up for a shift together. Kirishima and Bakugo were icing cupcakes and Shinso and Momo were making an assortment of sandwiches and cutting them into smaller squares.
“How’s your leg?” Momo asked Shinso.
“Much better. The bite wasn’t as deep as I thought. Thanks for letting me take the supplies last night.”
Before they had turned in, Momo insisted he take the supplies she had created to continue to treat the wound. He had put them in the compartments of his chest harness.
“You’re welcome,” Momo said with a smile. “I guess you, Bakugo, and I are going to have quite the punishment in store for us next week in combat class.”
Bakugo had told Momo about Aizawa’s text. She thought about the dystopian bootcamp and thought it funny she and Shinso had also been “punished” by Aizawa for meddling in his personal business the week previous. When did she become such a rebel and Shinso a sudden partner in crime?
“Yeah. It won’t be pretty. He’s pretty pissed at me for good reason. And…. I’m sorry. You and Bakugo wouldn’t be in the line of fire if I hadn’t been caught out.”
“I was thinking they may not have caught the two perpetrators if you hadn’t started everything. Not that I condone your behavior….” Momo shot him a disapproving side-long glance but then smiled. He frowned a bit but nodded. He seemed to be harboring guilt and regret about his reckless behavior. Momo didn’t know if Shinso was starting to let his wall down or she was getting better at reading him. Maybe both.
“Quit licking your fingers! That’s not sanitary!” Bakugo yelled at Kirishima on the other side of the kitchen.
“I just washed my hands, bro, it’s cool! Sorry, I keep getting it all over the place.”
Momo looked over to see frosting all over Kirishima’s hands and shirt and a small blob on his cheek. Shinso placed a completed tray of sandwiches on one of the dining tables and as he walked by Kirishima in the kitchen, he lifted Kirishima’s chin up with his long index finger, looked over his shoulder to make sure Sato wasn’t looking at them and licked the frosting off of Kirishima’s cheek. Kirishima pushed him away playfully and chuckled. “It’s good, isn’t it?” he said to Shinso. Shinso nodded as he walked away with a smug look on his face.
“That’s disgusting you two! Knock it off!” Bakugo bellowed.
Boys thought Yaoyorozu and shook her head.
*
It was 2:00 pm and Momo found herself in Toru’s dorm with the other girls of Class A. Make-up palettes, blushes, lipsticks, contouring creams, foundation and powders, bobby pins, bejeweled clips, hairspray, pretty much every beauty product you could think of covered every surface of Toru’s room and some of the floor. Momo had brought her cosmetics case and was prepared to create any additional cosmetics or hair ornaments but now she felt that would just be overkill.
“Momo!” She felt Toru’s arms embrace her in a warm hug. She was so excited about the formal. She had purchased a wig to wear so she could feel a bit more involved with all the aspects of getting ready. Although Toru didn’t wear makeup because she felt it came off as more terrifying than enhancing on her invisible face, she enjoyed doing makeup for the other girls and was the most talented out of all of them. Momo thought the whole mask-wearing aspect of the formal would also make Toru feel more like everyone else since with her wig and mask she wouldn’t appear that much different from everyone else. Toru’s dress was a strapless mermaid-cut gown that shimmered with aquamarine sequins. The mask she had purchased was a full face mask that was similar in color to the dress and was decorated with tiny starfish, pearls, and had a scale-like pattern.
Kyoka arrived already wearing a simple black halter dress. It was made of a silky fabric, floor-length, that had a long front leg slit running up to her left mid-thigh. It revealed purple satin that lined the back of the dress underneath as she walked. She had worn this to the hero gala event a few months previous. Kyoka was more practical about these sorts of things and saw buying another dress she would most likely only wear once to the formal a waste.
“Kyoka! You’re already dressed?” Mina asked.
“Yeah. It’s pretty comfortable. I’m not putting on my shoes until we leave the dorms though.” Kyoka stuck her foot out revealing a red slipper and she smiled.
“What masks did you get?” Toru asked.
“I’m just using the school one. And Kam, too.”
“What do you guys think!?” Mina asked, taking her dress out of a zippered gown bag and holding it up for all of them to see. It was a one-shoulder bodycon zebra print dress. The one sleeve was long and the dress looked like it would hit around mid-thigh.
“It’s very ‘you,’ Mina,” Toru replied excitedly. Mina now pulled out a mask from her backpack. It was a full face mask that was covered with faux zebra fur. The top of the mask had long zebra ears lined with pink on the inside so it was no denying that Mina would be masquerading as a zebra. “I wish you’d tell us who you are going with! I’m dying to know!”
“It’s a surprise!” Mina gushed. “Momo, I saw your dress the day you bought it but I haven’t seen your mask. What kind of mask are you wearing? And what about Bakugo?”
Momo smiled. “I don’t know. Katsuki said he would make them so I guess I’ll find out in a couple of hours.” Mina, Kyoka, Ochaco, Tsuyu, and (Momo assumed, she couldn’t be sure) Toru were all staring at her speechless.
“Katsuki Bakugo, aka. Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight has spent the last couple of weeks crafting masquerade masks?” Kyoka asked, a wry expression on her face.
“He’s taken art as his elective the whole time he’s been at UA so it isn’t that big of a stretch,” Momo said matter-of-factly.
“Okay. You have to tell us, Momo! Are you guys like super serious? You never tell us anything!” Mina said.
“Gonna stop you right there, Mina. If Momo isn’t talking about it, then, Surprise! She doesn’t want to talk about it!” Kyoka said.
Mina sighed. Momo smiled at Kyoka. The girls continued working on makeup and hair. Toru was excited to do Momo’s makeup since Momo normally chose to go with very minimal make-up to the other dress-up events and Momo said she could try something a bit more dramatic for the formal. So an hour and a half later, she left Toru’s room with very dramatic eye makeup, she had turned down the fake lashes, but just a nude matte shade on her lips. She had turned down contouring and highlighting and was able to get away with just minimal blush on her cheeks. Her hair however she was pretty excited about. It was pinned up in a loose bun and Toru had taken a section of her hair and made a thick braid that wrapped around the base of the bun. Toru then pulled tendrils from the updo, a few around her face and at the base of her neck. Momo didn’t add any additional accoutrements to her hairstyle. She thought the styled look was enough.
Momo entered her dorm room and then decided she should take her dress out to see if it needed to be steamed. She hung the hanger of the gown protector on the top of one of the four posts of her bed and pulled the zipper down. She gasped. She quickly pulled the protector away from the dress so she could see the whole thing unobscured from the bag. There were dozens, no hundreds, of small painted orchids on the dress. It looked like Bakugo’s painting. What was a simple, but elegant dress, was now a work of art. The floor-length gown was full so there was quite a large canvas for Bakugo to work on. When had he done this? He must have snuck it out of her room at some point and then snuck it back in. She felt a catch in her throat and tears welling in her eyes. She cleared her throat and blinked quickly realizing she had a ton of eye makeup on and didn’t want to end up looking like a raccoon if she cried. She walked over to her end table and grabbed a Kleenex and gingerly dabbed the inner edges of her eyes. It was then she noticed a small white cardboard box on her bed.
She opened the box and inside found her mask for the formal. The base color was the same shade of deep purple as her dress, and there were orchid petals painted on the mask. They looked as if they were being blown by the wind and were floating through a dusky twilight sky. It was a full-face, heart-shaped mask that had a purple ribbon to tie it in place. Momo checked the clock on her wall and saw it was about 45 minutes before she was to meet Bakugo downstairs. She felt a warmth well up in her chest of extreme excitement she didn’t think she had ever felt before or at least not since becoming a more mature teenager. It reminded her of how she felt awakening on the morning of a holiday she was greatly anticipating when she was a small child. She thought it was quite foolish to feel this way about going to a dance, but she realized it was more about seeing Bakugo and spending time with him that didn’t involve them training or studying or being in class. And he was continuing to surprise her the last 24 hours. The painted dress and the mask. The hour-long conversation the night before on her bed. That had meant so much to her. To have him talk so freely without pulling things out of him. To hear him laugh about things and grumble about things. She quickly went to her drawer to gather her underclothes and decided to get dressed immediately so she could head down early and possibly see Bakugo sooner than the time they had agreed on. Hopefully, he would be of the same mindset as her and show up half an hour early and they would have that extra time together. Knowing Bakugo who was notoriously early and usually the first person to show up to everything, he would probably already be there waiting for her.
Shinso
Sato had asked Kirishima and Shinso if they wouldn’t mind helping him at a later shift since he wouldn’t have everything covered in time. They both agreed, and Shinso was looking forward to the extended time together. After dusting some chocolate cookies with powdered sugar and assembling the mochi ice cream (Shinso didn’t think it was possible for Kirishima to make a bigger mess than he had with the frosting, but he somehow still managed), Sato asked Shinso and Kirishima if they didn’t mind taking two boxes over to gen C dorm since they were working on refreshments for the formal as well and were waiting for some ingredients from Class A. As they walked over Shinso finally commented on the burns he had noticed on Kirishima’s hands while they had worked.
“Oh. It’s from a hot glue gun. I sometimes forget to activate my quirk when I touch the glue or the tip of the gun.”
“Some project for Art?”
“No. The masks for the Formal tonight. I was finishing them up late last night when I got back to my dorm after babysitting,” Kirishima grinned broadly.
“Seriously? Can’t we just get one of the plain black ones the school’s offering for people who don’t want to make or buy their own?”
“No way, man! Where’s the fun in that?” Kirishima said. Shinso gave him a pained expression.
“So, I’m guessing you’re leaving the masks for the last minute to show me. My tux was delivered to my dorm yesterday. It was in my room when I got back last night after babysitting.”
“Did you unzip it and look?”
“Yes, of course. Not sure what you were thinking about the color. Wondering if you got ours mixed up.”
“Nope. You got the right one. Once you see the mask it will make sense.” Shinso gave him a skeptical look.
“And when will I see the mask?”
Kirishima smiled. “I’ll drop it to you before the dance. Guessing we’ll just meet there, at the cafeteria?”
Kirishima’s smile flattened a bit. Shinso thought his suggestion was probably best, if they showed up at the other’s dorm and they walked over together that would be highly suspicious. Especially depending on the tux and mask situation. Shinso knew they wouldn’t be matchy matchy because that would be obvious they were together. He was guessing they somehow how to go together though and again with them side by side from the onset, that would be too much.
“Yeah,” Shinso said in his usual, unenthusiastic tones.
They dropped the boxes off at the Gen C kitchen and Kirishima left to head back to Class A dorm.
*
It was two hours before the formal and Shinso laid on his bed. Now that he was no longer busy, he let the feelings of guilt and regret over rule-breaking get the better of him. It was now putting a dark cloud over the formal and even the prospect of seeing Kirishima in the next couple of hours. He had been so stupid and, Aizawa was right, so very arrogant. There was a knock on his dorm door. He walked over and opened it and found Kondo, a very shy but kind member of the general studies class and one of the few people he knew well enough to call friend.
“Hello, Shinso. Kirishima said a package came for you at their dorm by mistake. He just now dropped it off.”
Shinso took the package from her. “Thanks, Kondo.” She smiled at him and walked away. He closed the door and realized the package must be the mask. Shinso sighed. He felt his cellphone vibrate and he retrieved it from his pocket.
Aizawa-sensei: If you want to come over and get ready for the formal at my dorm, Eri and I would be happy to have you. She’s very excited about the dance and would love some company besides me before Togata shows up.
Shinso grinned from ear to ear. He was thankful his mentor was such a softy. Despite how disappointed he was in him, he still wanted Shinso to know he cared. He had been worried he had taken things too far and permanently messed up their relationship, but he realized they were more like family than mentor/mentee, and those bonds were impossible to break.
*
Shinso brought his stuff over to Aizawa-sensei’s to get ready. He got changed in the bathroom. As he pulled on the mask he wondered how he let Kirishima talk him into this. Shinso liked blending in with the background and not doing things that brought attention to himself. Kirishima was a bit of a show-off. They were both so different, but Shinso was crazy about him regardless. Crazy about him enough to go along with the getup he was wearing.
Shinso walked out into Aizawa’s living area donning his mask and tux. Eri was sitting on a tall barstool and Aizawa sensei was braiding her hair, running a white ribbon through the twin dutch braids and tucking in baby’s breath flowers randomly. Eri’s face lit up. “That’s really cool, Hitoshi! You look amazing!” she said.
Shinso sighed. He didn’t know what Kirishima was thinking, but he’d go along with it. He had an idea of what Kirishima’s mask and tux might be now and it made him eager to see Kirishima and to find out if his guess was correct. And he was also just generally eager to see Kirishima.
“Hmmmmm,” Aizawa sounded, looking up at Shinso. “Kirishima’s doing?”
Shinso nodded. “It’s fitting,” Aizawa said, a smirk on his face. After the last 12 hours, he was glad Aizawa was still capable of smiling (well, smirking) at him and teasing him.
“Gee, thanks,” Shinso said in a deadpan tone, feeling slightly insulted. But secretly he felt kind of cool in the mask and tux.
Chapter 70: Masquerade Ball: Pretty in Purple
Chapter Text
Yaoyorozu
Looking at herself in the mirror, Momo realized the necklace she had purchased the week before at the boutique seemed to be too much now that her dress had been adorned with all the orchids. She went to the jewelry box and pulled out the platinum necklace she had made in Bakugo’s dorm room almost 2 weeks before. She had worn it several times but had forgotten to put it on during the hectic week before mid-terms and then with the miscommunication between her and Bakugo she had all but forgotten about the necklace and had not worn it since. She thought now would be a perfect time to start wearing it again. A simple platinum bracelet and some platinum orchid studs her parents had given her years before would do well to complete the look. She slipped into her dark purple heels, grabbed her mask, Bakugo’s boutonniere, and headed downstairs.
As she hoped, Bakugo was already downstairs standing in the dining room waiting for her. Momo’s heart started to race when she saw him. She had the same feeling like that very first morning after he had asked her to the formal and she had accepted his invitation. But instead of finding a Bakugo studying and not looking up from his books as he talked to her about breakfast, this Bakugo met her eyes as soon as she had walked through the door, smiled, and walked towards her. He was dressed in a classic black tux, except opting for a black dress shirt underneath. The vest and his bowtie were the same hue as her dress. His bowtie had tiny orchids painted on it. Momo blushed deeply when she saw this. He had taken such care to make things special. She would have never expected these things from him, yet they did seem to align with his personality traits of perfectionism and doing things 100 percent. He was holding a clear plastic container, and he handed it to her.
“Oh. Here’s yours.” She handed him the container. She opened hers and saw it was a wrist corsage made up of three pristine Phalaenopsis Aphrodite flowers. They laid on a few glossy leaves but didn’t have any other adornments. It was simple and elegant and Momo thought her heart would burst.
“How did you find them? They’re really tough to come by this time of year.” As she spoke, her voice had come out shaky, yet she didn’t feel embarrassed. Bakugo shrugged at her question. Bakugo seemed to continue to one-up himself, and she wasn’t sure what to expect next. She felt if he kept this up she would not be able to contain her sheer happiness. She worried she would become super giddy and ridiculous like Mina. Now she had some understanding of why Mina acted that way. He placed his container on the table nearby and gently lifted the corsage out of the container Momo was holding and slipped it on Momo’s left wrist. He then returned to the container on the table and opened it. He smiled.
“Dendrobium bigibbum,” he said. Momo’s cheeks blushed. She knew the flower was a dendrobium but didn’t know its species. The crash course in orchids he had taken their first year was still filed away in Bakugo’s mind. It was easy to forget how sharp and intelligent Bakugo was due to his behavior sometimes. It was one of the main reasons she was drawn to him she realized. She knew she would never be fulfilled with someone who wasn’t intellectually stimulating for her. He lifted the boutonniere out of the container. It had a single large flower, deep purple in color, that sat on narrow leaves that were mottled yellow and green.
“I’ll pin it,” Momo said, taking the flower from him. She reached for the lapel of his jacket and started to try and pin it, but her hands were sweaty and shaking. She hoped he wouldn’t notice.
“You look nice,” Bakugo said, his voice low and raspy, his warm breath tickling her bare neck as she continued to try and pin the flower in place. They were in close proximity to one another, Momo could feel Bakugo’s body heat radiating from him. She met his eye and realized she was about two inches taller than him. The heels. Normally they were the same height. If he minded it, she couldn’t tell.
“Thanks. You l-look really nice, too.” She was flustered. Momo rarely got flustered. Momo looked away from him and took a deep breath to see if it would help steady her hand. She saw him grin widely out of the corner of her eye. She eventually got the flower pinned to his lapel. They were still the only ones downstairs in the empty living area. He took her hand and they made their way out of the dorm. As they entered the foyer Momo noticed Bakugo didn’t have a mask.
“Your mask? Do you not have one?”
He let go of her hand, unbuttoned his tuxedo jacket, and pulled something out of the inside pocket. It was a half mask, except it only covered the wearer’s left eye and left cheek, the left side of their forehead, and nose. It was plain white. Momo recognized it almost immediately. “Phantom of the Opera,” she said. They had seen the movie during one of Class A’s movie nights the previous year. Most of the boys put up quite a ruckus that night being forced to watch a musical.
“I thought it was fitting,” Bakugo said, the end of his mouth curling up slightly.
They walked through the campus to the main school building. Bakugo noticed Momo shivering, took his tuxedo jacket off, and draped it over her shoulders.
“Thank you,” she said softly. The jacket smelled strongly of Bakugo. Sweetness and smokiness and Momo inhaled deeply, smiling at the pleasant scent. It was also so warm. He took her by the hand, and they continued walking.
Momo finally became aware of how nervous and self-conscious she was being. She had to remind herself that Bakugo was still the same Bakugo she knew previous to the last 2 weeks. He was her friend first so she shouldn’t be so worried about things. She took a deep breath to try and center herself.
“So are you going to dance with me tonight?” she asked him in as normal of a tone as she could muster.
“If you want. But only slow dances,” he answered back. Momo was surprised.
“Worried that might ruin your reputation? If people see you dancing?”
“See me dancing with you? Yeah, that just cements how badass I am. And like I give a f*ck what anyone thinks about me anyway,” Bakugo said in a surprisingly calm tone that didn’t match the sentiment. He seemed very thoughtful tonight. But that was a state he was often in at other times. She wished he spoke his mind more when he was obviously mulling things over in that head of his. She wondered if he was as complicated as she always imagined he was. Or maybe he was more straightforward and single-minded. Always aiming for that number one hero spot and everything else was superfluous. Maybe someday she would know him well enough to know the answer. She hoped.
They arrived at the main school building and entered. The atrium that led into the cafeteria was decorated to match the theme. Dark fabric in gold and black draped the walls and the high archway that led into the cafeteria. Ornate masks lined the walls and heavy beads in gold, black, purple, and silver were strung across side tables and the backs of chairs. As they entered the cafeteria, the décor continued and they saw people still decorating and laying refreshments on tables. The cafeteria was by far the most spacious and inviting room on campus. It was massive in size, had an immensely high ceiling that let in a lot of natural light through its glass ceiling, and its architecture was modern and pleasing to the eye. Momo noticed there were countless lines of hanging lights above their heads and when the sunset in a couple of hours it would bathe the whole cafeteria in soft light. Most of the tables had been moved out of the vast space and only several remained, moved to the periphery of the room. A small stage had been set up for Present Mic to DJ and MC from. Thirteen was setting up the photobooth and Present Mic was running sound checks. There were several students who although were dressed for the event were still getting things ready for the dance. Bakugo and Momo were about 20 minutes early. Momo saw Sato coming out of the kitchen area, and she walked up to him and asked him if he needed any help.
“That’d be so great! Could you guys grab some trays and set them on the tables?”
Bakugo and Momo helped Sato with his remaining tasks and he seemed grateful. He left with about 10 minutes left before the dance was to start to meet his date at her dorm, 3H. Momo now handed Bakugo his jacket back, having warmed up. He put it on and buttoned the bottom two buttons and Momo couldn’t help but admire how nice he looked dressed so formally. Again, she felt the giddiness. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt for all the times she had balked at Mina for squeeing and getting so excited about frivolous things. She couldn’t help the smile on her face. She was at UA’s Winter Formal with the person she had been hopelessly crushing on the last two years. As serious and mature as Momo was, she couldn’t help to want to bask in this simple happy event.
Aizawa-sensei and Shinso arrived. Aizawa-sensei asked Bakugo with a hand for something security related so Aizawa, Shinso, and Bakugo left to tend to security matters and as they left, Momo spotted Mirio Togata and Eri. “Hey, Yao-momo! How’ve you been?” Togata said loudly as he gave her a hug.
“Very well! How’s Shizuoka?”
“Keeping me too busy! The city never sleeps. Haven’t been able to visit you guys much this year. But luckily someone was kind enough to invite me to this awesome dance!” Togata said as he grinned at Eri.
“Momo! Your dress is so pretty!” Eri said.
“Thanks, Eri. I like your dress, too. And your hair looks lovely. Aizawa-sensei has gotten so talented with the braiding.”
Students began arriving and a few minutes later Present Mic welcomed everyone to the dance and was eager to start playing music and get students on the dance floor.
Kirishima
Like always, Kirishima was running late. He always felt like he had more time to do things, trying to squeeze as much into his day as possible. After styling his hair in a simple ponytail, he quickly dressed into the rental tux and pulled his shoes on.
When he arrived downstairs, he noticed most of the class was already in the dining area chatting boisterously. Kirishima grinned widely when he saw his classmates all in their fancy clothing brimming with anticipation for the evening.
“Oh, Kirishima!!!” Toru ran over as soon as she spotted him and grabbed Kirishima by the hand and jumped up and down excitedly. “You look so great!” she exclaimed. Kirishima was grinning from ear to ear. He was wearing a completely white tux. The jacket, pants, shirt, vest, even the tie were all a pristine white. His red hair, styled softly, was in a ponytail which was held in place by a white leather band. He was holding a white mask in his other hand. At this point, Kaminari, Ojiro, Kyoka, Mina, and Sero were gathered around them.
“Kirishima, let’s see the mask!” Toru asked. He nodded. Kirishima held the band back with his other hand and pulled the mask on his face. It was a half-mask made of white leather. The area around the eyes was decorated with small white feathers, white sequins, and white beadwork. It was adorned with long white feathers on the outside edge of the eye area. At the top of the mask, there were two thin metal wires that held a golden halo perfectly centered above Kirishima’s head.
“That is absolutely perfect, Kiri!” Mina squealed as she wrapped her arms around Kirishima’s neck giving him a hug. “You are Class 3A’s angel for sure!”
“Seriously man, white crocs?” Kaminari groaned.
“Of course!” Kirishima grinned. “You look so nice Toru! Love the mask and the hair!”
“Thanks! We had so much fun getting ready!”
Suddenly the foyer doors burst open and in walked a towering figure who was donning a large mask of a head of a lion. They wore a thick, floor-length coat of similar color to the buff-hued faux fur of the lion.
“Inasa!” Mina squealed and ran towards the lion figure.
“Mina!” Inasa bellowed and Kirishima could have sworn the whole living room reverberated with his reply. She jumped at him, and he lifted her in the air and gave her a big squeeze of a hug.
“Wonder how she pulled strings to get him an invite?” Kyoka wondered out loud.
The large group of students made their way to the cafeteria. “So Kiri, never asked anyone to the formal?” Kaminari asked with a sly grin.
“Been too busy. Sero, Mineta, Shoji, Iida, and Todoroki are all going stag and I don’t see you giving them a hard time.” Kirishima shot a grin back at Kaminari.
“Just find it funny. Bakugo ends up with a date, and Koda, too, who is super shy. You shouldn’t have had any issues finding someone. Could have even gone with Mina as friends. So I’m thinking….”
“Yeah?” Kirishima asked him, curious and kind of terrified of what he may say.
“I think you like someone, but they’re taken.”
Kirishima shrugged. “I knew it! Is it Yui Kodai? I think half the third-year guys asked her and she turned them all down. Even Mineta! He is desperate to see who she shows up with.”
Kyoka, who was holding hands with Kaminari, glanced at Kirishima, smiled, and shook her head.
“Kodai’s really nice,” Kirishima said and left it at that. Kaminari smiled smugly. He was so off.
They arrived just in time to hear Present Mic officially start the dance. Kirishima spotted Momo and immediately walked over to her.
“You look amazing Momo!” He hugged her and gave her a huge kiss on the cheek.
“So do you,” she smiled. “Did you make the mask? It’s very good.”
“Yeah, I did,” Kirishima grinned. “So Bakugo already ditched the dance, huh?” he teased her.
“Aizawa-sensei stole him away along with Shinso. Something to do with security.” Kirishima nodded. A fast-paced song started and Kirishima grabbed Momo’s hand. Momo gave him a bit of a reluctant look.
“None of that Momo! Time to have some fun!” he laughed as he drug her to the center of the dancefloor.
“Shinso needs to get back fast so you can force him to do this and not me,” Momo said.
“He’d Brainwash me to stop in a heartbeat if I even tried!”
Shinso
Shinso, Aizawa-sensei, and Bakugo split up and did a sweep through of the main school building to make sure there wasn’t anything suspicious or anyone suspicious hiding in its wings. Shinso was in charge of the third and fourth floors. As he made his way out of one of the classrooms on the third floor he could hear the sound of the bass from the cafeteria below reverberating up. He was eager to see Kirishima but now realized he may be expected to participate in the group dances and fast dances and Shinso didn’t like that idea at all.
As he finished the sweep, he went down the stairwell and walked into the cafeteria. He pulled his mask, that he had been wearing around his neck with the face resting on the back of his neck, up and around and adjusted it to his face. He saw several people dancing on the floor. As he walked the edges of the dancefloor, he finally spotted Kirishima and Momo leaving the center of the space, the song having ended. He smiled to himself realizing Kirishima was masquerading as an angel so his guess had been correct. So fitting. And he looked amazing. The suit was a perfect fit and the stark white of the ensemble made him stand out in the crowd. The half-mask still let Kirishima’s radiating smile show and Shinso felt his heartbeat race. Kirishima spotted him and Shinso expected his grin to widen more but instead, his mouth went soft and serious and Shinso wondered if something was wrong. As he walked up to him the smile slowly started to return. He had been surprised and taken aback to see him Shinso thought and he guessed that was a good thing.
“Hey,” Kirishima said in a tone that was less expressive and boisterous than Shinso was expecting.
“You don’t seem happy to see me,” Shinso teased.
“Oh, no, it’s not that.” Kirishima looked around them both and they seemed to have a bit of privacy for the time being. He stepped closer to Shinso so they could hear each other better over the music and would not have to talk in such loud tones. “I just… I just thought you maybe wouldn’t wear the mask. That you would think it was too much.” Shinso shrugged and Kirishima grinned wider now. “Just pleasantly surprised is all. And you look really good in the tux. Like really hot, it’s crazy.”
Shinso felt the heat of his face blushing under his mask and was glad he was wearing it now. Shinso wanted to grab Kirishima and pull him into his arms. He had realized this was a reflexive want he experienced ever since the evening of Kirishima’s party. To pull him into a hug, to lean against him, to touch him in some way. This was something new. Shinso normally didn’t like anyone touching him. Shoulder to shoulder in a crowd, holding hands in any situation, hugs from his friends. He tolerated it from his friends and even prior girlfriends and boyfriends. But it was different with Eijiro Kirishima. It was different with Red. He had called him “Red,” the week before, a slip of the tongue over breakfast, but Kirishima hadn’t seemed to notice. He heard Fat Gum and Amajiki call him that the night of the party and he liked the way it sounded and how it fit him. Better than Kiri, Kirishima, and even Eijiro and Eiji. He had met Kirishima’s parents during the hero gala months before and they had called him Eiji and Kirishima hated it, Shinso could tell. Could he say that now? Red. To Kirishima? And, if so, could he think this now? His Red.
The music suddenly got much louder and Kirishima said something but Shinso couldn’t hear him. He shrugged and shook his head at Kirishima, so Kirishima leaned in, his face inches from his ear, and spoke loudly. “I want to grab your hand.” As he retreated his red eyes shone apologetically to Shinso under the mask. He just wasn’t ready and Shinso understood. He would let him set the pace and take his time. And even if they never could, if they had to live out a lie even after graduation, Shinso could do it. Would do it. And as that thought, the thought of this thing between them being long term crossed his mind again like it had last Sunday night in his dorm, he felt that tight and suffocating feeling in his chest and reveled in it and resented it at the same time. It was as if he had no control over it and that part of it unnerved him and terrified him, but he loved Red too much for it to deter him.
“I’ll get us some drinks. I’ll be back.” Shinso said loudly in Kirishima’s ear. Kirishima smiled at him and nodded. As he walked away he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He hoped the ache in his chest would go away for now. It was too much at the moment, in this loud and crowded place.
Mina
Mina was in charge of taking pictures of the formal. She was using a very fancy digital camera that belonged to the school. She had taken photography as her elective that year so she was hoping with that knowledge she would be able to produce some quality pictures for the third years to enjoy. She was asked to make sure she at least got one shot of every third-year member. They had a photo booth set up for fun, with props, and also a paid photographer that was set up near the entrance of the cafeteria taking posed photos of couples and groups. She just had to focus on candid shots so it would be a lot of fun. She decided she would take pictures as soon as she got to the dance and then have some fun of her own, and then later try to figure out who she hadn’t snapped a pic of yet and hunt them down. So a few minutes after arriving, she left Inasa with Todoroki to visit and she started snapping pics. Toru decided to come along to help her keep track.
Some students were already dancing, eating refreshments, or sitting at tables and visiting. Mina and Toru were excitedly talking about some of the really lavish masks and almost costume-like formal attire class members were wearing. Mina took a pic of Kendo who was dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She wore a dress that looked identical to the yellow dress Belle wore at the end of the film. She had a mask that looked like an open book. She was slow dancing with Tetsutetsu who wore a mask that without a doubt made him the Beast to go with Kendo’s Belle. She immediately asked Toru if she knew if they were dating or were they there as just friends. Toru wasn’t sure, but Mina would find out by the end of the night.
Mina pointed her camera near the refreshment table and caught a strikingly tall person in her lens. “Toru, look!” Mina said trying to grab her friend’s attention.
A very tall figure was standing before them, waiting in a short line to get a drink at the refreshment table. They were wearing a completely red tux. Red tie, red handkerchief, red dress shirt, red vest, shiny red leather shoes. He wore a half mask that was made of dark red leather and had tiny black matte rhinestones decorating the area around the eyes. The mask had a very prominent brow and a sharp angular nose that gave it a menacing appearance. The top edge of the mask was adorned with 2 large black leather horns that curled upwards. Purple wavy hair poked out around the edges of the mask so it was no denying who the masquerading devil was. Very few people had indigo-colored hair that thick and wavy.
“Wow, not sure how I feel about Shinso dressed up as a devil. He already makes me a little nervous,” Toru whispered to Mina.
“I don’t know…. I think it makes him extra hot!”
“Shhhh! He’ll hear you! Snap a pic and let’s move on,” Toru whispered.
Chapter 71: Masquerade Ball: 10 Things I Love About You or How Bakugo Leveled Up His Small Talk
Chapter Text
Bakugo
Bakugo finished patrolling the first and second floors and found himself walking back to the cafeteria in time to find Aizawa-sensei exiting from the stairway door.
“Everything clear?” his sensei asked.
Bakugo nodded.
“Ahane, All Might, and I will cover the next three patrols to check on the building. I’ll have you and Shinso run one with me again around 8. We’ll meet here.”
“Yes, sensei.”
Bakugo entered the cafeteria and now suddenly being hit with the music and all the people, he wanted nothing more than to walk out of the building and head to his room. But Momo. He wished there was some way he could get rid of everyone except her, well and maybe Kiri, and then he supposed Shinso since Kiri would need someone to hang out with. But then it wouldn’t be the formal if it was just the four of them and he knew that was the reason they were all there dressed up nicely. He sighed and grabbed his mask from his jacket pocket. It had an adhesive on the underside so it stuck to his skin and he didn’t have to wear a band around his head. Hatsume had said it was non-toxic and should last the night and not leave any residue on his skin. So far she had been right but he also knew there was a small possibility he could end up poisoned or perhaps the substance was highly flammable so mixed with his own quirk he would burst into flames. Always a small risk with Hatsume. He pressed the mask to his face and hoped if he plastered a slight sneer on his face as well no one would dare talk to him and he could find Momo in peace.
It took him only about a minute until he spotted her. She was standing with her left profile facing him while she talked to Kyoka on the edge of the dancefloor. When he was about 20 feet from her, she turned towards him and smiled. Bakugo was trying his best to play it cool but he had been quite nervous most of the evening. He really wanted it to be special for Momo, and he really didn’t want to f*ck things up. He stood beside her and placed his arm around her back, resting it on her opposite hip.
“Everything okay? With the patrolling?” Momo asked. Bakugo nodded at her. Kyoka started talking to Momo again and Bakugo spaced out. His mind flitted around to the security of the event, wondering what Kiri was doing and where he was (he hadn’t seen him yet) and how he was feeling, if Pikachu and Post-it Note were gonna try anything stupid to prank the event, and if he could keep his behavior in check so Momo would have a good time tonight.
The fast song that had been playing ended and Bakugo hoped the next song was a slow one. He really didn’t want to dance, but he knew Momo probably wanted to and he could get it over with. Although she would probably want to dance more than once. And he would have to make small talk. Yikes. He f*cking hated small talk.
“Hey, Listeners!” Present Mic’s voice filled the cafeteria. It rang out loud and clear and there was zero feedback. “We got the first slow dance of the night for you lovebirds! This one goes out to Yui Kodai. She’s had three songs requested for her from 3 different guys, so I picked my favorite one of the bunch. Enjoy Listeners!”
Bakugo didn’t recognize the song, but it didn’t matter. He gently grabbed Momo’s hand and walked her out to the dancefloor. Luckily he knew how to dance and he now realized he did have something he could talk to Momo about. Was this what small talk was supposed to be? To actually have ideas pop in your head with the person you need to talk to without having to painfully force it? This was what had happened in Momo’s room the night before. She would say something that would cause him to remember something or to fill in the details of something, and it was effortless. And it was actually kinda enjoyable with her but he would never admit it. He put his right hand below Momo’s left shoulder blade and held Momo’s right hand with his left. He now led them in a simple two-count step, in sync with the music.
“You remember,” Momo said looking at him. He could see her eyes glistening through the mask.
“Of course I remember. You and I had to lead the dance at the hero gala last spring since I was the highest-ranking guy in the hero course and you were the highest-ranking girl. Over all hero classes at UA. I beat Four-Eyes for the first time the week before. Added perk getting to dance with you.” He thought he was talking too much, but he didn’t care. He was gonna own this small talk, make this small talk his bitch. And maybe he was even gonna like it.
“All Might and Thirteen gave us a crash course right before the gala started. You looked…. Really pissed off about the whole thing. Said it was a waste of time. I thought you kind of hated me,” Momo said smiling at him. Bakugo cleared his throat. He remembered the whole thing quite differently. He was nervous he had to dance with Momo and was worried she would think he was bad at dancing or think he was less of a hero because he was doing something so mundane. He also worried his palms would gross her out because they were already more sweaty than most people due to his quirk and with the fact that he would be nervous he knew they would be extra sweaty. If she was grossed out that night, she didn’t show it.
“No, of course, I didn’t hate you. I just … didn’t want to look foolish in front of you.”
“Well, the complaining and the seething anger kind of made you look foolish.”
“Yeah, but you were used to me doing that though. The dancing was a new way to look like an idiot.” Momo grinned at him. “And I thought you’d be grossed out by my hands.” Bakugo couldn’t believe he offered up the last part. But he was gonna talk about all the things since this was something he discovered he could now do and maybe even do well. Yeah. He was gonna be the King of this small talk sh*t tonight.
“It’s part of your quirk, why would I think it was gross?” Momo replied. Oh damn. A question and he had to answer it. Well, he would go with whatever sh*t popped into his head first. That’s what he did anyhow right?
“Because most girls would.” Bakugo remembered in elementary school when they would play games during recess that the girls would never want to hold hands with him to play Red Rover because they thought his hands were gross. Didn’t take long for him to quit playing games and find other things to do. Like bully other kids. sh*t man, don’t think about that now, what the hell. His mind couldn’t help going to Deku. Not tonight man. You can wallow in that sh*t some other time. It’s all about Momo tonight.
“And most people don’t look at sh*t as practically as you do,” Bakugo added. He lifted Momo’s hand over their heads and spun her around, and then pulled her into starting dance position to continue. But he had pulled her back in a little closer this time. He looked up into her eyes. The heels had added a few inches to her height and she was about 2 inches taller than him now. Barefoot they were the same height. Bakugo really liked the height difference and he didn’t know why. He stared into steely dark eyes through the twilight mask. He wanted to kiss her, but their masks would probably impede his advance.
Momo suddenly leaned into him and whispered in his ear. “Everybody is staring at us. Please don’t blow them up.” Bakugo couldn’t help but grin at her statement. His eyes darted around at the couples near them, and they were staring at them. He had been absolutely oblivious to everyone else until she had mentioned it. It had been like it was only the two of them up until then. Bakugo was about to say something loud and crass to the gawkers, but Momo let go of his hand and shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lowered his arms and wrapped them around her waist. He inhaled deeply, his head resting against hers. Crisp linen, cedar, and licorice? Or something similar to licorice. Momo never smelled the same way twice. And her aroma was always complicated, more than 2 or 3 scents intermingling. He guessed it had to be her quirk. All the countless things she could create had to affect her in some way. He thought maybe there would be a repeat of a scent but so far it was unique from day to day. But maybe one day down the line, he would catch a similarity. Was there a single scent that would repeat, that would dominate more than the others given enough days? Maybe someday he would know her well enough to know the answer. He hoped.
They continued to dance, holding one another and swaying back and forth to the music. It wasn’t real dancing but Momo didn’t seem to mind. He couldn’t see her face due to how close they were dancing and it would have been the perfect opportunity to dance in silence, but he decided to keep the small talk up. It was interesting. Maybe fun? “You smell nice tonight. Like licorice and cedar. You never smell the same way twice though,” Bakugo said just above a whisper. His mouth was near her ear so he didn’t have to be loud, even over the music. She didn’t answer right away and Bakugo worried he had said something weird suddenly. sh*t. Talking about how she smells? Like you’re some f*cking bloodhound or something? What’s wrong with you, man? His attempt at small talk crashed and burned. He should have just kept his mouth shut.
“It’s because of my quirk. My secretions will vary quite a lot due to all the different things I create.” Momo paused a bit. “I’m sorry. That was a very clinical way to say it. I…. “
After several seconds, Bakugo was too curious to not press. Normally he wouldn’t care to hear the finished thoughts of most people if they suddenly stopped mid-thought. He was usually glad they were shutting up. “You what?” He wished he could see her face, but he liked how close they were to each other as they moved to the music. And somehow communicating this way was both more challenging but also somehow more intimate. And Bakugo liked a challenge.
“I think I’m not a very romantic person,” Momo stated simply.
“I don’t know Momo. You seem to be a lot more….handsy with me than I am with you.” Even though it was true and he wasn’t joking, he said it as serious as a heart attack. He couldn’t believe he said it. This small talk was getting out of hand. He was revealing too much of his thoughts. His face blushed a deep red and he was glad he was wearing the mask. Even though she couldn’t see his face at the moment.
“Physicality is something completely different,” Momo said, sounding a bit embarrassed. She continued several seconds later, more composed. “I just mean saying romantic things or performing romantic gestures. I actually think you’re better at it than I am. Especially after today.” This floored Bakugo. How could that be? He was a f*cking gremlin.
“You mean the masks and the dress?”
“Yeah. And your bowtie. And the orchid corsage. And the painting. And the sketches.”
“I don’t know. That sh*t’s easier than talking about stuff.” Momo now leaned back so they could see each other. She still had her arms around his neck.
“That’s not true. I haven’t done anything nice like that for you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Well, you don’t have to either.”
“I know. But I want to,” he said earnestly. Momo smiled at him. “And you said, ‘I love you,’ first. So yeah. You’re better at talking romantic.”
“Not really. You say things sometimes…”
“Oh god, you mean when I say the really stupid sh*t? It’s like I can’t stop it. It’s so f*cking cringey, I-“
“It’s wonderful,” Momo interrupted him. Her eyes were dewy under her mask.
After several seconds, Bakugo smiled. “Well then say some stupid sh*t, Momo. Say the cringey stuff running through your head and don’t use a filter like I do. Of course, you don’t think stupid sh*t, I bet. You’re… f*cking brilliant.” There was no sarcasm in his voice. He meant what he said. Momo gave him a disbelieving look. After a few seconds, “Come on, Momo. I’m aging over here. Say something sappy and completely cringey about me.”
“You smell nice, too,” Momo said in almost a whisper he could barely make it out. Bakugo blinked. In the past sometimes, before people got to know him, they would ask what was burning when he was present, their noses scrunched up like it was something nasty. Until they realized it was him.
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do. I’m serious. It’s like the smell when you blow out a candle. It’s sweet and yes, it’s a burning smell, but it’s nice. When I was little, after I would blow out my birthday candles, I’d wait for my parents and our service staff to leave the room, and then I’d re-light my candles and blow them out again. Sometimes I could do it a third time before I got caught.” She looked away from him now, it looked like she was staring at his shoulder. “I haven’t given back your hoodie because it smells like you and…I have it folded under one of my pillows on my bed. And I lay it over my pillow when I go to sleep at night….” Bakugo didn’t quite know how to process this. He kind of felt like that part in one of his favorite childhood books “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” when the Grinch’s heart grew 3 sizes.
“sh*t, Momo. You’re killing me over here,” he said in a serious tone.
“I’m sorry. That’s embarrassingly cringey.”
“Nah. I… I really like it. I don’t think it’s cringey.” Momo’s eyes met his gaze. Bakugo gave her a sly smile. “I also think it’s kinda hot you’re a bit of a pyromaniac. It makes sense why someone like you’d ever like someone like me.” Momo suddenly breathed out a laugh.
The song they were dancing to ended and Momo lifted her mask off her face. She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “There are a lot more reasons I like you. I promise I’ll try to eventually tell them to you, no matter how cringey.” She took him by the hand and led him off the floor.
Chapter 72: Masquerade Ball: The Kissing Booth
Chapter Text
Kirishima
So far Kirishima had danced a slow dance with Momo, danced a fast-paced dance with Mina, did some weird shuffle kind of dance that Mina had led dozens of students in, and spent the time in between those dances chatting with Shinso on the outskirts of the dancefloor. Shinso had glared down Mina and Kaminari when they tried to pull him on the floor and they stopped immediately. Shinso had softened some in their eyes the last few months but he was still intimidating. Kirishima wondered if he tried the same thing, tried to get him to dance, would Shinso relent? At this time Shinso had his mask turned backward hanging from the back of his neck and Kirishima tried not to stare at him but he couldn’t help himself. He looked even taller in his tux if that was possible. The way it cut him across the shoulders and the way he stood there one hand in his pant pocket seemingly looking bored (well he probably WAS bored Kirishima thought to himself) it was unbelievable how effortlessly cool Shinso looked. Kirishima had noticed the stares Shinso had garnered from many of the girls over the last hour and surprisingly a couple of guys. His usual circles under his eyes weren’t as dark and puffy today. He looked the most well-rested Kirishima had ever seen him. Apparently due to his sleeping next to Kirishima in his bed the night before. Kirishima felt the knot in his stomach. Earlier that day, when he was in his dorm room before he got ready for the formal, he had read the note Shinso had left him 10 times over. He had signed the note “Hitoshi,” instead of Shinso. That had to mean something right there. Eri was the only one that called Shinso by his first name at UA. Shinso must have felt Kirishima’s eyes on him because his eyes shot in his direction and he stared back, a small smile on his face. They were standing about 10 feet apart, Toru and Ojiro standing between them talking to one another. Kirishima had his mask also backward hanging from the back of his neck so they weren’t hiding this blatant, smoldering staring contest. At the moment Kirishima didn’t care who saw them. Suddenly, Present Mic had an announcement. “Okay Listeners! We’re about an hour into this formal! Put your hands up!” Most of the student body cheered loudly. “Yeaaaahhh! Okay! I want to draw your attention to the table over by the photo booth! Be sure to vote for the Winter Formal Court. You guys have until 9:00 PM to cast your vote!”
Many of the students walked over to the table to check out what Yamada-sensei was talking about.
Kirishima read the sign on the table out loud. “’Vote for your favorite couple for Winter Formal Court. Write the name of the couple on the slip of paper provided and place it in the box.’” There was a basket filled with small slips of paper and a large, ornately decorated box with a large slit in the top. “Favorite couple? Like, what’s the criteria?” Kirishima asked.
“Who knows? I think it’s usually based on popularity. Although for this dance I guess you can fall back on the best couple’s costume,” Mina answered.
“What a waste of time,” Bakugo replied.
“It’s an American thing I think, like this dance itself. Yamada-sensei started the tradition of the 3rd year formal dance once he started teaching here because it’s something they do in America and he’s half-American,” Momo said.
“Yeah. It’s called “Prawn,” Kaminari said matter-of-factly.
Shinso grinned at Kaminari. “No. It’s called “Prom.” “Prawn” is “shrimp” in English.”
“Eh, close enough,” Kaminari replied.
Suddenly a fast paced song started to play. “Oh! Daft Punk! This is the song Yamada-sensei wants me to start the train on! Come on, Kiri!” Mina said grabbing Kirishima by the arm and pulling him towards the dance floor. Kirishima quickly grabbed Shinso’s hand with his free hand taking a risk to see if he would relent.
“What?” Shinso breathed out in an incredulous tone but he let Kirishima lead him away reluctantly.
“Ha Ha!” Kaminari laughed at Shinso’s reaction. As Shinso was swept away he quickly grabbed Kaminari’s hand and grinned. Misery loves company although Kaminari didn’t seem to mind. Kaminari grabbed Momo’s wrist with his free hand, barely missing her because she was almost out of reach. Momo grabbed Bakugo by the back of his jacket since he had turned away trying to escape.
“Momo!” Bakugo whined but he eventually grabbed her hand and headed towards the center of the dance floor. Bakugo saw Eri on the way and grabbed her hand and she laughed in delight, pulling Togata behind her, having no idea what was going on but glad to be a part of it. It didn’t take long for the train of students to pick up a couple dozen more students, their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them, people at the back slowly picking up more students to add to the long trail of dancing bodies. Some people stepped enthusiastically with the beat of the music, smiles on their faces. A couple of passengers looked less than amused but participated anyway.
After the dance ended, Mina grabbed Kaminari and Kirishima by their hands and excitedly belted out, “Photo booth time!” and drug them to the photo booth. Kirishima grabbed Shinso’s hand as he was whisked away. The four teens squeezed themselves into the booth. “First two pics with masks on!” Mina cheered. He saw Shinso give a huge sigh. Kirishima nudged him, smiling. He had been genuinely surprised he got in the photobooth.
“Come on, Shin! It’s not the end of the world,” Kaminari goaded him. Kirishima and Shinso were standing behind Mina and Kaminari. Mina pressed the red button on the display in front of her. It started to count down from 5. Kirishima pulled his mask around and Shinso mutter something under his breath Kirishima didn’t catch but by the time the first pic flashed, his devil mask was on his face. Kirishima threw an arm around Shinso and gave Mina bunny ears. The second picture flashed. As the counter started at 5 again the foursome all took off their masks and Kaminari licked Mina’s cheek as the third flash went off. “Ewwwww!” Mina squealed. The pic probably caught Kirishima mid-laugh and Shinso mid resting-bitch-face. Or would it be resting-dick-face, since he was a dude? Kirishima now wondered to himself. Suddenly Kaminari turned around and jumped towards Shinso and wrapped his arms around his neck and a leg over his abdomen like he was climbing him. Kirishima wrapped his arms around Mina from behind her and planted a big kiss on her cheek as she smiled widely for the camera. The last picture flashed.
“You’re an idiot; I almost fell over. We could have knocked the booth over,” Shinso said in an irritated, low drawl as Kaminari let go of him laughing.
“Loosen up, Shinso! The night is still young. There’s hope for you yet!” A slow song started to play. “Oh sh*t! That’s my request! I better go find Kyoka.” Kaminari ran out of the booth.
In the distance over the music, Kirishima swore he heard someone bellow out, “Mina!” And then it hit him that it was Inasa. Mina grinned up at Kirishima. “Do you mind grabbing the pics, Kiri? They should take about a minute to process.”
“Yeah, sure,” Kirishima replied. Mina whipped past the curtain and out of the booth. Kirishima peaked through the curtain beyond the booth and saw no one was waiting in line to use the booth next. As he turned away from the curtain, he felt Shinso’s hands on his face quicker than Kirishima thought was humanly possible and Shinso’s lips met his. Wrapping his arms around Shinso’s neck, Kirishima kissed him back, reveling in this stolen opportunity he didn’t think they would have. He felt Shinso’s open mouth shift to a grin and then felt Shinso’s tongue slip between his lips. After a few seconds, Kirishima’s slightly opened eyes noticed a flash. Shinso was bad. He had hit the button on the display. 3 more flashes and 15 more seconds of intense kissing later, Kirishima was left out of breath and panting, his body feeling flushed and hot under his jacket. Shinso pulled back from Kirishima and looked out the curtain.
“No one in line. We got a minute right? Until it’s done processing?” Shinso said, his mouth twisted in a sly half-smile. Kirishima didn’t understand how he seemed so composed, Kirishima’s brain was a jumble. He didn’t answer Shinso, only nodded and immediately pressed his lips on Shinso’s, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him towards him.
After a few seconds, someone pulled back the curtain and Kirishima heard the familiar voice of Iida spluttering. “I’m so sorry! Please forgive the intrusion! If I would have known-“
“Iida, it’s fine. Our bad. We’re waiting for our pics to develop,” Shinso interrupted Iida, his voice calm and even. Kirishima had disengaged from Shinso as soon as he saw Iida through the curtain and his stomach lurched. He knew that Iida was in the “know,” but he felt bad putting Iida in such an awkward situation.
“Yes, of course! We’ll wait. Right out here,” Iida stammered, trying to recover, and he closed the curtain.
Kirishima didn’t know who else was with Iida but he figured Iida would try to smooth over the encounter if Iida’s friends had any questions. Iida was that kind of guy.
“Sorry I threw myself at you,” Shinso said, an apologetic look on his face.
“If you hadn’t I would have done the same to you,” Kirishima said with a low chuckle.
Shinso slowly brought a hand up to his face and cupped the side of Kirishima’s jaw with it. “You’re….” Shinso whispered and then paused, his face soft and sleepy, like he could have been mid-dream.
Kirishima suddenly felt a bit underwhelmed because he knew what Shinso would say and he for some reason didn’t want to hear it. Because it reminded him of his continued fear of how one-dimensional he always worried he was. And how he hoped he was more than just that one thing to Shinso.
“Gorgeous?” Kirishima said to fill in the long pause. He tried to keep his voice light and easy.
“Well, yeah, that’s true, but that wasn’t what I was gonna say. I was gonna say you’re….. really here at this dance with me. A month ago I would have never guessed this could happen. That you of all people would say yes. To me. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I’m having a really good time.” Kirishima slowly smiled. Shinso wasn’t one to talk about matters of the heart and to be sentimental. He was too practical and cynical for that kind of thing. He wasn’t expecting what Shinso said and it made the huge knot he already felt in his stomach twist and turn and Kirishima felt he would be sick with happiness. It was an odd combination of feelings. Kirishima heard the processed pics drop in the box under the display. Shinso lowered his hand from Kirishima’s face and Kirishima reluctantly transferred his attention to the pics in the dropbox. He grabbed the 4 strips of pics, 2 of him and Shinso and 2 sets of Mina, Kam, and the two of them, and quickly tucked them away in his inner coat pocket. They left the booth, Kirishima’s eyes falling on Iida, Todoroki, Ochaco, and Midoriya. Ochaco and Midoriya gave him and Shinso odd looks as they walked by them.
Mina
Mina decided to make a round to catch more pictures at the middle point of the formal. She left Inasa with Todoroki and started to walk around and see if she spotted anyone she had missed earlier. “Oh, there’s Bakugo,” Mina said to herself. She had not been able to catch him in any pics. He was standing next to Kirishima and Shinso. Kirishima and Shinso were wearing their masks on the back of their necks and it looked like Bakugo was holding his in his hand. “Okay you three, masks on!”
“Sure thing, Mina!” Kirishima said brightly, donning his mask. Shinso flipped his mask over and positioned it carefully. Bakugo glared at her. Kirishima elbowed him in the side. Bakugo rolled his eyes and put his mask on. Shinso threw his arm around Kirishima while Kirishima gave Bakugo bunny ears.
“Say cheese!”
“Cheese!” said Kirishima.
“Thanks, guys!”
As the trio turned away Mina checked the pic in her digital camera. Her jaw dropped. Kirishima and Shinso. One’s an angel, the other a devil. Was this purposeful? Were they a couple? She looked up and saw the backs of the 3 guys. Shinso had his arm around Kirishima again. Kirishima was extremely affectionate. He was always throwing his arm around everyone and anyone and gave hugs out indiscriminately. But Shinso was very cold. She couldn’t remember a time he had ever had an arm around anyone, even when he was dating Kendo, Mina didn’t remember a lot of PDA between the two. She realized she had to now find Momo and Kyoka and see what they thought about the whole thing.
She saw Momo and Kyoka sitting at a table eating refreshments and rushed over to them.
“Guys… I have to show you something!” Mina said with too much excitement. She crouched between the two of them so that they could see the display of her camera. “Look!”
Yaoyorozu
She looked down at the digital camera and saw a pic of Shinso, Kirishima, and Bakugo wearing their masks. Bakugo looked annoyed in the pic and Momo couldn’t help but smile. “You got Bakugo to agree to take a pic. That’s an impressive feat,” Momo said.
“Well, yeah, but look! Shinso and Kiri! Notice anything?”
Momo had noticed both of their costumes early in the evening and thought it was cute how they went together. She thought it fitting, as well, as a representation of their perceived personalities although a shallow perception. She didn’t think anyone would draw any conclusions of them being a couple because of this though and was even more shocked that the person who DID see it was Mina.
“Um, yeah Shinso’s get up’s pretty on-point and so is Kirishima’s,” Kyoka offered and looked away from the display, taking a sip of her punch looking like she was already bored of the conversation.
“Well yeah, but don’t you think they kinda go together? Like maybe they both planned it? And see how Shinso has his arm around Kiri? After the pic, he still had his arm around him. You think they are maybe secretly dating?”
“That’s crazy Mina. Shinso making a mask? He definitely doesn’t strike me as the crafty type.”
“Well, maybe he bought it! And the arm thing?”
“So he has his arm around Kirishima. Kirishima is super touchy-feely with everyone. Maybe Shinso feels comfortable reciprocating that back. Geez, Bakugo and Kirishima have been sleeping in each other's beds at times the last 2 years and you never thought anything suspicious about that.”
“Well, they’re just friends. They’ve always just been friends,” Mina replied matter-of-factly.
“And so are Kirishima and Shinso. Quit being such a fujoshi and go take pics and enjoy the dance.” Kyoka said sounding as bored as possible. Mina sighed and then shrugged and walked away.
“You are absolutely amazing,” Momo said giving Kyoka the biggest smile.
“Yeah. You’re lucky I’m such a great liar. If you would have answered Mina, their cover would have been blown.”
“Too true,” Momo said.
Chapter 73: Masquerade Ball: To Both the Boys Who Loved Before
Chapter Text
Kirishima
The night seemed to go by too fast for Kirishima’s liking. He was having too much fun dancing, hanging out with his friends, and goofing around. He had been drug to the photobooth 5 different times by different groups of people. Kirishima kept getting pulled to the dance floor or pulled into conversations with other classes and groups. He had not had as much time with Shinso as he had hoped. Although he was pleased to see Shinso with some of his Class C friends at times. When they were within each other’s line of vision, they’d smile at each other, and then return back to what they were doing previously. Kirishima had hoped maybe they could escape off into a darkened hallway or corner, but the faculty was keeping a close eye on students not letting them leave the area of the cafeteria. As it neared 9:00 classes started to band together preparing for the announcement of the Winter Court.
“Midoriya and Ochaco! I bet you guys could end up being in the court!” Toru said. Midoriya had garnered much attention the last 2 years due to his unique quirk situation and his connection to All Might. He was hands down the most powerful hero at UA and played an important role in ending the threat of All For One. Due to his humble nature, he was well-liked by most of the student body. He and Ochaco were also one of the more established couples on campus having dated for over a year.
Present Mic’s booming voice cut through the air. “Well, Third Years! It’s time to announce your Winter Formal Court! Three members of our faculty, Thirteen, Matsuda, and Cementoss, three teachers who teach across all classes so are unbiased, have counted the results! The top three couples who got the most votes will be your Duke and duch*ess, Prince and Princess, and King and Queen. So without further ado, let’s get started!” All Might stepped forward, joining Present Mic on the stage.
“All Might has the three envelopes that will reveal our court. So first up! Our Duke and duch*ess!” All Might handed Present Mic a golden envelope. He opened it and read off the paper inside. “Our Duke and duch*ess for our Winter Formal are Taro Taniguchi from General Studies Class D and Nami Yamazaki from Department of Management Class I!” This announcement was met by a burst of applause and cheering. Two students dressed in strikingly ornate, mostly black formal attire ascended to the stage and Ahane-sensei placed crowns on their heads. Kirishima knew both the students; they were both very popular among the student body and quite likable and extroverted. They had been dating for almost their whole time at UA. Kirishima cheered loudly and was glad some non-hero students could get some love and recognition. It was hard for the Hero classes to not overshadow the other classes, but the other non-hero courses were just as important, if not more so, because when it came down to heroes making the world a better place, they were only as good as the people who managed and supported the hero agencies.
“Congrats you two! Okay, up next! Your Prince and Princess! Let’s have that envelope, All Might my man!” All Might handed Present Mic the second envelope.
Kaminari leaned into Kirishima and whispered, “I hope it’s Bakugo and Momo just so I can see Bakugo get super pissed about being drug up on stage.” Kirishima chuckled quietly.
“Yeah, fat chance of that happening. Even if people like the Hero Dynamight, they’re probably too terrified of Bakugo to actually vote for him. Of course, Bakugo would see that as a huge perk,” Kirishima whispered back grinning.
Present Mic opened up the envelope with much gusto. As his eyes scanned the writing, a confused look spread across his face. “Uhh…” Present Mic said. “All Might… what do you…?” He showed the piece of paper to All Might who scanned it with questioning, bright blue eyes.
“Hmmmm, maybe a typo?” All Might replied, faintly heard through Present Mic’s mic.
Ahane-sensei who had been holding two crowns, ready to place on the heads of the Princess and Prince, placed them down on the table and now took a few steps and pushed herself between the two men. She read the paper Present Mic was holding and grinned widely. She suddenly grabbed the mic from Present Mic’s hand. Ahane-sensei’s voice rang out boisterously through the room. “Your Winter Formal Princes, Eijiro Kirishima from Hero Course Class A and Hitoshi Shinso, also from my Hero Course Class A!”
Kirishima’s heart raced and his legs felt heavy. He was staring at Ahane-sensei’s wide smile and was desperately trying to make sense of how/why he heard his name. And Shinso’s name.
He felt the eyes of his classmates converge on him. There was a beat of silence then a huge amount of cheering erupted from one side of the large room far from where most of Class A was standing. Clapping and cheering slowly started to spread through the rest of the student body and faculty until it filled the vast room with its overwhelming enthusiasm and love. Kirishima had been in a state of shock ever since he heard his name and it had felt like an eternity had passed in the last few seconds. He finally was able to turn his head towards where Shinso stood, 3 people between them, and Kirishima’s shocked eyes met with a face that was only slightly bemused. Framed by a crazy mane of indigo waves, eyes alert yet surprisingly calm despite what was happening. His mouth, however, was slightly agape showing he was as surprised as Kirishima. Shinso walked to him and leaned towards his ear so he could hear him above the cheering.
“Whatever you want to do, Red. I support you a hundred percent. I understand.” Shinso retreated and stood next to him. Shinso looked up to the stage at the 3 faculty members and waited patiently. Kirishima could tell everyone it was a prank. He could take the mic from Ahane-sensei and say Sero and Kaminari were getting him back and he would laugh and everyone would laugh and they could move on to the next couple. And for all he knew it could have been a prank the more he thought about it. But the two of them were a couple regardless. Kirishima’s eyes looked past Shinso and met with Momo and Bakugo’s. They were both smiling and Bakugo nodded at him.
Kirishima let go of the breath he had been holding and made his decision. And then, Kirishima’s fear and worry and hesitancy left him in that moment. He finally, after years of hiding parts of himself that had caused him such heartache, felt free. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and then reached for Shinso’s hand.
Shinso
Kirishima’s eyes met Shinso’s as he grabbed his hand and Kirishima grinned. The grin was 100 percent pure Kirishima. Beautiful and joyful and unabashedly genuine. Kirishima led him to the stage and Shinso didn’t think it was possible for the cheering to ring more loudly now, but it did. Somehow Shinso could make out Inasa single-handedly chanting both their names above the cacophonous noise and this made his smile turn into a grin. He had been trying to suppress it, but it was pointless now. As they both stood on the stage, hand in hand, in front of the whole of Class 3’s student body, Shinso donned his secret grin of happiness he hardly ever showed to anyone. He couldn’t help himself. And he couldn’t take his eyes off Kirishima.
Ahane-sensei had grabbed two crowns off the table and as she turned to Kirishima, she whispered, “Mask on, for the pictures.” Kirishima obliged as did Shinso. Ahane carefully placed the crown on top of Kirishima’s head, being mindful of the halo. She stepped to the other side of the couple and placed Shinso’s crown on top of his head, having some slight difficulty due to the horns. As Shinso looked over the crowd, there were so many smiling faces. As his eyes scanned Class A there were many shocked faces as well as supportive grins. As shocking as Momo and Bakugo had been to the class, Shinso was sure this definitely one-upped in the surprising department. Shinso’s eyes fell on Class C and he saw many of his dormmates grinning and giving thumbs up. Chiba was shaking his head grinning, Kimi had a wry smile on her face, and Shinso wanted to laugh. Shinso loved to ruffle feathers and this was a pretty huge large-scale ruffling and he was enjoying that aspect of it a little too much. Ahane motioned the two of them over to stand alongside the Duke and duch*ess that had been called previously.
Present Mic had a huge grin on his face as he continued the announcement of the court, “Well, on to announce the King and Queen. Or King and King. Or Queen and Queen. Or maybe it’s time we just said “All ruling Monarchs” to cover all our bases! Anyway! Gonna be hard to top what we just saw, but listeners, let’s try to give them a warm round of applause and cheering regardless. Okay, hit me All Might!” All Might handed Present Mic the envelope. He opened it and announced, “Your 9th annual Winter Formal King and Queen of the Masquerade Ball are…… Yuga Aoyama from Hero Course Class A and Yui Kodai from Hero Course Class B!”
Yaoyorozu
Applause and cheering filled the space. Momo clapped loudly, happy for Aoyama. As she saw him reach the stairs at the stage, leading Kodai by her hand, he then let go of her and stood to the side so she could climb the stairs first. He offered his hand for leverage since her dress was quite ornate and poufy. There had to be several layers of dense petticoats giving the periwinkle blue satin dress such an immense, flowing skirt. She took his hand and ascended the stairs and Aoyama followed her, never taking his eyes off of her. Momo was surprised by how his attention was on Kodai. In the past Aoyama could get quite caught up on himself, so to see this side of him, putting someone else above him, was quite a change. Momo looked behind her at a group of students and couldn’t help notice some saddened or overly thoughtful faces. Kodai was a natural beauty and had quite a devoted number of students who were enraptured with her. For whatever reason, Aoyama had caught her eye, or perhaps he was just the first one to ask her, who knew, but they were at the dance together. Perhaps Kodai had asked him, she was sure Mina would find out the details by the time they all got back to the dorm for the night. Kodai stood at the center of the stage, a serene smile on her face. She glanced at Aoyama who winked at her and she returned a slightly bigger smile and her cheeks blushed a dark pink. Ahane placed crowns on their heads and they stood with the two other couples.
Present Mic announced that the court would take pictures on stage for a few minutes and then the music would resume shortly after. This was the perfect opportunity for Class A to pounce; Momo feared she and Bakugo would be accosted by their classmates for answers about Kirishima and Shinso.
“Momo! Did you know?!” Mina immediately asked Momo.
“Um. Yes.”
“So when I showed you the pics earlier! And told you my suspicions?!” Mina continued.
“Yes, Momo knew. So did I but I lied because if you knew Mina, everyone would know,” Kyoka said.
“I can’t believe you guys!” Mina whined.
Inasa patted Mina gently on the shoulder and she leaned against his immense frame, a slightly sulky look on her face. “Yeah. You’re right,” she said in a small voice.
Ochaco looked at Midoriya. “Deku and I saw them leaving the photobooth earlier. Just the two of them and Kirishima looked very suspicious. And slightly disheveled,” Ochaco laughed.
“Shhhh, leave them to their own business Kacho,” Midoriya said to her as he placed an arm around her.
“Yeah. Listen to Deku. All of you shut the hell up,” Bakugo said quietly, but loud enough for most of those nearby to hear.
“Well… that wasn’t exactly what I meant, Kacchan.”
“Yeah, it was. You’re just not enough of an asshole to say what you really mean.” Midoriya smiled at Bakugo.
Mineta, who had been oddly quiet the last few minutes finally spoke, his voice loud and exasperated. “WHaaaattt? I can’t even! The manliest bro at the school is gay and the gayest guy at the school bags the hottest babe on campus AND is King of the Winter Formal Court?!?! What the hell is life anymore?”
“That’s not very PC Mineta!” Kaminari said laughing. “No wonder you can’t land a date. Times have changed. You’re gonna get left behind with those views.” Kaminari turned suddenly towards Bakugo, “Okay Bakugo, ‘Fess up. How long have those two been a thing? And who outed them? Who the hell voted for them? Not Class A! Maybe Shinso’s class?”
“I’m not telling you sh*t, Pikachu, and you should-“
“Mind my own damn business, man you’re a broken record,” Kaminari interrupted.
Momo elbowed Bakugo playfully. “They’ve been secretly dating since the evening after Kirishima’s quirk went haywire in Gym Gamma.”
“Momo! What the hell!?!” Bakugo said.
“Well, if Kirishima was here now you know he wouldn’t mind telling everyone now that it’s all out.” Momo grinned.
“What? Haven’t they been a couple ever since that game of spoons over a month ago?” Todoroki asked. Everyone turned to look at Todoroki.
Bakugo snickered. “Looks like Half and Half might know more than you do, Momo.”
“That was when the flirting began I think. Wow, Todoroki. If you picked up on that, I shudder to think what else you know about our class that you don’t say.”
“You don’t want to know,” Todoroki said flatly.
“It’s his burden to bear,” Iida added empathetically, bowing his head reverently.
Having finished taking the Winter Court photos, Kirishima walked up to his classmates hand-in-hand with Shinso, an extremely sheepish grin on his face.
They all stood in awkward silence for about 5 seconds then Mina jumped towards Kirishima and
Shinso and wrapped her arms around them pulling them in for a hug. “Congratulations guys!” As she retreated she said, “I feel so foolish about the whole library thing now, were you guys starting to like each other then?”
“The library thing?” Kyoka asked.
“Not yet. It took some people a while to realize they were being flirted with,” Shinso said, a smile playing on his lips.
“Well, you aren’t the easiest person to read,” Kirishima said as he glanced at Shinso and squeezed his hand.
Kaminari walked up to Kirishima and Shinso, a surprisingly serious look on his face. “I’m sorry guys.”
“Why? What’s up Kam?” Kirishima asked.
“I must have been a crappy friend if neither of you said anything to me. I mean, after Bakugo, I thought I was your closest friend Kiri. And Shin. sh*t man, before this whole thing tonight I thought I was your closest friend in 3A.”
Kirishima let go of Shinso’s hand and placed both his broad hands on Kaminari’s shoulders.
“Dude, it has nothing to do with you. You’re an awesome friend. Even with the constant pranks and you always heckling me about being too good for dating. It’s just complicated. This whole coming out stuff. You’re one of my best friends Kam.” Kam looked at Shinso and Shinso nodded and smiled at him.
“Kam, you would have blabbed it to the whole school if they would have told you. You’re absolute crap about keeping your mouth shut about stuff. Even when you really want to,” Kyoka said.
Iida walked up to Shinso and Kirishima and announced, “As the class rep president of Class 3A, I want you both to know you have the full support of the class. We know society is still adjusting to certain facets of identity in this country and we want you to know we stand behind you and will do whatever it takes to make sure you feel safe and accepted at the dorm and on campus!”
Kirishima took two steps, wrapped his arms around Iida, and gave him a huge hug, lifting Iida in the air about two feet. “You guys are all so awesome and manly!” Kirishima said tearfully as he hugged his friend.
“We love you guys!” Toru added happily.
“We’re just glad you don’t have to hide things anymore,” Ojiro said, giving Shinso two hearty pats on his back.
Sero grinned and glanced at Mineta. “Well, Mineta might need a bit more time. He’s having a bit of an existential crisis at the moment.”
“Dude, I have no issues with Kirishima and Shinso. As long as they keep the PDA down to a minimum.” Mineta shot suspicious eyes over at the two of them. Shinso put an arm around Kirishima, kissed him on the temple, and then petulantly stuck his tongue out at Mineta. Kaminari laughed and Momo swore she heard Bakugo snicker. Mineta rolled his eyes and sighed. “Anyway! I’m still pissed about Yui Kodai and Aoyama! The universe is a cruel mistress!” Mineta whined.
“Still have no idea how Shinso and I got on the court. I’m guessing none of you guys voted for us cause you either didn’t know or didn’t want to out us if you did know.” Kirishima looked at Bakugo and Momo.
“I didn’t. I voted for Toru and Ojiro. And Bakugo didn’t vote,” Momo said.
“Aw! Thanks, Yao-momo!” Toru said as she hugged Momo.
“Well… I can probably shed some light on the subject….” A voice sounded from behind Kirishima and Shinso. Everyone’s eyes fell on her.
“Oh, hey Kubo,” Kirishima turned to the rest of his class. “Guys, this is Nariko Kubo from Support Class G.” Kirishima knew everyone. Kubo had a pleasant heart-shaped face framed by thick, curly dark blue hair. She was short and sturdy in stature.
Kubo turned towards the rest of the class and bowed. She smiled weakly, slightly embarrassed, and continued to speak. “It was my class that voted for you and Shinso along with some of the other Support Classes.”
“Oh,” Kirishima answered simply. His face turned bright red.
Kubo grinned. “Guess you want to know why,” she giggled nervously and then cleared her throat. “Do you both remember running into two boys last Saturday on the third years’ day out? They were fans of Red Riot and asked to take a picture with you?”
Kirishima nodded. “Yeah, they stopped us by the art supply shop.”
“Well one of them was my little brother. The quiet one.”
“Yeah, you guys have the same color hair,” Kirishima said. Kubo nodded.
“Afterwards, when you parted ways, my brother saw you holding hands with Shinso, well he called him ‘Mind Jack.’ Seeing that gesture meant a lot to my brother. The fact you both weren’t hiding your true feelings in public. You weren’t afraid of what others might think. My brother, his name is Roka, is really struggling right now and he starts middle school next year. Our parents aren’t very supportive so he worries a lot and he buries a lot of things. His feelings and how he views himself. But I think now, seeing someone who he already looks up to so much, his favorite hero, being their true self, it just really helped him.” Kubo had tears streaming down her face. “So when Present Mic announced about voting for the Winter Formal Court earlier, I sent a mass text out to the Support Classes saying if they didn’t know who to vote for, to vote for the two of you. I texted that you helped a family member of mine out. Of course, I heard some of your conversation before I spoke up earlier and realize I actually completely outed you, Kirishima and Shinso. I’ve seen you both walking the campus together so I guess I had no reason to think you weren’t out. And your tuxes and masks tonight sort of go together. But you guys were still trying to keep it quiet. I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
Kirishima gave Kubo a hug. “There’s nothing to forgive. You did me a favor. I wish I could have been as brave as Roka saw me. You’ll have to tell him he’s the brave one because he’s inspiring me.”
Kubo and Kirishima continued to talk for a couple more minutes, then she gave Kirishima a hug and returned to the other side of the cafeteria back to her class. Shinso came up behind Kirishima and wrapped his arms loosely around Kirishima’s neck. Placing his hands atop Shinso’s forearms, Kirishima smiled. Momo couldn’t be happier for them.
Present Mic’s voice cut enthusiastically through the air. “Hey, Listeners! We have about an hour left of the Formal! Let’s blow the roof off this baby! Yeeeeaahhh! Well, after this slow song.” The vast room was filled with the soft melody of an acoustic guitar and Kirishima’s face lit up with a huge grin as he turned to Shinso.
“Hey! It’s that song from yesterday. When you were teaching Eri and me how to dance. Did you request it?”
Shinso nodded, his face impassive. “Seeing as it’s an album Yamada-sensei gave to Aizawa and it’s one of his favorites, he was happy to play it for me.”
“Wait. Does that mean it’s our song?”
“If you want it to be,” Shinso replied low and even.
Realization dawned on Kirishima’s face. He grinned, his eyes filling with tears again. “We can totally dance to it now!” Kirishima grabbed Shinso by the hand and led him to the dance floor. Shinso gave out a soft laugh Momo barely heard.
“Okay, not gonna lie, that was kinda adorable,” Kyoka said.
“I’ve always thought Kiri was adorable. Don’t know why the f*ck it took the rest of you so long,” Bakugo said gruffly.
“It’s not a contest, Bakugo,” Kyoka replied with a laugh.
Bakugo grunted in reply. Kyoka wasn’t sure how to translate it, so she shrugged and let him be.
“Come on, Ponytail. We can’t let that sulky sonovabitch and Baby Shark upstage us.” He grabbed Momo’s hand and led her to the dancefloor.
Moments later, Iida pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and a determined look appeared on his face. He took a few steps towards Todoroki.
“Todoroki, will you dance with me?”
Kaminari, Sero, and Mineta’s mouths dropped open.
Todoroki looked up at Iida, nodded, and replied, “Sure.”
Iida offered his arm and Todoroki took it and they went out to the dance floor.
If Kyoka was shocked like Sero, Kaminari, and Mineta, she hid it. She looked over at them smugly.
“It’s not a huge deal guys, Momo and I slow-danced together twice tonight.”
“Yeah… but…. you’re…” Sero slowly managed to get out.
“Girls? Should that make a difference? You three need to grow up. You think being around Kirishima and Bakugo all this time you’d be used to guys showing more physical affection.”
“Well… that was really more one-sided… you know… Kirishima…. And he’s….” Mineta sputtered.
“Kirishima being overly affectionate has nothing to do with him being gay.” Kyoka looked over at the trio rolled her eyes and sighed. She grabbed Kaminari by his elbow. “Dance with me, you idiot.”
“As you wish,” Kaminari replied. He smiled and wrapped his arm around her.
*
The rest of the dance found Shinso and Kirishima inseparable. They had danced two slow songs, Shinso leading them and Kirishima absolutely beaming even if he stepped on Shinso’s feet a few times.
After a slow dance, Bakugo walked Momo off the dance floor, “Gonna check in with Kiri. Be back in a little bit.” Momo saw Bakugo walk towards Kirishima and put an arm around him. Kirishima immediately wrapped Bakugo in a warm hug. The two walked off the dancefloor towards the refreshments. Momo smiled. She felt a little guilty hogging Bakugo most of the night but Kirishima was popular with everyone and he had been quite busy with most of the student body most of the night anyhow. She felt someone tap her shoulder and as she turned around she saw Shinso standing before her, his arm lifted, an invitation for her to dance. A slow song had started playing and she took his arm and he led her to the dance floor.
“You’re a much better dancer than Katsuki, but don’t tell him I said that. At least not when I’m around please.” Shinso smiled. He started to lead her into a box step and she luckily remembered the foot work. Her parents were always hosting fundraisers and other events and she had picked up on how to dance over the years. “You’re full of surprises tonight.”
“Not really. Especially after tonight. At least where the rest of the student body is concerned,” Shinso said in a low monotone. Momo smiled.
“You seem to be rather enjoying yourself. You were practically beaming on stage earlier. I always thought you were shy, but you’re not.”
“No, I’m definitely not. Just prefer to do my own thing.”
“Well, that’s a mood I can respect.” Shinso nodded at her. Momo noticed he kept looking over at Kirishima and Bakugo on the edge of the floor. Kirishima was gesturing as he talked while Bakugo watched him listening.
“So, what’s going on there?” Shinso asked.
“He’s just checking in on Kirishima, I think. Mentioned something about him not eating much the last week and when he does finally eat, it’s junk food.”
“Is that not normal for Kirishima?”
“Not at all. He usually tracks everything he eats so he hits specific macros, especially his protein daily. Junk food’s a rarity, and he eats quite a bit to keep up his physique.”
“That’s odd.”
“Is it though? I think it’s because of you.” Shinso looked at her, a serious expression on his face. “Katsuki thinks it's him worrying about his quirk, but I think he’s …. Well, I think he’s just preoccupied with you.” Momo wanted to say “in love,” but that was delving in too much and she wasn’t sure how serious Shinso and Kirishima were. But she was guessing she was spot on with Kirishima because she found herself with the same appetite patterns ever since she and Bakugo started dating. She had lost close to 8 pounds and that wasn’t good for her due to how her quirk blew through her fat stores. Momo decided to steer the conversation back in the other direction since Shinso looked a bit spooked. “Katsuki worries about him. Thinks he’s not taking care of himself.” A guilty look flashed across Shinso’s face. “Yes, I know you do that, too. You guys pester him too much about things.”
“Has Bakugo always been this way with Kirishima?”
“Actually Kirishima was the one who started it first year. Always checking on Katsuki. Bursting into his room uninvited. Pushing him to see Recovery Girl. Dragging him to Aizawa-sensei that first year over things. It’s just right now, Kirishima is the one with the health issues and also doing things out of character for him. Hopefully this coming week he can resume normal activity.” Shinso nodded, a thoughtful look crept across his face. Momo wondered what he was thinking. Bakugo and Kirishima walked up to them.
“I’m cutting in,” Bakugo said to Shinso. Shinso nodded and offered Bakugo Momo’s hand.
“Okay Red. Your turn to lead,” Shinso said with a small smile on his face. Kirishima’s grin disappeared suddenly.
“I’ll try, but don’t blame me when you have bruised and hurting feet when we’re done.”
When 10:30 hit, the lights went up and the dance was over. Momo was surprised she felt a little sad. She had had a wonderful time and didn’t want it to end. Curfew was at 11:00 PM and now the creeping thoughts of dorm responsibilities, class the next day, and work-study that would find her in Esuha City Tuesday and Saturday started to lessen her carefree mood. She tried her best to push them away. She and Bakugo walked slowly back to the dorm behind Shinso, Kirishima, Kyoka, and Kaminari.
“So you gonna stick around the dorm tonight Shin?” teased Kaminari. “You being over so much at the dorms, even in the mornings, all makes sense now. How did we miss this?” Kirishima chuckled.
“No, I’m gonna drop Kirishima off at the door and head back to Gen C,” Shinso replied. Kirishima made a low groan of annoyance. Momo figured after his poor decisions of rule-breaking the night before Shinso wasn’t going to push it. Her eyes shot up and saw Aizawa-sensei walking ahead, headed towards the dorm. “But I’ll be at the dorm in the morning. Someone’s been early to class almost every day since we’ve been dating. Gotta keep up that good habit,” Shinso said. Kirishima grinned.
“So is this what Kiri gets out of the relationship? Someone to keep him on time and his grades up with your help? You’re doing a better job than Bakugo could with him, Shin. I’m impressed.” Momo heard Bakugo make an annoyed noise. She wrapped her arm around him and kissed his cheek.
“I feel so used,” Shinso said in his usual deadpan.
“Aww, it’s not like that! I don’t have ulterior motives, I swear!” Kirishima couldn’t help but laugh as he said it.
“Wait a minute…. That was you two the other night! After Kiri’s party. You both were making out in the living room! I knew I heard Kiri’s voice!” Kaminari gasped suddenly, “Shinso! You totally brainwashed me, you dick!”
“That can’t be proven. Maybe you’re a sleepwalker and you don’t know it.” Shinso replied steadily. Kyoka let out a very loud laugh which was very out of character for her, and Momo couldn’t help but grin.
Chapter 74: Tangled up in our embrace
Notes:
A/N at end has TW
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Shinso
Walking Kirishima to the door of Class A Dorm had been a very freeing experience. He no longer had to worry about stealing or hiding kisses or just pretending they were friends. He wrapped his arms around Kirishima and wanted to say something to him, but he didn’t know what. He already felt he had said too much in the photo booth hours before. That feeling in his chest was starting to become a problem, and when he talked to Kirishima about how happy he was to be at the dance with him, it had somehow made him feel better. Had made the aching he felt in his chest lessen. But with his head resting against Kirishima’s, he didn’t know what to say. Kirishima had moved his head and was now nestling his face gently against Shinso’s neck at his jawline. Shinso tried his best not to shudder from how it tickled. “I’ll see you in the morning. 7:15?” Shinso asked letting go of him.
Kirishima sighed sadly. “Yeah. I’ll be in the kitchen waiting.”
As Shinso headed back to his dorm, Aizawa-sensei ran up from behind him and walked next to him, his hands in his pockets, half his face obscured by his cloths.
“Well, you had an eventful night,” Aizawa-sensei said in his usual monotone.
Shinso couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. It was pretty crazy.”
“I’m glad things are out in the open. Maybe that will help keep you out of trouble. One less thing to be skulking around about.”
“Yeah.” Shinso didn’t know what else to say. Aizawa-sensei’s approval was more important to Shinso than even his own parents’ approval. Shinso knew Aizawa-sensei didn’t care if people were gay, straight, bi, or trans, he truly just saw people for who they were and didn’t care about societal norms and what others thought. He would want Shinso to be himself and to be with who he wanted. And Shinso liked to think he would want him to be happy as well. And Kirishima made Shinso very happy. He made everyone happy.
“Kirishima’s a good kid. Do right by him,” Aizawa said.
“I-I will.” It was all Shinso could say and he meant it. Aizawa-sensei nodded in silence and veered off the sidewalk headed towards the faculty dorm. Shinso continued on to his dorm and now dreaded the response he would get from his dormmates. He had definitely had his fill of attention as an introvert already that night. And although he liked shocking a lot of the student body and his dormmates, having to talk to them about, well, anything, after such a stimulating day sounded awful. He would do his best to not be anti-social.
As he walked into the front doors, he was met by cheering and a few people chanted, “Prince! Prince! Prince!” Shinso rolled his eyes and shook his head smiling slightly. After some congratulatory remarks and pats on the back, many of his dormmates settled back into the living room. A movie was playing and most of the class was watching it. Shinso spotted Chiba and Kimi at one of the tables, and Chiba waved him over. He knew he would get grilled by them since they were his closest friends in Gen C. As Shinso pulled out a chair to sit with them, an ugly sneer appeared on Kimi’s face as she spoke. “Red Riot? Are you f*cking kidding me? Please tell me he is just some himbo you wanted to nail on the night of the Formal and he isn’t who you’ve been seeing secretly.”
Chiba’s eyes went wide with absolute shock at Kimi. Shinso glared at her, immediately pushed the chair back, and walked away. He had not been expecting that and he knew if he spoke his mind at that moment, their friendship would be ruined. Shinso thought honestly it probably was already with what she had said. But he wouldn’t let this ruin his good night, and he wasn’t going to deal with it at the moment. He walked into the living room and sat on the couch next to Kondo.
*
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Chiba threw at Kimi after Shinso walked away.
“Most the idiots in the hero courses would have never made it in general studies it’s so competitive. Shinso gets one of the top three spots in our class for the written exams every year. It’s just really gross he would be with someone for superficial reasons. Yeah, Kirishima’s a nice guy, but it’s not like the two of them are having deep conversations. Come on, Chiba! You’re always going on about how they’re all arrogant and that most of them are idiots!” Kimi said. She crossed her arms in front of her, a sour expression on her face, looking very similar to a petulant toddler.
Chiba opened his mouth and then shut it again at a loss for words. After several seconds, he tentatively spoke. “Well, I shouldn’t have said all those things. Like a lot of students at UA, I get jealous of 3A. Everyone always goes on and on about them. And… well… I get jealous of how much time Shinso spends over there, outside of class. It’s been growing more and more over the last year and a half. Speaking of which, are you sure that isn’t your problem?”
“What?”
“You’re jealous of Class 3A. You wonder why Shinso wants to hang out with them over us.”
“Please. That’s not it at all. If he was going out with Todoroki, Momo, Iida, or even Bakugo, I’d have no issues because he’s on the same playing field with them intellectually. But Kirishima? It’s laughable. He’s known as the “himbo” of class 3A for a reason, y’know. I guess I always thought Shinso would be a bit more picky and a lot less ‘basic’ when it came to who he’d like and want to spend his time with. But I guess if all you’re doing is f*cking it doesn’t matter what you talk about, right?”
“Wow. Seriously?” Chiba said. Kimi looked away from him, her face blushing a deep red. Chiba thought that maybe she realized she had gone too far with her last statement. “Okay, maybe look at it this way. Why would someone like Kirishima want to be with someone like Shinso? If this is just for superficial reasons,” Chiba was more civilized than Kimi and wouldn’t use such crass language. “What does Kirishima have to gain being with Shinso? His family doesn’t have money. He isn’t going to any big hero agencies. Shinso isn’t stereotypically attractive. And if Kirishima was interested in only certain…. extra-curricular activities like you said… he’d pick someone other than Shinso. So maybe Kirishima isn’t the vacuous boy toy you think he is.” Chiba suddenly looked a bit angry now, which did something quite different to his round, chubby face which usually donned a good-natured expression most of the time. “Maybe you should go google news articles about the hero class taking on the League of Villains the last 2 years. Kirishima would have been 15 or 16 years old when he took down Gigantomachia. I don’t think an idiot could have done that. You know that’s the same battle that Midnight died in? What the hell were you doing that day, Fujioka? Getting your nails done?” Chiba stood up, grabbed his things, and left her at the table alone. She sat there fuming.
Yaoyorozu
It was past midnight but their class was still up. Momo was sitting cross-legged on the couch, Bakugo’s head on her lap and he had fallen asleep. Aizawa-sensei had instructed them they could stay up as late as they wanted, but that Ahane-sensei better not tell him any of them were late for first hour the next morning. He also said he would start impromptu dorm room checks nightly along with Ahane-sensei and if anyone was in a room that wasn’t their room after 9:30 PM they would be in huge trouble. Momo wouldn’t be inviting Bakugo into her room anymore it would seem.
Kirishima was sitting on the floor, his back against the couch in front of Momo being grilled by Mina.
“Did you ask Shinso to the dance or did he ask you?”
Kirishima grinned. “He asked me.”
“How?! Was it romantic?! If Shinso is romantic I just might die!”
Kirishima got quiet and thoughtful for a moment before he answered. “It was extremely romantic.” Mina squealed with delight. “And I’m not telling,” Kirishima said with an even bigger grin. Mina’s jaw dropped and Inasa who was sitting behind her laughed raucously.
Momo smiled as she ran her fingers gently through Bakugo’s hair. His eyes fluttered open. “sh*t… what time is it?” he mumbled.
“It’s after midnight,” Momo said.
Bakugo sat up and stretched. “I’m going to bed,” he said with a yawn. He rose from the couch and Momo joined him happily leaving the loud living room behind them. Bakugo walked her to her door as he always did although he was dragging. He kissed her goodnight or at this point good morning.
“I have something cringey to tell you, if you aren’t too tired to hear it,” Momo said as he leaned away from her.
“Yeah. I have some energy left for cringey,” he whispered with a smile. He leaned against the doorjamb. His bowtie was undone, the top button of his shirt unbuttoned, and his jacket was who knows where. He looked so handsome leaning there, eyes sleepy and his face soft and not rigidly held like it often was when he was awake.
Momo smiled and said, “I spent the last hour downstairs watching you sleep and that definitely makes the list of my top five favorite things about the last 24 hours.”
Bakugo grinned. “Gonna tell me the other 4 things at the top of your list?” he whispered.
“Eventually,” she said as she placed her hand on his cheek.
Kirishima
Kirishima let out a long, tired sigh as he flopped on top of his bed. It was almost 2:00 am and he had his alarm set for 7:00 am. He had taken a shower 15 minutes earlier knowing he wouldn’t in the morning because he would choose to sleep. He laid in his bed, his hair slightly damp, his rental attire thrown on the floor. He reached for his phone and texted Shinso.
Kirishima: hey still up?
A few seconds later,
Hitoshi: why are you still up? you’ll be a zombie tmw.
Kirishima: Up late hanging out w/everyone
Hitoshi: did I miss out on anything fun?
Kirishima smiled. He had not meant to stay up so late but he had rather enjoyed all the attention he received from Mina, Toru, and later Ochaco, Kyoka, and Kaminari about Shinso. They had questions for him about how they figured out they liked each other. It felt good to finally talk about these things because he had never had the chance before to join in those talks with everyone else like a typical teenager. Almost everyone had dated to some extent in their class and Kirishima felt so behind everyone else. But Kirishima didn’t want to reveal everything because he knew Shinso was a private person. He had told them that he figured Shinso had been subtly flirting with him and that’s how it all started. The staring and the game of spoons. Kirishima didn’t say anything about the courtyard though or Gym Gamma. Those firstly given signs of something more than just friendship that happened in those places belonged to just him and Shinso. They were special and sacred to Kirishima now. Mina surprisingly told everyone about how she had asked out Shinso to the formal at the library, pulling along Kirishima as her wingman. She was so flustered about it, but she also said she felt a lot better about being rejected since Shinso had had Kirishima in mind. “He must have been so confused when you were standing there after I ran off!” she had said. He did eventually tell them about how Shinso had asked him to the formal. Dangling outside his window in the hospital wing.
“Damn. I don’t think any guy in this dorm could ever top that,” Kyoka said low and serious.
“Hey! You never know. Maybe I can,” Kaminari rebutted.
“That’s hilarious. Do you even remember how you asked me to the formal?”
Thinking back to downstairs, Kirishima couldn’t help but blush and give a toothy grin at the time. Kirishima looked down at his phone and answered Shinso’s text.
Kirishima: just talking about you with everyone. Were your ears ringing?
Kirishima imagined Shinso’s usually impassive face suddenly changing into one of exasperation. He waited for his text to see if maybe he was right.
Hitoshi: srsly?
Kirishima grinned.
Kirishima: I’m sorry. Ppl were asking and you make me happy so *shrug emoji*
Hitoshi: by ppl you mean Mina?
Kirishima: yeah and others
Hitoshi: le sigh
Kirishima chuckled. He stretched and then rolled on his side. The bedspread felt cool and comfortable under his bare legs and bare upper body.
Kirishima: I miss you
Hitoshi: well, go to sleep and you’ll see me sooner. Don’t forget to set your alarm.
Kirishima: ok
Kirishima:
He had texted the words “I love you,” but then backspaced and deleted them. When he said those words, he realized right then, he wanted it to be in person face to face.
Kirishima: gn
Hitoshi: gn red
Red. He had called him that throughout the night and it made him hold his breath the first couple of times he had said it. He had called him, “Red,” Thursday morning at breakfast for the very first time and he had been waiting patiently to see if he would call him that again. Kirishima placed his phone on the bed, curled around his pillow, closed his eyes, and fell asleep almost instantly, his last waking thoughts of Hitoshi.
*
His phone alarm blared, and he opened his eyes. Monday morning. Only two more days of his prison sentence left, then he could go back to his normal life. As he dressed into his school uniform, he thought about Wednesday morning. He would wake up at 5:30 and go to the school’s gym. He’d do upper body in the morning and then he’d have combat class and PE back to back. It would be an awesome first day back to normal. Then he’d do lower body the next morning. Then core and HIIT on Friday. He had wanted to try some different back exercises on one of the machines, he realized he had not been using the best form when doing face pulls. He had been watching weightlifting videos the last week wanting to change things up when he could start working out again. After he was fully dressed, he grabbed a protein bar that had been approved by both Aizawa and Recovery Girl and headed to the kitchen. It was almost 7:05.
As he opened the stairway door, he was shocked to see he was the first one down. No breakfast had been prepared either. Kirishima smiled and shook his head. He went to the refrigerator and started to pull things out. He set out a container of pickled vegetables. He could scramble some eggs and heat up some left-over fish. He went to the pantry and pulled out some fruit and grabbed a large bag of rice. He set up the rice in the pressure cooker and hoped it would be ready in about 20 minutes. He placed the container of fish in the microwave and started to scramble eggs in two large frying pans. He glanced over at the calendar over the sink and saw the name of who had forgotten to prepare breakfast that morning. It was Bakugo. Kirishima chuckled to himself. He suddenly jumped at the sensation of someone touching his left shoulder. He quickly looked to his left and then back to his right and saw Shinso standing next to him.
His heart felt like it was in his throat. “You scared me to death. I didn’t even hear the front door open.” Shinso gave a barely perceptible smile, craned his neck down, and kissed Kirishima on the lips in greeting. Kirishima smiled and then blushed despite himself.
“Well, the vents over the stove are pretty loud so not entirely your fault. Um… need any help?”
“Yeah, if ya want to cut up some fruit, that’d be great,” Kirishima replied.
“Didn’t leave yourself with a lot of time to make breakfast,” Shinso said as he opened the cupboard to retrieve a cutting board.
“It’s not my turn to make breakfast actually. I just happened to be the first one down,” Kirishima said grinning broadly.
“Did hell freeze over?” Shinso said in a low monotone as he pulled a knife from the knife block.
“Ha ha,” Kirishima retorted. “After what happened last night with the winter formal court, yeah I think it’s a possibility.” Shinso looked over at Kirishima and gave him a slightly amused look.
A few minutes later, Iida and Todoroki came through the stairway door. “Good morning Shinso! Good morning, Kirishima!” Iida said cheerfully. Todoroki nodded at them. Shinso and Kirishima moved the prepared food to the island.
“Food’s ready, guys,” Kirishima said. Todoroki and Iida grabbed plates from the cupboard and served themselves.
“Thanks, you two, for breakfast! It’s the second most important meal of the day!”
Kyoka and Midoriya came through the doors and filled their plates, and Kirishima started cleaning the frying pans in the sink.
“Go fix yourself a plate, Red,” Shinso said as he reached for the pan Kirishima had been scrubbing and continued cleaning it. “I already ate at Gen C before I walked over.”
“I’m good. Had a protein bar earlier. I’m really not that hungry.”
Shinso gave him a disapproving look. “You didn’t eat lunch yesterday. I don’t remember you eating much at the formal.”
“I ate a ton of mochi ice cream!” he replied with a laugh.
“And that was it. Go eat. In 48 hours I’m guessing you’ll be hitting the gym along with PE and combat class, too, so you’ll need fuel, right?”
“Honestly, I can’t eat right now. I actually feel sick to my stomach.”
Shinso narrowed his eyes at him. “Well, maybe you should go see Recovery Girl.” His tone was wry and cutting.
Kirishima couldn’t help but feel defensive now. The look Shinso gave him along with what he had said sent a message of irritation and sarcasm, and Kirishima didn’t know why. “Shinso, it’s fine, man! Why are you… I’m good, I swear, can you just drop it already?”
Shinso opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then he closed his mouth and held his face very rigidly like he was a bit angry. Kirishima wasn’t sure what to do, but he really didn’t feel like eating anything and he had no idea why Shinso was being pushy, abrasive, and kind of controlling. His appetite had been weird the last couple of weeks. It was probably his whole quirk nonsense. He grabbed a banana from the bowl and went to sit by Todoroki and Iida, not liking the foreign feeling of being irritated with Shinso. The pressure cooker sounded and before Kirishima rose from his chair, Shinso took a few steps towards the machine, turned it off, and unplugged it. He lifted the top off and placed a flat wide serving spoon next to it.
Kirishima sat in silence for a couple of minutes trying to think about other things, but could only think about Shinso’s bad attitude. He had not glanced at him in the kitchen and as Kirishima turned his attention to the banana in his hand, he saw that he had only taken one bite of it. He knew if he tried to take another he’d definitely be ill. He sighed. He really did need to start eating healthy again. He had lost weight the last week and had noticed his muscles were already less defined. He could barely make out his once very chiseled abdominal muscles and his thighs definitely had gone down in size. Mochi ice cream, frosting, punch, cookies, and popcorn were the last substantial things he had eaten in the last 36 hours, at the formal and the night before that at Aizawa-sensei’s dorm. Not the things one would build a strong, muscled physique with. Although breakfast the previous day he had started to eat rice, salmon, and pickled vegetables, but that meal had been interrupted by Aizawa so he had not eaten much. He remembered he had been actually hungry that morning, too. He wished he could trigger whatever had made him ravenous that morning. Shinso was right about his eating. But he was being a brat about it and Kirishima wasn’t having it. Shinso sat next to him and placed his hand over the back of his own neck and sighed. Not looking Kirishima in the eye, but keeping his voice low he said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so pushy earlier.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” Kirishima was still put out a little, but he couldn’t hold a grudge to save his life so was always quick to forgive. And maybe he was just being too sensitive Kirishima reasoned with himself now. He looked at Shinso, but Shinso wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“It’s not fine. I’m an ass sometimes. I know you’re aware of that. It’s just you aren’t usually at the receiving end of it.” Shinso now looked at Kirishima.
“I don’t know. You were kinda a brat to most of us in Class A at the end of first year. And the first part of second year.” Kirishima now smiled at him.
“Well, you were kind of annoying. Kaminari, too, and Midoriya. You guys were relentless,” Shinso finally gave a half-smile. “I remember the very first thing you ever said to me.”
Kirishima grinned and said, “Really?” feeling more flustered than he felt he should. Shinso nodded. Kirishima waited several seconds and then couldn’t be patient any longer. “And?”
Shinso sat back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling as if the memory was written there. “Something along the lines of, ‘I know you said all that stuff, but I still want to be friends.’” He now looked over at Kirishima.
Kirishima grinned ear-to-ear. “Yeah, that’s right. You were all like, ‘I’m not here to make friends,’ at the Class A/Class B training thing.” Kirishima laughed. “Fat chance of that happening with Class A.”
“’Good to have you, man,’” Shinso said in his even, low monotone. Kirishima looked at him slightly confused. “You said that to me before I got put in your group even. Of course, you were really excited when you said it. And very loud.”
Kirishima leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, and looked at Shinso who met his gaze directly. “Well, I thought you were super manly. You did so awesome at the Sports Festival. You had such conviction, it was really cool to see someone from General Studies do so well. And even though you were super… I don’t know, smug and sullen, or whatever, I knew you were hero material.”
“You did, did you?”
“Yeah. I can tell these things.” Kirishima grinned and was surprised to see Shinso grin back.
Kirishima had not been paying attention to his surroundings at all during their conversation. He saw his classmates start to head out the front door headed to class. “We’re gonna be late and break your early streak if we don’t leave,” Shinso said. They both stood up and walked out to campus, hand-in-hand.
*
Wednesday afternoon found Kirishima on such a high after combat class and PE, back to back. Aizawa-sensei had the next four combat classes set up with four activities and had divided Class 3A into four groups to rotate through each activity over the next three weeks. Kirishima had been grouped up with Kyoka, Sato, and Shoji and their first assigned activity was an Escape Room. The skillset being trained here was working as a team and they had escaped the room with four minutes to spare. Kyoka had taken the reins to lead the activity, but Kirishima felt he had contributed to solving some of the puzzles and it was a much-needed boost to his insecurities of not being as bright as the other hero course students. For PE he got the okay to practice drills using his quirk, but Aizawa-sensei didn’t want him to go into full Unbreakable Mode. As Kirishima activated his quirk, and after a few minutes of running some agility drills and Kaminari zapping him as they sparred using their quirks, he couldn’t help but revel in feeling like himself again. It had been too long and he was hoping soon he’d be able to go into full Unbreakable Mode.
After P.E., Kirishima headed to the locker room beaming with excitement. Kaminari had been feeding off of Kirishima’s buzzed energy the whole hour and as they walked he couldn’t help but also talk enthusiastically about the session at the gym and the rest of the week.
“Got work-study on Friday! It’s been 2 weeks since the last time I patrolled, but it feels like it’s been months. I can’t wait to kick some villain ass!” Kaminari said.
Kirishima grinned. “That’s awesome, man! Yeah, I get to go Saturday for work-study, but just desk work. No field stuff yet. Aizawa-sensei and Recovery Girl want to give me another week and see how I do. So maybe next week I can patrol again. I’m a little bummed, but it’ll be cool to get off campus a bit.”
They both grabbed their duffel bags from their lockers in the boy’s locker room and as the two of them hit the showers Kirishima couldn’t help but notice a very scratched-up, bleeding, contusion covered, some already swelling, Bakugo. He was standing under the running showerhead, still as a statue with his eyes closed, his face in a grimace.
“Bakugo? What the hell happened to you?” Kirishima blurted out.
“Damn man, you look completely wrecked,” Kaminari added.
“Aizawa-sensei.” No further explanation was needed for Kirishima. Before combat class started that day, Shinso had told him about the punishment he and Bakugo would be getting due to the rules they broke the night before the formal. Monday had been a mandatory seminar given by the Pro-hero Commission during combat class, so today had been their first day back to their regular schedule.
“What’s he talking about? I saw Aizawa-sensei pull him and Shinso from the pre-made groups in Combat Class. What was up with that?”
“Special training,” Bakugo answered, his voice sounding exhausted.
Kirishima and Kaminari started to shower and continued talking, but Kirishima would glance at Bakugo every now and then and saw he hadn’t moved an inch. Kirishima now wondered where Shinso was. The fact he hadn’t hit the showers wasn’t good. Probably meant he was still undergoing the “special training.”
“Kacchan, what happened?” Midoriya walked up right next to Bakugo and stared at his face until Bakugo opened his eyes and glared at him.
Midoriya glanced over at Kirishima. “Special Training with Aizawa-sensei,” Kirishima said. Midoriya nodded. As a “problem child” of Aizawa’s the last 2 and a half years, Midoriya knew all about “special training” thought Kirishima.
“Okay, okay. I’ll back off…” Midoriya said as he turned away from a fuming Bakugo and started to shower. As protective as Kirishima could be over Bakugo, Midoriya could be much worse. It drove Bakugo crazy, but it was a kind of dynamic they had and Bakugo was just as protective about Midoriya. It’s just that Midoriya didn’t seem to mind it as much.
Several boys from Class F, who also had PE on Wednesdays at the same time as Class A, started to fill the locker room. Two guys were being quite loud and Kirishima couldn’t help but look over at them because he felt eyes staring at him. Kirishima seemed to always know when people were staring at him, it was like his second quirk ability he often thought. He met steel-grey eyes that were filled with animosity. Kirishima couldn’t make sense of the look. He knew the guy, Hagino was his name, and although they weren’t friends he had no idea why he was mad at him. Hagino dropped his stare from Kirishima, looked at his companion, and said loudly, “Guess I’ll shower later. I don’t need some guy checking out my junk.” He glanced over at Kirishima, not quite meeting his eyes. Bakugo looked over at Hagino and snorted loudly.
“I’ve seen your junk, Hagino. Trust me, no one’s interested,” Midoriya said not even giving Hagino a glance as he continued to shower.
Kaminari and Bakugo started to laugh. Kirishima noticed Hagino’s companion also was laughing.
“Well… no one…. asked you…. Midoriya,” Hagino said, stumbling on his own words.
Covered in suds and completely naked, Midoriya turned away from his showerhead, took a few steps towards Hagino, and tilted his head menacingly before he said, “Then why the hell are you yelling your nonsense so loud?” That threatening head tilt was an expression Class A was very used to, but it wasn’t usually given by Midoriya. Midoriya stood there and waited. Most of the guys at UA showered out in the open, but they usually didn’t stand around glaring at people for several seconds when in the buff. Hagino’s shocked gaze dropped from Midoriya’s eyes and down his naked body. Granted Midoriya’s body had a unique appearance, he had twice as many scars as Bakugo and a few on his chest, that were thick and knotty, lacked the freckles the rest of his skin had. This made the already massive scars stand out even more, stark and deliberate. Not to mention Midoriya along with his giftedness in the quirk department also had other physical gifts in other departments as well. Hagino’s face reddened in an embarrassed blush and he turned around in a huff and left the shower room. Midoriya shrugged and returned to his shower. His eyes met Bakugo’s and Bakugo gave him a smirk and shook his head. “Copy cat,” he whispered hoarsely under his breath.
As Kirishima walked back to the dorm with Bakugo, he couldn’t help but let what happened back in the shower eat away at him. There was no denying it. He had encountered what would most likely be the first of many hom*ophobic ideologies. It made him sick to his stomach and although he was glad his fellow Class A mates had his back, he didn’t like the idea of people not liking him just because he was gay. Honestly the idea anyone would not like him for any reason because Kirishima was a kind, caring guy.
“You’re quiet. Is it because of that asshole? Just ignore him. He’s a support department intern at Endeavor’s Agency. Nobody likes him. Todoroki actually punched him in the face over some sh*t he said to Burnin’ earlier this year.”
“Yeah. I know he’s a jerk.”
“Kirishima.” Bakugo called him by his full last name and had stopped walking. He felt his red eyes boring into his skull. Sighing, Kirishima stopped walking and looked at Bakugo. “He’s not worth your time. Don’t even think about it. Anybody who says that sh*t isn’t worth anything. Let it go, or I’ll beat the worry outta you.” Kirishima mustered up a halfway decent smile. Bakugo nodded and the two of them continued to the dorm.
They both walked into the living area of the dorm and Momo stood up from the couch, meeting Bakugo with a hug. He immediately stiffened and winced as her arms wrapped around him. Reading his expression, she quickly let go of him.
“You okay?” she asked. Bakugo nodded, took his backpack off his shoulder, and sat on the couch. Momo sat next to him but didn’t lean against him. She looked over at Kirishima questioningly.
“Special training with Aizawa,” said Kirishima.
“Oh,” Momo said, her eyebrows raising in concern. “What kind of training?” she asked.
“Confidential,” Bakugo said not looking at her. He opened his backpack and pulled out his English textbook. Kirishima met her eyes and shrugged.
A half an hour later, Shinso showed up at the dorm. He approached the trio studying on the couch and before he sat next to Kirishima, Kirishima grabbed the bottom of Shinso’s shirt and pulled it up, exposing his bare abdomen and chest. Shinso stared at him with a confused look on his face.
“Get a room you two,” Kaminari said from across the coffee table, laughing.
“Sorry, was checking to see if you were in the same shape as Bakugo. He’s pretty beat-up. You don’t have a scratch on you though. What kinda training did you do with Aizawa-sensei?” Kirishima asked.
“Confidential,” Shinso answered. Kirishima and Momo met each other's gaze but didn’t say anything. Kirishima didn’t like this, but he also knew Aizawa-sensei, although possessing questionable teaching practices, had a method to his madness usually. And Bakugo and Shinso looked up to him more than any of the other students. They wouldn’t spill anything about their sensei, especially if they weren’t supposed to.
Kirishima sighed as Shinso sat next to him. His phone rang suddenly and he saw it was his mom. He thought it was strange to get a call from her on a Wednesday seeing as they usually visited for about a half-hour on Sunday afternoons. “Hey, Mom,” Kirishima said as he rose from the couch. The common area was noisy from his fellow classmates so he decided to go up to his room for some quiet and privacy. Shinso started to get up from the couch, as well, but Kirishima motioned him to stay.
“I was just checking on you. I didn’t get a lot of time to talk to you the other day due to the formal and the setup you were helping with.” It was nice to hear his mom’s voice. He had not seen her in over a month and started to feel a bit guilty since she was only about an hour-long bus ride away. He would go home for the four-day winter break coming up.
“Yeah, I’m doing fine.” More guilt. About not telling his parents about the quirk incident. He was almost back to normal though so no sense in telling them now to only have them worry. “Had a great session in combat course today.” He told his mother about the Escape Room as he climbed the stairs and made it to his dorm room.
As he sat on his bed, he mentioned the PE session with Kaminari. Kaminari came home with him over a long weekend break during their second year since Kaminari’s parents would be traveling. Kirishima’s parents really liked him a lot.
“Well, that’s nice you got to spar today. Will you be back to your work-study now that midterms are over?”
“Yeah. I’ll be in Esuha City Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon.”
“Please be careful. The crime out west is getting much worse this year. So…. I ran into Mina’s mom today. She had an earful to tell me about the formal.” Kirishima felt like his stomach dropped and hit the floor. He didn’t know how to respond but could tell by his mother’s tone she wasn’t happy. After several seconds, she continued. “I thought we talked about this, Eiji. About keeping things secret. This whole Winter Court thing will get out and it could really hurt your chances of signing at bigger agencies. I don’t know what you were thinking.”
Kirishima felt his face grow hot with embarrassment he was ashamed to feel. “Mom, it was out of my control. There was a misunderstanding, some friends didn’t know we were trying to keep things quiet.” Kirishima felt sick to his stomach as the words escaped his lips.
“And this Shinso? He’s the one that joined the Hero course late, right? I worry about you being close to someone who has a quirk like his. It isn’t a matter of if he’ll use his quirk to take advantage of others but when. No one can resist that kind of power, Eiji. I don’t know why you’re making these poor decisions.”
Now Kirishima felt his face flush, but it was with anger. “No, Mom. You don’t know him. He’s as much a hero as me or anyone else in the hero course here at UA. I…. care for him a lot and I’m gonna continue to see him.” He felt tears sting the edges of his eyes. “I wish you would just give up this whole me ‘faking it’ thing… why can’t you just support me?… “ his voice broke a bit but he continued. “I’ve worked so hard to get where I am, why can’t you just be happy for me?”
His mother began to cry. “I’m sorry Eiji. Your father and I love you so much. You know we’ve always been fine with you being gay… we just know most of Japan isn’t okay with it….” He could tell his mother was trying to get her tears under control. “We just don’t want all your hard work to be for nothing.” She cleared her throat and took deep breaths. Kirishima couldn’t help but feel terrible for making her cry. He didn’t regret what he said, but he was also a dutiful and obedient son.
Before he could stop himself, he reflexively said, “I’m sorry. It’s okay, Mom.” Kirishima felt something gently grab his hand and he jerked in surprise. He looked up and locked eyes with Shinso who was standing next to him. How long had he been in his room? Shinso was staring at him and mouthed deliberately, “It’s not okay.” Kirishima nodded at him.
“Actually, Mom. It’s not okay. In 5 months, I’ll be on my own working as a pro-hero. If you and dad can’t support my….” Kirishima paused not able to find the right words.
“Lifestyle,” Shinso whispered.
“Lifestyle, then we shouldn’t talk about it. We can talk about other things.” Shinso sat next to Kirishima and Kirishima felt a lump in his throat. He didn’t realize that this conversation, though unpleasant, was so much more bearable with someone who was supportive next to him. He had never had that before going through these conversations with his parents. Kirishima had told his parents about his being gay when he was in the 7th grade. Although they were supportive, it was with this expectation of him hiding it. And that they would prefer him to not date, even in secret, until he was out of UA and had secured a position at a Hero agency. When Kirishima thought about it, he realized that they really didn’t support him if they expected him to hide the fact he was gay. They always told him they loved him no matter who he loved or how he saw himself. But beyond that, they never talked about his queerness. Never gave him support about the stresses he felt about it. Or caring if he liked someone. When they did talk about his being gay, it was praising him for how well he was hiding it. Well, he would no longer deal with it this way.
“You’re right, Eiji. I am sorry. I’ll….. I’ll try to do better. I love you, son.” She was trying her best to not cry now. He could tell because they were both so much alike and he often felt this way. Her reply made him realize maybe his parents could change their view of things. There was some hope in her words.
“I love you, too, Mom. I should go. Good night.”
“Goodnight, sweetie.”
He hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Shinso pulled Kirishima into his arms and Kirishima leaned into him, burying his face into the crook of Shinso’s neck. He held on to him, thankful Shinso was there. “I’m gonna get you a collar with a bell on it. Tired of you always sneaking up on me,” Kirishima said, his voice muffled by Shinso’s neck. They stayed in their embrace for a while. Kirishima sighed, his face still pressed against Shinso.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Want to talk about it?”
His mom on top of Hagino had made his stellar Wednesday back to his normal routine blow up into flames. He really didn’t want to dwell on it now.
“Not really.”
“Come to my dorm, then. It’s Kondo’s birthday. She’s one of my closest friends in Class C. She specifically wanted me to invite you. She’s one of the few people who might be as nice as you. Maybe nicer.” Kirishima honestly wanted to just sit there, Shinso’s arms wrapped tightly around him for the rest of the night. Kirishima leaned away from Shinso and looked at his face.
“Nicer? Oh, I have competition?” Kirishima finally grinned. His first one since the incident in the shower. How could someone as seemingly gloomy as Shinso make him break into a grin even when he was feeling crummy? “Okay. But in a little bit…” he said as he kissed Shinso slowly on the lips.
Shinso
They arrived at Gen C dorm’s front door and Shinso could tell Kirishima was nervous. He was quiet when they walked over, the sun low in the sky shone brightly on his face and hair, bathing him in orange hues that made his red hair even more vibrant. Kirishima’s long layers of tousled hair brushed his shoulders and the longest layer at the back of his head dipped between his shoulder blades. His bangs fell past his eyes, if he continued to wear it down and not spiked up, he would have to get a haircut because they impeded his vision. He hadn’t seen him wear it styled in his famous spikes since before they started dating. Shinso could tell by his face, the pull of his mouth, and his unfocused stare as they walked, he was deep in thought. The conversation with his mother probably got him thinking and worrying about how being “out” could affect his life. Kirishima had stopped at the door automatically but didn’t move, was still mulling things over. Normally Shinso would tease him about being so quiet, but he knew it was from worry and nerves, and having to be around a class he wasn’t close to that could possibly judge him now for being gay. Or at least that was what Shinso assumed he was worrying about.
“You okay, Red?”
Kirishima looked up into his face abruptly, the interruptions of his thoughts obvious. His face changed noticeably now into a big smile. “Yeah. Let’s go.” Kirishima leaned into the door.
“We don’t have to go to the party. We can go back to A.”
“No, man. It’s cool. I’m cool.” Kirishima continued to open the door wide and they walked in.
Most of Class C were at the tables hanging out and finishing up dinner. AS they walked up to the tables a few of his more extroverted classmates greeted Kirishima excitedly. Kirishima enthusiastically answered back and it didn’t take long for a few of them to fall into easy conversation with him, one of them inviting him to sit with them as they talked about work study (one of them work studied in Esuha City) Shinso sat next to Kirishima, trying to keep his face passive and resisting the urge to grin. He was glad Kirishima was back to his “normal” easy-going, gregarious self.
The night continued on, and it was as if Kirishima had always been a fixture at his dorm. Shinso figured that was how it would go, he was so easy to be around. He was glad to see his close friend Chiba talking excitedly with Kirishima about some sci-fi series of books they had both read. Shinso sat on one of the couches next to Kirishima, a smug look on his face, as he watched the two talk. Shinso knew what people outside the hero classes thought of Kirishima. They thought he was nothing more than a himbo with little intelligence or any hobbies outside of being a gym rat. It made them feel better about themselves because surely someone who was a ‘10’ in the looks department, had a body that could be on a cover of a fitness magazine, was personable and kind, and was gifted with a quirk that landed him in the hero department had to have some pretty big deficiencies in other areas. Writing Kirishima off as a moron helped them sleep at night. Kirishima wasn’t as studious as the top students, true, and didn’t have a natural giftedness for numbers like Shinso had, few did. But he was quick in conversation, had a sense of humor, and had a wide enough knowledge in multiple areas to make him interesting. Shinso was thoroughly enjoying showing Kirishima off to his classmates. He sat next to him, silent, basking in the glow of Kirishima and how people who interacted with him couldn’t help but smile and be affected. Shinso felt like a bit of a sh*t about it, pretty much gloating, but this was his nature.
Although now that he was going through the bullet points of how great Kirishima was, Shinso now wondered how he worked into the equation. Although Shinso knew people saw him as “cool,” or “dangerous,” due to his aloofness and cold personality, he was lucky to be ranked a “6” looks-wise on his best day. He wasn’t personable, if anything he made people nervous. He had a powerful quirk, but, again, it was seen in a negative light by most people. Due to his training, he had an appealing physique, lean-muscled and toned, but people seemed to only see him as reedy and weak compared to others in the hero class. He had an abrasive and sarcastic sense of humor and chose to not engage most of the time in large groups. He was also a bit of a jerk.
He thought back to earlier that morning when he had made that cutting, sarcastic remark to Kirishima. He did it because he was being defensive. He didn’t like the idea that Kirishima could be “in love” with him so deeply that it was affecting his eating patterns. He knew Kirishima really liked him and he could deal with that, but love? Momo had pointed this out at the dance and Shinso had not liked it one bit, which was ridiculous considering how he felt about Kirishima. This was definitely beyond “crush” territory for him. If they were both in love with each other, that affected the future and Shinso’s perfectly laid out plans and that was terrifying. Oh yeah, add control freak to my growing list of admirable traits Shinso thought. But now the idea that Kirishima was so utterly out of his league had Shinso thinking that he was merely a stepping stone for Kirishima. Now that he was outed, surely other guys would make their move on him. Other guys that had a lot more going for them than Shinso. He felt a flush of extreme jealousy he was disgusted with himself to even feel. Shinso wasn’t a jealous person in the slightest and this was a foreign feeling for him. Hilarious Shinso thought. Earlier you were freaking out with the idea Kirishima was in love with you and now the idea he could end up with someone else has you green with envy. Make up your mind you f*cking maniac.
He felt Kirishima grab his hand and hold it between them. “You okay?” Kirishima asked him. Shinso nodded and pushed all of his manic thoughts aside for now. He knew he’d have plenty of time to obsess about them when he laid in bed unable to sleep later that night.
Kondo opened presents from her classmates and she made quite a fuss over the white stuffed animal cat Shinso had crocheted for her. Shinso had picked up a few hobbies unknown to most people due to his insomnia. He liked writing, computer programming, and crocheting. “You crochet?” Kirishima asked him with a smile on his face. Shinso nodded silently. “You’re full of surprises.”
As it got close to curfew, Kirishima pulled Shinso along as he made his way to the dorm’s front door. “See you in the morning?” Kirishima asked as he turned towards him. Shinso nodded as he leaned towards Kirishima and kissed him.
“I.. I love… that you were there to help me through that phone conversation earlier,” Kirishima said stumbling over his words. Shinso felt a tightness in his chest as Kirishima had started to speak. He now knew he would be obsessing over whether or not Kirishima had misspoken. Had he been trying to say those 3 words to Shinso? Had he chickened out? Or was Shinso reading too much into it?
“Of course. You’d have done the same for me,” Shinso answered back steadily, belying his racing heart and his flustered mindset. How would he have reacted if Kirishima had said it? Would he have said, “I love you, too?” Or would he have said something awful, like “I know.” That was completely in the realm of possibilities for him and his mixed emotions of their relationship becoming more. He really wanted that, but parts of him were sabotaging that for some reason.
Kirishima kissed him goodbye and left and as Shinso walked to the couches, his eyes met with Kimi’s. They had not spoken since she had insulted Kirishima. He was still giving her the silent treatment and outright ignoring her. She looked away from him, her face sulky. She would have to apologize before he even fathomed the idea of speaking to her and mending their friendship. She had kept her distance from Shinso and Kirishima the whole night.
His dormmates began to head up to bed. He walked up to Kondo and gave her a hug and told her happy birthday. He thought this was strange since he normally never initiated hugs. Well, except for with Kirishima. Maybe Kirishima’s affectionate ways were rubbing off on him.
Kondo, who was normally quite shy, smiled at Shinso. “I’m really glad Kirishima spent the evening with us. He’s … well he just really lights up a room.” Shinso was surprised by her comment.
“Yes, he does.”
“And he’s warm and funny. He’s… devastatingly beautiful. Inside and out,” she said.
“I don’t deserve him,” Shinso replied mulling over his previous thoughts when he was sitting on the couch with Kirishima. He was surprised he had let his initial thoughts slip out of his mouth before thinking about them. But it was just he and Kondo in the living area and she was probably the kindest, most genuine person in their class. If anyone should know the truth of his heart in Class C, let it be the modest and good-natured Kondo.
“You do deserve him Shinso.” She said it like it was a fact that left no room for argument. It meant a lot to him. She smiled at him, told him goodnight, and went upstairs.
Notes:
TW: hom*ophobia
Chapter 75: But I fear, I have nothing to give. I have so much to lose
Notes:
A/N at end has TW
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Bakugo
Saturday patrol had been long but full of action and Bakugo enjoyed every minute of it. He had boarded the bullet train at 6 am that morning at the station downtown and almost 3 hours later he was in the center of Tokyo at Best Jeanist’s Agency. He had been constantly on the move for about 10 hours straight and although he was exhausted, he was still buzzing with energy. It had been 3 weeks since his last work-study and he had desperately missed being a Pro-hero. It was hard to believe during exam times he would take these breaks but he had to to stay on top of his grades. That sacrifice of taking a break from hero work would make him a better hero in the long run. Knowledge was power and of course, top scores would look great on his CV.
It was nearing 8 PM and now that his shift was over he wanted nothing more than to go to his hotel room and crash. But he had to wait out the mandatory 30-minute window after exposure to villains. Not all citizens whose information was inputted into the quirk registry were forthcoming; there was always the possibility that their quirks could have lasting effects or even be falsified in the system. The 30 minute waiting period before being released after a shift insured that heroes were safe because any hidden exposure to a secret quirk would most likely be revealed in that time frame. The last battle of the day had found Bakugo and Hiryu Rin, another UA classmate in 3B Hero class who also did his work-study with Best Jeanist, running after three villains that had robbed a pharmacy. There were many quirk regulating drugs that sold for enormous amounts of money on the black market and these small-time criminals were looking to make some bank thought Bakugo. It didn’t take long for Bakugo to chase after them as soon as they got word through their earpieces of the location of the crime. They were only a few blocks away. Bakugo had blasted ahead with his gauntlets and was able to blind the three criminals and then used a bit too much force to knock one of them out. As he turned to deal with his second target, the third man bolted in the opposite direction and ran into Rin who was catching up. Rin used his scale quirk to deflect projectiles that shot out of the criminal’s fingertips. Rin then was able to wrestle the man to his knees. Easy work for their last mission of the day.
Now Bakugo and Rin were sitting in one of the rec rooms waiting out their 30 minutes before they could leave. Bakugo began to pace the room and grew more and more impatient by the minute. “Try to relax, Bakugo. You have about 15 minutes left.” Rin said. Bakugo rolled his eyes and continued to pace. The three criminals were all in the registry and all had quirks that were nothing to be concerned about, but protocol was protocol. Bakugo decided to call Momo to make the time pass more quickly. He realized he had never had a phone conversation with her, they had only ever texted each other. She picked up quickly.
“Hello. This is a surprise. How’s patrolling? Are you almost done for the day?” Her voice sounded calm and pleased and Bakugo was taken aback at how he felt suddenly. He realized they had not had this amount of time apart from each other since they had started dating. He had not seen or heard her in almost 24 hours. He was at a loss for words and felt an emptiness in his chest that was different than anything he had felt before. He realized he missed her. “Katsuki? You there?”
“Yeah. Just… just waiting out my 30-minute villain exposure protocol. Just bored.”
“Sorry about that. I just now got to my hotel room. Fat Gum caught me early this morning and had me go up to Shizuoka today and work at Endeavor’s Agency. Most of Endeavor Agency’s heroes are on the northeast coast dealing with the tsunami rescue effort so they reached out to other agencies to see if they could spare anyone for patrols.” Bakugo had walked the length of the room and made eye contact with Rin who gave him a knowing smile. He knew Bakugo was talking to Momo. His girlfriend. The small smile that had been on Bakugo’s face, he realized it now, disappeared and he left the room grumbling. He didn’t mind showing this more human side of himself to Momo, maybe Kirishima, but not anyone else. He walked downstairs and out the front door while Momo talked about her day. The cool air from outside hit him and he felt renewed; it had been so stuffy inside the agency. Bakugo listened to Momo intently while he walked. As she talked about dealing with a 5-car pileup on the highway, she stopped mid-sentence. After several seconds, Bakugo spoke.
“Momo? You there?”
He heard her voice, but it was distant as if the phone were a few feet away from her. “I…. I can’t move…” Momo said shaky, her voice strained. Bakugo’s body immediately went into fight mode, heart rate increasing, and his breathing becoming rapid.
“Momo. What’s happening?” was all he could think to say but he knew she couldn’t hear him; she was too far away from the phone. He stopped walking, trying to make sense of what was happening. Had she fallen and dropped the phone? Why couldn’t she move? She was in danger, but what kind of danger?
“Katsuki Bakugo. I’m glad that our paths crossed again sooner than I thought they would.” The voice speaking to him through Momo’s phone was recognizable immediately and Bakugo felt anger and fear so intense, he snarled like a cornered animal.
“Uh-uh. Don’t lose your head just yet Young Bakugo,” said the voice of Chizome Akaguro, better known as the Hero-killer Stain. Bakugo felt like he had been punched in the stomach. “Don’t call or alert anyone else, any of your hero comrades, or I’ll end this all right now before we even have a chance to start our fun.”
“Katsuki! Call Endeavor’s Agency! This is a setup for you! Don’t listen---" Momo’s voice was quickly muffled.
“Don’t you touch her, or I’ll kill you! You hear me!?” As he raged, he also began to come up with a plan. Hero-training kicked in even in his highly emotional state. He had to meet Stain’s demands. He had a record of not bluffing, so Bakugo’s hands were tied when it came to playing by Stain’s rules. He was on his own if he wanted Momo to survive this. Traveling by bullet train would be the fastest way to get to her. Then he could blast his way to her hotel once he arrived in Shizuoka. Her phone was trackable; All Class 3A students could track each other for safety reasons. It took a couple of seconds to get his bearings, he switched to Bluetooth, he had a mic and headphones built into the headpiece of his hero costume. He shoved the phone in his pocket and ignited both his hands, shooting into the night sky. The train station was five blocks away.
“No one else is involved. Just the three of us. Agree to it Bakugo. Now, or I’ll change my mind and you won’t like what I’ll do.” Bakugo hated being told what to do about anything, but he wouldn’t fight this.
“I agree,” he growled.
“Well, it will take you over two hours to get to me. Plenty of time for a long conversation with Yaoyorozu here. I couldn’t decide who to start with. I already hit the Iida family pretty hard, so it would either be Todoroki or Yaoyorozu. Going after Hero Class 3A’s royal family of heroes was low on my priority list since escaping Tartarus, but when I saw her walking to her hotel, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It’s like it was meant to be. These rich, powerful, quirk-gifted families that rule with their money and connections and have no idea how the rest of society lives. They disgust me. It was just an added perk Yaoyorozu happened to be on the phone with you. You and I have some unfinished business so I’m killing two birds with one stone.” Bakugo could hear Momo’s muffled voice again. She sounded like she was fighting and angry. His stomach turned with the feeling of utter helplessness. He tried concentrating on the rhythm of his blasts so he could make it to the station as fast as possible. He didn’t have any of his fuel on reserve, but he was sweating so profusely from the whole situation it probably didn’t matter if he kept pushing as fast as he could. He wouldn’t run out of sweat/fuel in this agitated state.
“Well, I know you’re busy making your way here so… I’ll let you go. I need to have a private conversation with Yaoyorozu now. So many gifts wasted on a spoiled little rich girl who only cares about continuing her unworthy line of privilege and power. The last person who should even try to be a hero. So out of touch with the real world. The common people. She doesn’t know what it means to be selfless and what sacrifice means.”
“Stay on the phone with me, Stain! You keep talking to me you piece of sh*t!” Bakugo screamed as he flew through the air preparing to land near the train station.
“I’ll call you in a bit when Yaoyorozu needs a rest from our conversation. Don’t interrupt us. I’ll call you. Understand?” Bakugo heard the line click. A noise escaped him that was somewhere between a hopeless wail and an enraged scream. He landed too fast and stumbled forward several feet but stayed upright. He spotted the ticket booth and ran to the window.
“Ticket to Shizuoka,” he blurted loudly at the teller. His voice was trembling and he felt his chest shaking. He suddenly realized his face was damp with tears. He had to try and keep calm. He was on the ragged edge of losing it and that would only waste time.
“Yes…. Train #46C will be leaving in 12 minutes. Platform 8.” The teller looked at him concerned.
He fished his train card out of a zippered compartment on his pants, hands shaking. She scanned it and handed it back. “Sir, are you okay?” He walked away from her without answering and ran towards the platform.
10 minutes later he sat on an empty bench on the train and had no idea how he would exist through the next two hours of travel. His mind jumped from scenario to scenario and question to question. Would Stain torture Momo? Would he kill her? Maybe he would just question and scare her. Or try to at least, Momo was tough as nails. But that really wasn’t how Stain worked. The heroes he made an example out of ended up dead or maimed. Katsuki let out a strangled sob and then tried desperately to gain his composure. No one sat near him on the train sensing his extreme agitation. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and stared at the screen, his hands violently shaking. His breathing was shallow and his whole body was tense, sweat dripping down his face, down his arms, legs, and down his back.
“Come on you bastard. Call me. Come on,” he started to mumble under his breath. As the train started to move, his phone rang. “Momo,” flashed across the screen. He answered it quickly, hands still shaking he almost dropped the phone.
Bakugo immediately heard Momo loud and clear, like she had the phone. But she wasn’t talking, she was whimpering. It was a noise he had never heard her make and he couldn’t help but yell. “Momo? Are you okay? Momo!”
“She can’t talk right now, give her a few minutes. She’ll feel up to it then.”
“I told you not to touch her! I’ll kill you!”
“You can’t do anything child. You’re 170 kilometers away!” Stain now laughed loud and shrill. Bakugo saw red, he felt his hands begin to warm, ready to ignite. He dropped the phone quickly not wanting it to melt, and then cursed, shaking his hands out like that motion could somehow stop his quirk from trying to ignite on its own. There had been battles where he had given into that bloodlust and let his quirk act on its own, fueled by his emotions gone out of control. But on the train, he could hurt others if he couldn’t quell his anger and fear. Not to mention damage property and get thrown off. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and shakily, and picked his phone off the floor. He had to gain control. The almost foreign feeling of immense fear he had felt the last 20 minutes was beginning to take its toll on him. He felt sick and now his shoulders shook.
He needed a plan. He needed to distract Stain. He needed to shift the focus off Momo and onto him. He swallowed and grinned widely trying to play the part. Normally this would be his go-to as far as interacting with any villain, but with Momo’s life on the line, he wasn’t feeling his usual bravado. He’d have to put on a show.
“Cat got your tongue Bakugo?”
Bakugo snigg*red deep and venomous. “I don’t know why I’m worried. It’s not like you were ever able to lay a hand on me the two times we fought. You’ve never cut me with your blades, you’ve never paralyzed me with your quirk. You’re weak Stain. You prey on people when they aren’t looking. You don’t know how to fight fair. You’re dirty and cowardly.”
“I never said I wasn’t any of those things. I’m the Stain on society. I’m the killer that heroes’ have to always watch their backs for if they don’t want to find a katana sticking out of it. I am doing the dirty work for a better tomorrow. With hopes my teachings will find the younger generation and they can bring down the false gods at the hero agencies.” Yes, Bakugo thought. He had Stain monologuing. Stain loved to hear himself speak so if he could keep him going he could kill time.
“You don’t think Izuku Midoriya is a false hero. What the f*ck does he have that the rest of us don’t?” Bakugo yelled into his phone. Bakugo knew what Stain would say. The same sh*t he always said about how the hero Deku and All Might were worthy and why everyone else wasn’t. Both Bakugo and Midoriya had come across Stain twice in the last 18 months, both times desperately fighting him, trying to capture the hero-killer. But he managed to escape both times after spouting his nonsense. This was the unfinished business that Stain alluded to earlier. He was pissed he had the opportunity to do some damage to Bakugo but he hadn’t been able to. Midoriya during those fights desperately tried to talk sense to Stain but Bakugo knew he was a lost cause. He’s bat-sh*t crazy with his insane ideals Bakugo thought. You can’t reason with that he knew.
“I know what you’re trying to do. Nice try.” Bakugo now heard Momo’s muffled cries. “Don’t cry darlin’. Gotta have the left cheek match the right. If not, it throws the whole thing off.”
“Stop it! Leave her alone! I’ll kill you, Stain! I swear! I’ll kill you!” Bakugo screamed into the phone, spittle flying from his mouth. Stain had slashed Momo’s face. The sick bastard was playing with her. He was known to mutilate some of his victims, slashing them with his many knives, before running them through with his katana. Bakugo’s breath came in big heaves, his whole body shaking.
“Sir… um…. Dynamight….you need to calm down…. You’re scaring the passengers… Is there anything I can do to… um help?” Bakugo turned towards the voice. It was a security officer for the bullet train. Bakugo shook his head stiffly at him. He had to get it under control, but how? The most important person to him on the planet was probably going to die a gruesome death and he couldn’t stop it. Dynamight, who conquered All For One, actually dealt the killing blow. Dynamight, who at the age of 18, had already made history. Dynamight, who was already contracted to be Best Jeanist’s sidekick in 5 months upon graduation from UA.
The phone had gone silent and Bakugo looked at the screen. Stain had hung up on him. Bakugo’s body slid back onto the bench and it was as if he was melting on the seat. He felt like his body had no form, nothing made sense. His world was unraveling and he was powerless to find the thread, that was being violently tugged, to make it all stop. He was sick with anxiety and helplessness and yet, at the same time, he was fuming with immense anger, he felt it flush on his skin. He held the phone and waited. 1 hour and 39 minutes left until the train stopped.
Over the next hour and 35 minutes he sat rigid in a daze. His face staring daggers at his phone waiting. His muscles began to cramp, his body was having a hard time dealing with his emotional strife. The phone finally rang with 4 minutes left of travel time on the train.
“Still there, champ?” Stain said in an upbeat tone as if he was a friend of Bakugo’s checking up on him.
Bakugo couldn’t produce an actual word so he made a noise, something between a growl and an incomprehensible curse.
“It’s time for you to make a choice.”
“I’m not doing sh*t until I can talk to Momo.” His voice came out strangled and hoarse. His command sounded a lot less effective in that tone, but he was breaking. He couldn’t keep his composure much longer.
“You don’t call the shots, child. I do. But fine. You sound like you could use a bit of…. reassurance. She’s still alive, but barely.” Bakugo winced and closed his eyes, silent tears began to stream down his face.
He heard a rattled breath suddenly on the line and then, “Kat… suki. Please….” It was pitiful and heartbreaking and Bakugo didn’t know what she was pleading for. For him to hurry? For him to not give in to Stain? For him to enrage Stain enough so he’d kill her and end her misery?
“Momo…. I’m…. sorry…” was all he could say between gasping sobs.
“It’s time Bakugo. You have a choice to make. Stop crying and answer me so I know you’re listening,” Stain said annoyed.
Bakugo cleared his throat. “I’m listening.” He took a deep breath and stilled himself the best he could. “What the f*ck do you want, Stain,” he growled.
“You have to decide who you will save. I modeled this after some of the ridiculous simulations the hero commission runs their heroes through. Across from Yaoyorozu’s hotel is a convention center where they‘re holding a convention for the hero agency managers in the country. I’m sure you see them as peons who just run agencies since they aren’t skilled enough to be pro-heroes. I have several bundles of c-4 explosives strapped to support beams in the basem*nt of the convention center and I hold the detonator. I’m tracking you with Yaoyorozu’s phone. When you get to the hotel, I’ll nick Yaoyorozu’s carotid artery. I have a steady hand and I know, that you know, I have a lot of experience with bleeding people out. I’ll nick it just enough where you’ll have the choice. You can either save her by compressing the bleed, she’s paralyzed at the moment so won’t be able to do it herself. Or you can deal with me and take the detonator, saving the people at the convention. You can’t do both… you won’t have time… she'll bleed out if you try to deal with me first. Yaoyorozu and I will be waiting for you. Princess here has a room on the top floor so that will help you find us a bit quicker.”
The train had stopped and its doors opened. Bakugo ran out, switched to Bluetooth, and immediately flew through the night sky, his hands expertly letting out explosive blasts to hurtle him through the air.
“So what will it be? Save Yaoyorozu, but I’ll detonate the explosives blowing up the convention building and killing hundreds of hero agency managers? Or you let Yaoyorozu die and bleed out while you take the detonator from me to save those hundreds of strangers’ lives. What will you choose? Will you be selfish and choose your love, killing many innocents? Or will you sacrifice your heart to save hundreds? What will it be Bakugo?”
“No one will die tonight! I’ll get there and I’ll save everyone! No one will die on my watch!” his voice broke as he screamed, his body blasting through the air, desperate to get to Momo.
“Wrong answer,” Stain growled.
“This is who I am! There is no right or wrong answer!”
“There’s always the right choice when you are a true hero. All Might always made them. You will never be All Might. You’re selfish and arrogant. Prideful. You aren’t a real hero. So you will lose everything dear to you. I’ll take it from you.”
He was almost there. The hotel was before him. He landed on a patio of the closest suite to him on the top floor. He opened the glass sliding door and bounded quickly through the unoccupied hotel suite. As he exited out the door into the hallway, he saw there weren’t many suites on the floor, meeting rooms and a recreational hall seemed to share the space. He turned to the next room and kicked the door open. A man and woman stood in the room staring dumbly at him in shock. He quickly moved to the next door and kicked it down. Empty. This was taking too long. Stain had gone silent on the phone and Bakugo was too terrified to speak. He kicked open the next door. A man in business attire crouched down, afraid. Bakugo felt his legs become weak. The thoughts in his head swam and thrashed around, drowning him. Before he kicked down the next door, he heard her voice say his name. A voice he was convinced at this point he would never hear again. He turned his head towards the sound. Momo was standing several feet down the hall staring at him, her eyes looking upon him with complete shock and worry. “Katsuki? What are you…” He took several steps towards her but before he reached her, he dropped to his knees in front of her, no longer able to sustain his own weight. He looked up into her face. It was smooth, free of any blemish, cut, or abrasion. Her hair was down around her shoulders and she was wearing her purple silk pajamas.
Bakugo managed to whisper, “Stain…” Momo looked at him, her brows knitted with confusion. She took two steps towards him and placed her hands on his clammy face. Her touch. He thought he would never feel her hand on his face ever again. Nothing made sense. He had no idea what was going on, but he was no longer afraid. But his heart couldn’t rebound from breaking over the last two hours. It would take him some time.
“Stain? What are you talking about Katsuki… what’s wrong?” Her voice was low and tremulous as she looked down upon him kneeling before her.
“I…” He shook his head and buried his face in her stomach. He wrapped his arms around her waist and silently wept.
Yaoyorozu
She had heard people yelling and what sounded like someone kicking a door in down the hall from her room. She ran out ready to deal with whatever she was to find. Probably some drunk, irate citizen she could easily manage with a bo staff or some other creation. But after she opened her door and walked down the hall nothing could have prepared her for what she had seen. Why was Katsuki here? Why was he kicking in hotel suite doors? And why was his face in a grimace of sheer terror and loss? He was holding on to her now, his body shaking as he wept and she couldn’t help but swallow and try not to cry herself.
“Katsuki, it’s going to be okay.” She meant what she said. No matter what had happened he would have her help to get through it. She now was worried maybe a family member of his had died, or maybe one of their fellow students? Her heart started to race. She didn’t want to press him, but she prepared herself for grim news because why else would the stoic Bakugo be reduced to his current state. He had said, “Stain.” Did the hero-killer have something to do with this.? But why was he beating doors down to find her?
Movement down the hall caught her eye and her gaze fell on Best Jeanist walking towards them. His face was mostly obscured by his hero costume so she couldn’t read his expression. He stopped right behind Bakugo and shook his head, his eyes were stern but also empathetic.
“He was hit with a hallucination quirk. If he would have waited through the 30 minute post villain exposure protocol, we would have caught this and he wouldn’t be coming undone at the seams. These protocols are in place for a reason. To adequately surge the hearts of heroes so they are protected.” Bakugo started to stand up and Momo helped steady him. He turned to face Best Jeanist. Best Jeanist looked closely at his eyes. “Your pupils appear to be normal now. There’s a clinic down the street. Let’s get you looked over to make sure we aren’t missing anything, it will be cut and dry. We can debrief there.”
Best Jeanist filled them in as they walked the few blocks to the 24-hour clinic. Shortly after Bakugo had left the agency earlier, Rin had barrelled into Best Jeanist’s office yelling that UA was under attack. It had been breaking news he had just seen on TV. He relayed that massive damage by unidentified aircraft had ravaged the campus and dozens of villains covered head to toe in black clothing had infiltrated the school after the air raid and were slaughtering students and faculty. “We immediately tried to corroborate what Rin had seen on TV. I spoke directly with Nezu and there had not been any breeches on campus at UA. Everyone was safe. After a few of my office staff tried to find the news coverage he had mentioned but came up with nothing, I knew the fabric of Rin’s story wasn’t lining up.”
Apparently one of the villains Rin and Bakugo apprehended on their patrol had a hallucination quirk. It could only be administered through skin-to-skin contact and only lasted as long as that contact held. The hallucinations made people see their worst fears. Simple things like snakes on the ground in front of them, or a ghost hovering above them. They knew this when they had arrested the small-time criminals after their information was searched for in the quirk database. What they didn’t know was the one villain had taken a huge dose of a quirk heightening drug as they ran from the pharmacy before Bakugo and Rin had stopped them. Even the criminal probably didn’t know how the medication would affect his quirk until after he took it. What they figured out was this drug now made his quirk affect people by just having them in their sight. And the hallucinations were much more complex, affecting all 5 senses of their target. The quirk also took time to take affect and lasted hours. “Once we figured out what had happened with Rin, we were able to keep him isolated until the effects wore off. But he was off his bobbin and didn’t believe what we were saying. Bakugo. I’ll need you to send me a report of what you experienced while you were under the effects of this quirk when you are ready to do so. It will be important to add this information to this villain’s file. Then all the loose threads of this case will be tied up.” Bakugo nodded at him, his face serious and stony. Best Jeanist waited at the clinic with Bakugo and Momo until they got the clear that Bakugo was at baseline. Best Jeanist returned to Tokyo after securing clean-up for the hotel floor Bakugo had damaged. He had felt terrible about what had happened to Bakugo but was also not pleased he had ignored standard procedures. He had given Bakugo a mini-lecture before he left about how Bakugo needed to quit thinking certain rules didn’t apply to him because of his accomplishments so far as a hero. “You’ve got a long way to go until you can run an agency Bakugo. I hope you can use what happened today as a lesson learned and to take protocols more seriously. How will we measure up against villains if we don’t take every precaution?” Bakugo met Best Jeanist’s intense gaze and nodded at him. Momo had never seen him so subdued. Especially when being criticized.
As they both left the clinic, Momo turned towards him. “It’s after midnight. Let’s get you to a hotel nearby You’re probably exhausted.”
“No. I’m staying with you tonight. In your room, at your hotel.” He took her hand and held it in both of his. His face was grave and rigid. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
Momo looked at him searching for his expression to soften, but it didn’t. It was pained and angry. It made her stomach turn, she had not asked him what he had experienced under the hallucination quirk, but she figured if he was blasting doors down in her hotel desperately trying to find her it must have been pretty bad. And the mention of Stain was an ominous one. She had never crossed paths with him but every pro-hero knew everything there was to know about the wretched man due to him still being at large. “Okay,” she said.
Shinso
Sunday afternoon found Shinso and Kirishima road biking through Musutafu up into Kita Ward near Ryugashido Cavern. Shinso had received permission several months ago to ride wherever he pleased on Sundays between noon and five o’clock as long as he tracked the ride on strava for safety reasons. After Kirishima filled out some rather tedious paperwork for Ahane he got the same permission granted. Shinso had two road bikes, one was built for speed and the other for comfort. Since Kirishima had never ridden a true road bike, Shinso thought the BH Ultralight would be better for him starting out. The saddle was more cushioned and it handled bumps in the road much more smoothly than the Scott Addict. Both bikes had carbon fiber frames and the components were also made of the same material so they were super light and fast.
Kirishima had never used clipless pedals. He had borrowed an old pair of Shinso’s biking shoes, luckily Kirishima was only half a size down from Shinso as far as shoe size. Shinso urged Kirishima to try riding around the school parking lot a few times practicing clipping in and out of the pedals. Clipless pedals clipped the rider's shoe into the pedal so the rider could pedal more efficiently, being able to pull up on the pedal along with pushing down in one revolution. But you had to twist your ankle out to clip out of the pedal and beginners sometimes would take too long clipping out when coming to a stop. They, then, would fall over on the asphalt. As Kirishima pedaled slowly around the parking lot, he came up to Shinso, applied the hand brake, and then…. Didn’t clip out his first attempt and fell right over on the asphalt, bike and all. Luckily he applied his quirk to his left side and came away unscathed. Shinso tried not to notice the scratches on the frame and rims from the fall. Luckily his BH wasn’t as nice as the Addict was. Kirishima practiced clipping in and out a few more times and off they went. Kirishima had a blast on the ride; they had biked almost 50 kilometers in a little over 3 hours. Kirishima didn’t have any mishaps with his pedals and was able to keep up with Shinso most of the time.
They got back and after showering headed to the Class A dorm a little after 5:30 just in time for dinner. They were both ravenous after the ride. Shinso was pleased to see Kirishima down copious amounts of pork cutlet, brown rice, pickled cucumber, and grilled eggplant topped with bonito flakes. Iida and Tsuyu had been in charge of the meal and it had been delicious. Kirishima had found his appetite again and this put Shinso at ease until it didn’t. Because now Shinso’s train of thought went to the possibility that Kirishima eating normally meant he wasn’t in love with him. What is wrong with me! Shinso thought to himself. But as Kirishima began to rise from the table, heading into the kitchen for seconds, a toothy grin on his face, he winked at Shinso. He realized he needed to quit obsessing over ridiculous thoughts. For today at least. It had been a great day. A great weekend. As Kirishima walked away from the table, Bakugo took his seat across from Shinso.
“I need your help,” Bakugo blurted out suddenly as he sat. Shinso stared into his intense, red eyes and saw something was off. Shinso realized looking at Bakugo that something had happened to him over the weekend. He looked rattled Shinso thought. Restless and anxious. He and Momo had just gotten back to UA from their work studies. Perhaps a patrol or hero mission had gone bad. Either way, everything that exuded from Bakugo communicated one thing even if his words didn’t say it outright. A pleading, Please help me.
“Um. Sure. What can I do?” Normally Shinso would have teased Bakugo. Maybe asked him to say please if he wanted to be super petty and Bakugo’s demeanor had irked him. But his statement and the look on his face told a story that Shinso wasn’t sure he even wanted to hear.
“I need you to train me. To use your quirk on me so I can build up a resistance. Midoriya broke Brainwash so I know it can be done. I need… I need to be able to break mind-altering quirks. It’s a weakness I have. I need to work on it.” Bakugo was talking very low so only Shinso could hear. His face was serious, his eyes determined.
“Okay. When do you want to start?”
“Now.”
Shinso nodded. They both stood up from the table.
End Part 2
Notes:
TW: mild psychological warfare due to quirk usage
Chapter 76: Part 3: Grow Up
Chapter Text
Part 3: Grow Up
The one where the author desperately tries to hold on to that teen rating
Yaoyorozu
After dinner, Bakugo and Shinso both left the table and went through the stairway door up to the dorms. Bakugo had told Momo he and Shinso had a project they were working on, and he’d be doing that after dinner. The expression he wore bothered her though. It reminded her too much of the look he had on his face for most of Saturday evening. Even after his initial shock had worn off in the hallway of the hotel after Best Jeanist had explained what had happened to him, a shadow of the fear and hopelessness that had exuded completely from him in those terrible moments looking for her in the hallway had still lingered.
When they had returned to her hotel room, she had to almost physically push him into the shower. His body was dirty and oily from the amount of sweat he had perspired in his highly agitated state and then having blasted through the polluted city skies he was beyond filthy. And although Bakugo’s natural scent was normally quite pleasant to Momo, she could not do him that compliment at the time. He reeked. He had fought her about it because he didn’t want to not be right next to her. He didn’t want her out of his sight. She uttered a quick, “Phalaenopsis Aphrodite,” followed by an exasperated “f*ck,” from his end. He had finally submitted. Three minutes later though, he had come out of the shower, wearing heather gray sweatpants and a t-shirt she was able to purchase for him from the hotel gift shop. He then had crawled on the bed and laid right next to her, wrapping an arm around her, his face serious and still slightly pained. She tried talking to him for a few minutes, but he had only given her one-word answers. She then had fallen asleep. She had awoken sometime later, both of them still lying next to each other, his arm over her protectively, his eyes still open, very much awake staring out the window. She had looked at the clock and it was two in the morning.
“Katsuki,” she had whispered, touching his face. His eyes met hers, his face grim and unchanging. “Have you slept?” He shook his head. She let out a soft sigh, and he pulled her closer to him. “Do you want to talk about it?”
He took a while to answer her. “No,” he had said in a whisper, not meeting her gaze.
She had kissed him then. At first, it was tender, but then the energy between them had changed. He shifted to where he was over her and she moved her arms around his chest and held him tight, their kisses becoming more intense and desperate, their bodies pressed against each other.
Momo couldn’t help but smile about it now as she sat on the couch thinking about it. There had been no more sleeping for either of them after that. She wasn’t surprised when Katsuki had fallen asleep on the hour-long train ride back to UA around noon the next day, Momo snuggled up next to him on the bench. His face was slack and relaxed and he lightly snored, a tiny bit of drool glistening on the edge of his slightly open mouth. He was beyond exhausted. In those morning hours at the hotel, he had laid down the mask of fear and grimness he had worn the previous evening. But once they were back on campus, that mask had returned.
Kirishima plopped down on the couch next to Momo. “Got a text from Shinso that he and Bakugo are working on something. Is it that “confidential” training Aizawa-sensei has them doing?”
“I’m not sure. Katsuki wasn’t very forthcoming.”
Kirishima nodded. “Is Bakugo okay? He seems kinda distracted and looks…. Well, he looks kinda…. anxious. Like more than usual.” Momo didn’t know what to say. She didn’t think Bakugo would mind Kirishima knowing what had happened. But with their classmates around them, now wasn’t the time.
“He had a rough patrol,” Momo said.
Kirishima nodded, his gaze locking with Momo. She read his suddenly intense eyes. They said, “Something bad happened, didn’t it? We’re so going to talk about this later.” And they would.
Bakugo
Bakugo was standing on a quiet beach. The waves sounded off though, instead of the rhythmic crashing of waves it was like a constant humming. Like white noise. The sky was overcast, a stark grey, and the water reflected this in its murky surface. He turned his head in both directions down the stretch of beach, and there was no one else to be found. Just dreary beige sand and dark pieces of driftwood. He blinked and now he was sitting on the floor, cross-legged across from Shinso. Shinso, looking at his watch, shook his head. Bakugo let out an irritated moan.
“We’ve been at it for two hours. Let’s call it a night. It’s almost 8:00.”
Bakugo sighed. “Fine,” he grumbled. “I was on a beach… during the last one…”
“Yeah, sometimes people have mini-dreams. Maybe one out of every ten times or something like that.”
“Seems about right.” Bakugo would awaken from Brainwash and sometimes he could remember whatever dream he had experienced. Even though Shinso had him down from intervals of either one, two, or three minutes when he remembered the dreams they at times seemed so much longer.
Shinso stood up and offered a hand to Bakugo. He took it and stood up. “So, you want to tell me what happened this weekend?” Shinso asked as he looked down at him. Bakugo for a second thought maybe he should tell Shinso. Maybe it would make things easier, for Shinso to know exactly what Bakugo was trying to train up against. He couldn’t shake the hollow feeling in his chest, the twinge of fear and helplessness and despair. He knew none of it had really happened, but it seemed so real and his body still was reacting to it like it had happened. Or it could happen. And maybe it would be good to talk about it with someone other than Momo and Kiri. Someone who would be more straightforward with him instead of feel sorry for him. And Shinso and he were also guarding some secrets in their “confidential” training with Aizawa, although they weren’t talking about it at all, to anyone, not even to each other, it somehow added a new layer to their relationship. Relationship. Bakugo wanted to cringe at the thought because although Shinso had some interesting qualities, he really could rub Bakugo the wrong way.
“I got hit with a hallucination quirk while patrolling. The guy who used it on me was under the effects of a quirk heightening drug, so it… well the guy’s quirk was to make people hallucinate their worst fear. Normally it would just be a simple visual hallucination that would break when skin contact was broken. But he used it on me without even touching me and it lasted a couple of hours…” Bakugo’s mouth felt unbelievably dry all of a sudden. As if Shinso somehow read his mind, he walked over to Bakugo’s mini-fridge and chanced he had something in it. Shinso grabbed a bottle of water and tossed it to him. “Thanks,” Bakugo said as he took a swig and started to feel foolish for talking about what happened. And even more foolish he was still taking it so hard.
“It was like you were living a nightmare.”
Bakugo nodded, looking Shinso in the eye. “It’s been weird. It’s like my body still thinks it really happened even though my brain knows it was all a lie.”
“That really sucks.”
“Yeah.” Bakugo cleared his throat. “Well, I’m gonna head to bed. Um….” Bakugo shifted his weight awkwardly. “Thanks, Shin.” See, that wasn’t too hard Bakugo thought to himself. Showing some gratitude was the least he could do. He really was thankful Shinso had not only decided he would train him, but that he didn’t mind starting immediately. Shinso wasn’t one to procrastinate things or beat around the bush. It was something they had in common.
Shinso nodded, bringing his hand up to the back of his own neck and looking quite tired himself suddenly. Of course, Shinso almost always looked tired. “Yeah, no problem. ‘Night.” He left Bakugo alone in his room. Bakugo was exhausted but had the strange feeling he would have issues sleeping. He had noticed his phone vibrate a few minutes earlier but had ignored it due to the training. He now grabbed his phone and saw a message from Momo.
Momo: I’m in my room if you want to stop by before bed. I love you, hope everything is okay.
Bakugo sighed. He texted her back.
Katsuki: gonna try and sleep. See you in the morning. Love you.
He took off his shirt and tossed it in his hamper and changed into old scrub bottoms he used when he was painting and knew he’d get messy. They were old and very soft and comfortable, even with the dried paint splatters. He killed the lights, laid on top of his bed, and curled on his side. His mind wandered to Momo and the night before. Who would have thought that in the same night he would be living his worst nightmare that hours later he would experience the indescribable perfection that being with Momo had been. Maybe if he thought about that he could get his mind off of the living nightmare that was invading his thoughts constantly. When she had kissed him after waking in the middle of the night, it was like a switch had been flipped. He had been able to let go of his worry at that moment. She was with him, her arms wrapped tightly around his chest, her mouth on his. This was real, not the nightmare he had lived. His hand finding the small, round satin buttons of the silk pajamas and slowly unbuttoning her top. Momo ceasing to kiss him only long enough to pull his t-shirt off over his head. Their bodies entwined, skin to skin, exuding overwhelming warmth, even in the immense cold of the room. Momo’s sweet voice sounding in his ear, her hand in his hair, down his bareback. As he lay there in his bed, his thoughts abruptly shifted. Momo’s voice was no longer whispering loving sentiments in his animated thoughts. Her voice was strained with fear now, those pervasive, planted ideas that haunted his mind returned.
He suddenly felt terror rise in him like he had felt on the bullet train. Momo was alone in her room. He had no way of knowing if she was safe. Rationally he knew she was perfectly fine. That she “most likely” was fine. Well, it was UA after all, maybe she wasn’t fine. That was within the realm of possibilities. He checked his phone. It was 8:23.
He grabbed an old t-shirt from his drawer and pulled it on quickly. He ran upstairs and opened her door, barging in. Momo had been reading in her bed. She sat up suddenly, alarmed by his abrupt entrance. “Is everything okay?” she asked in a worried tone.
“It is now,” he said as he climbed on her bed and sat across from her. “I needed to see if you were okay.”
Momo sighed. “Katsuki, you can’t live like this. You’re going to drive yourself crazy. You should see Recovery Girl tomorrow. I think you need to talk to someone.”
Bakugo shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I’ll get through it. I just… I just need to know you’re okay.”
Momo smiled weakly. “Yes. I’m okay,” she said as she touched his face. “We’re safe. We’re at UA.”
Bakugo looked at her skeptically. “Are you hearing yourself? Is that supposed to make me feel better? sh*t, this is one of the worst places we could be as far as being targets for villains.”
“Are you hearing yourself? Nezu has installed state-of-the-art surveillance and defense.”
Bakugo sighed. “I’ll just have to stay here again tonight. With you.”
“And when Aizawa-sensei or Ahane-sensei come knocking on our doors?”
“They won’t. Aizawa literally checked on us Sunday night and Monday night last week and that’s been it. He’s back to sleeping now. He has other things going on and the main troublemakers are being dealt with. Trust me. Shin and I know.”
Momo stared at Bakugo, her face he couldn’t read for a change. She was mulling over something but he couldn’t tell what.
Yaoyorozu
“I promise, I won’t sleep if I’m not with you,” Bakugo said, his face serious. “You really want to be responsible for me falling asleep in my salmon and rice in the morning and snoring in class tomorrow? Missing lessons and failing tests?” His tone was irritable, bordering on nasty, but there was a playfulness in his eyes peeking through the cantankerous mask. Subtle displays she would not have picked up on weeks before, but now she could read him a lot better. She still thought he should talk to someone about the aftereffects of the villain quirk he had experienced, but he did seem a lot less grim after studying with Shinso. She didn’t know what they were working on, but it seemed to help. He was still worried about her being out of his sight though. And she knew if he stayed, they wouldn’t be able to keep their hands off each other. Although Momo was quite old-fashioned and felt being in control of one’s emotions was a sign of proper upbringing and mental strength, her mind could not stop wandering back to the night before. She was so thankful Bakugo couldn’t read minds because from the moment he had climbed on her bed and sat across from her, she couldn’t quit thinking about his body, the way his hands felt on her, his lips exploring her skin, his heavy breaths on her neck, how he had lined soft kisses from her collarbone down her chest to her sternum then….. Momo blushed now. He definitely wouldn’t think her very lady-like.
“If you stay the night, I don’t think we’ll be sleeping, Katsuki,” Momo said trying to sound serious and not coy, but she worried it came across as slightly coy because of the images from the night before she couldn’t push out of her head.
“I’ll behave.” He moved until he was next to her, and then laid on his side, an elbow propping him up so he was looking at her on the same level. She had two pillows propped underneath her back and head so she could read. “You stay under the blankets, I’ll stay on top. I’ll keep my hands to myself.” His face was serious now, he wasn’t being playful or joking. Momo suddenly felt embarrassed she was a bit disappointed. She was hoping he would reach for her. That he would kiss her. She now realized she had been the one to start things the night before. She had kissed him in the middle of the night when she had awoken and found he had not slept.
She placed her book on her nightstand and turned off the lamp. The room was now dark except for the moonlight and distant school lights that made their way inside through her partially covered glass patio door. It bathed Bakugo’s face in a dark grayish-blue tone. His eyes still burned like amber gems. Almost like they had their own light source behind them. She leaned towards him and nestled her face in the crook of his neck. He sharply inhaled a deep breath and she felt his chest heave as her torso pressed up against his. She gently kissed his neck, enjoying the sweet taste of his skin. Her mouth made its way to his jawline, then his cheek, and finally his lips. She ran her hand through his hair and he exhaled a shaky breath. Then, Momo ran her hands down his back, finding the end of his shirt and pulling it up and over his head.
“Guess it wasn’t my hands we needed to worry about,” he whispered as his hands cupped her face. Momo smiled at him, her lips finding his again.
Kirishima
Kirishima had had the best week ever. It started with him and Shinso going on a road biking “date,” (Shinso pressed him it wasn’t a date, but yeah, it was in fact a date Kirishima told him) and Kirishima having only ever ridden mountain bikes in the past had fallen in love with riding on the road. The thin, narrow tires had made him a bit nervous at first, but road bikes were so fast. Kirishima didn’t consider himself an adrenaline junkie, but it had been exciting flying on the roads. Then on Tuesday he had work-study and actually got the green light from Aizawa-sensei and Recovery Girl to patrol. He had stopped a robbery and had evacuated civilians from a building that was collapsing. It was so good to actually feel like he was being a useful hero again and helping others.
On Wednesday, he was told he had no limits on his quirk and could push his hardening quirk. Under Aizawa-sensei’s watchful eye for the next week though. Kirishima didn’t hesitate to go into full Unbreakable mode as Bakugo rained down his fiery explosions at him during combat training. He had never felt more alive and thankful. After about 7 minutes in full-on Unbreakable mode, he decided to try and drop his quirk. The rocky outcroppings, ridges, and crests receded, and he looked down at his tan arms, just his regular skin, and he cheered. He looked over at Bakugo and Bakugo grinned at him. An actual grin, not a sneer, or a smirk, or an aggressive display of teeth. A grin of happiness. Kirishima bounded over and wrapped his arms around Bakugo, giving him the burliest of bear hugs, lifting him off the ground, tears of joy streaming down Kirishima’s face. “Let go, you idiot!” Bakugo had barked at him.
Thursday he was handed back his Calculus test in class and saw he had earned an “A.” Shinso and he had studied late at the tables of Class A’s dining area the night before and that hard work had paid off. Friday night he and Kaminari were in charge of dinner and the barbeque he had marinated overnight had turned out perfect. Everyone had gone on and on about it throughout the night. Classmates had grabbed seconds and thirds, and there were no leftovers.
Now it was Sunday morning, the start of a new week, and Kirishima hoped it would be as awesome and perfect as the previous week. He was on his way to the nearby dog rescue that he volunteered at once a month. As he entered through the front doors, he saw a large group of teenagers standing in the front room of the rescue.
“Oh! Hello, Kirishima!” Mrs. Omori said loudly over the chatter of the teens.
“Hey, Mrs. Omori. Pretty busy today?” Kirishima said to her as she approached, and he bowed to her.
“Yes! We have a group of first-years from the local high school helping out as a service project. I should have told you about it. You can take the day off! Come next Sunday, would that work?”
The group of students got quiet suddenly and several started whispering to each other. Kirishima heard one say ‘Red Riot,’ so they recognized him even in his cargo shorts and tank top, his hair pulled up in a messy bun at the crown of his head. His hair had gotten so long, even his bangs could be pulled back away from his face when he wore a high bun. He didn’t need to wear a headband like he often did to keep it out of his face when it wasn’t styled.
“Yeah, that works! See you next week, then!” Kirishima answered. Before he left he signed a few autographs and took several selfies with the first-years. As he walked back to campus, he felt a bit bummed. He really enjoyed working at the rescue. It was tough, dirty work, cleaning out the indoor and outdoor kennels, cleaning the yards, and administering meds to frightened dogs. But he also got to play with the dogs after all the work was done, throwing balls for them, or just petting them or brushing them out. As he entered the front gates of UA, he decided he’d check on Shinso. Maybe he could catch him before he left for his Sunday bike ride, and he could go with him.
He entered Gen C dorm and was greeted by a few members of Class C.
“Hey, Kirishima!”
“Hey, Iwata. Do you know if Shinso left for his bike ride?”
“Not sure. He usually leaves through the stairway exit when he leaves so we don’t see him. You could run up to his room and see if he’s left.”
Kirishima nodded then stood there awkwardly for a moment before speaking. “Um… which floor and room?” he asked, slightly embarrassed.
“I thought you knew.” Iwata grinned at him. “He’s on the second floor, first door on the right.”
Kirishima nodded and headed up the stairs. He realized he had never been in Shinso’s room. The times he had gone looking for him for various reasons he had always found him in Gen C’s living area or in Aizawa-sensei’s dorm. Shinso had spent so much time at A’s dorm, especially recently, that Kirishima had not had the opportunity to be invited up to Shinso’s room. He arrived on the second floor and then knocked on Shinso’s door.
Several seconds later, the door opened and Kirishima looked up into confused, sleepy indigo eyes. Kirishima grinned. He was instantly reminded of that day in the library when he had knocked on the door of Shinso’s study pod.
“I thought you were volunteering this morning, Red,” Shinso said. He was standing before Kirishima bare-chested, wearing only a pair of biking bib shorts. They were tight and low-slung and left very little to the imagination. The straps were hanging loose against his thighs and not pulled up over his shoulders as if he had just thrown the shorts on to answer the door. Kirishima stepped forward and placed a hand on Shinso’s bare chest. He ran his hand up Shinso’s pec and up to the back of his neck, and then pulled him in to kiss him deeply. Shinso leaned into Kirishima, kissing him back, and at the same time reaching for his dorm door to push it closed. He then eagerly placed his hands on the back of Kirishima’s head while they kissed. Kirishima felt a hand pull out the elastic band that held his loose bun at the crown of his head. He felt his hair fall and brush his shoulders and tickle his upper back. Placing his hand back on Shinso’s chest, Kirishima ran his hand down Shinso’s abdomen, and then under the thin fabric of his biking shorts. Shinso gasped into Kirishima’s mouth, and Kirishima couldn’t help but grin as he used his other hand to push Shinso backward towards his dorm bed.
Chapter 77: Sparks
Chapter Text
1 month later
Kirishima
It was Saturday morning and Mineta barreled through the door. He sat next to Sero, his face red and irritable.
“What’s eating you?” Sero asked him.
“Someone needs to talk to Kaminari and Kyoka. If I run into them making out in the frickin’ stairway again, I’m gonna Grape Rush them both on opposite ends of the living room. Then I won’t have to worry anymore.”
Kirishima, who was digging into his breakfast of tofu, egg custard, and rice, chuckled loudly. Mineta immediately shot him an icy glare.
“You’re not allowed to laugh, Kirishima! You and Shinso are just as bad!” Mineta said. Kirishima dropped his jovial expression and looked down at his food, his face suddenly serious like he was reading an exam.
“Yeah, I’m still traumatized from last week when I went to put the board games back in the gaming closet by the living room,” Sero said giving Kirishima the stink eye.
Kirishima’s face now turned a bright red, his gaze still fixed on his food while he continued to eat.
“You guys quit picking on Kiri!” Mina scolded. She was sitting next to Kirishima and she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Kirishima smiled. “You two are both single so you don’t know what it’s like. Some of us have to steal as many opportunities as we can for even a second of alone time with our boyfriends and girlfriends. It’s tough with our busy schedules.”
“Yeah, Mina. You know a lot about stealing as many seconds as possible with as many guys as possible the last three years,” Sero said with a smirk.
“Aw, that’s not cool, Sero!” Kirishima said now, defending Mina. “Mina actually has it tougher than the rest of us. Her boyfriend goes to a completely different school.” Mina sighed and leaned her head against Kirishima’s shoulder.
“Yeah… wonder how long that’s gonna last…” Mineta said quietly under his breath. Mina shot him a dirty look. Mineta stood up. “Well, now that my appetite’s returned,” as he walked over to the kitchen he said almost as an afterthought, “Thought I’d never say these words, but some of you guys should be more like Bakugo and Momo. They have some class. You don’t find them making out in public like their planes going down and they have 30 seconds left to live….”
“Only because Bakugo sleeps in Momo’s room every night!” Sero added with a laugh. Mineta’s head whipped towards Sero as he dished some breakfast for himself.
“Seriously?!? Lucky bastard!” Mineta whined.
“Shhhh!” Mina warned. “If Bakugo hears you say anything that even slightly disrespects Momo, he’ll blow your ass up!”
“Please, those two left for class 10 minutes ago,” Sero said.
“Speaking of which…” Iida said as he stood up. He tapped his watch and looked at Todoroki. Todoroki nodded.
As Todoroki stood up and started to put books away in his backpack he spoke. “Well, Iida and I have been very discreet. I don’t think anyone knows we’re even dating.” Iida’s eyes went wide as he glanced at Todoroki and then his eyes fell upon his classmates. A bright red blush spread across his cheeks and nose. For once in his life, Iida was left speechless.
“What!?” Mina spluttered out, completely in shock. The other students in the room stared at Todoroki at a loss for words.
“Um… congratulations, you two!” Toru’s voice said eventually, breaking through the silence. Ojiro immediately followed with words of encouragement. Mina ran over and gave Iida and Todoroki big hugs. She gave pretty good bear hugs now; she was obviously learning well from Inasa. Kirishima grinned broadly. He had had some suspicions he voiced to Shinso about Todoroki and Iida. They had always been close friends but the last month Kirishima had noticed they seemed to always be together. Shinso suddenly appeared next to Kirishima in the seat Mina had vacated moments before. Kirishima was finally used to Shinso’s sneakiness and no longer jumped in surprise at his sudden appearances.
“’Morning Hitoshi,” Kirishima said through a mouthful of food. Shinso leaned over and kissed Kirishima on the temple. “Was wondering if you were gonna show up this morning. You look tired. Rough night? Did you sleep at all?”
Shinso sighed. “Only a couple of hours.” He glanced over at the crowd surrounding Todoroki and Iida. “Cats finally out of the bag then,” Shinso said as more students gathered around Todoroki and Iida patting them on the back or speaking supportively to them.
Kirishima and Shinso walked to class and Kirishima couldn’t help but notice Shinso was distracted. “What’cha thinking about?” he asked.
Shinso sighed. “Just stuff. Nothing to worry about.”
Kirishima had noticed the last week Shinso seemed to be in his head a lot more than usual. He was already one to get lost in his own thoughts quite a bit before this so Kirishima had been a bit concerned. Things had been going so well for them, relationship-wise. Kirishima found himself falling more and more in love with Shinso as the weeks had gone by and with graduation less than three months away he wasn’t sure what would happen after graduation. He didn’t want to bring it up to Shinso because he worried that sort of press of commitment may spook Shinso and he could break up with him. So he would wait until graduation. If he only had 3 months left with Shinso, he would enjoy it to the fullest. He knew three more months of falling in love would make their possible break up so much worse, but the heartache would be worth that added time. He didn’t want Shinso to just be his first love, but if that was in the cards, so be it. He would live in the present and savor every second.
A few days later
Shinso
“I don’t want to do this anymore!” Eri screamed out, stomping her left foot, then her right, on the mat underneath her.
“Eri, it’s okay. You almost had it.” Shinso walked over to her and knelt down in front of her.
“No, I didn’t! It’s been weeks and I can barely throw this stupid cloth to wrap around you! I wanna give up! I don’t want to do this anymore!”
“That’s not what you said a month ago. You’re getting better. It almost wraps completely around me now when you throw it. And you can wrap it around the chin-up bar now. You couldn’t do that a week ago. I bet in another month you’ll be able to wrap it around the bar and then swing from it. You can also run faster and do more push-ups.”
Eri burst into tears. Shinso sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder. When his “punishment” from Aizawa due to his breaking curfew was doled out, the last thing he thought it would be was something as painless as training Eri to use the binding cloth. At first. Although he wasn’t covered in bruises and scratches like Bakugo after these “confidential” sessions, his pain was different. Teaching was much more difficult than he anticipated. The sweet-natured and easy-to-please Eri was quite different under these circ*mstances. Especially the last week. They had to conduct the lessons in a secret area under the school due to Eri not being “technically” a student at UA. Aizawa and head faculty knew of these training sessions. Aizawa was very keen for Eri to be accepted into UA in a few years and due to the nature of her quirk, the hero course would be difficult for her to get into. Very much like Shinso. Both of them had unbelievably powerful quirks, offensive and defensive capabilities that could easily turn any fight they were involved in. But the way the entrance exams were administered, Eri wouldn’t stand a chance, just like Shinso hadn’t when he tried out. So Aizawa decided to have Shinso teach Eri how to fight with the binding cloths, just how Aizawa had taught Shinso, was still teaching him.
Eri was a very eager and enthusiastic student at first. Then the novelty wore off and now more often than not the last week she would fall apart into tears. Aizawa wouldn’t let her quit though. Shinso internally wasn’t patient with her now that she was becoming obstinate, he would get extremely annoyed and had the urge to snap at Eri. To tell her to suck it up and quit being a baby about it. But due to his less demonstrative nature, he was able to suppress any facial tells or signs he wasn’t having the best time with his grumpy pupil. He knew that would only make things worse. Being an only child definitely made him not the most understanding person when it came to younger kids. He also cared for Eri and loved her as if she was his own sister so that also stilled his mouth and stopped any exasperated looks. And counting to ten in his head before he opened his mouth sometimes helped a lot too. Bakugo had given him that tip. Goodness knows he needed it a lot more than Shinso did with what Bakugo was dealing with. He was also “teaching” someone in the underground space. Shinso didn’t know much about it, other than the very few things Bakugo had mentioned over the last month. And the burns, abrasions, cuts, contusions, and scratches he came away with. They weren’t allowed to talk about the things that happened here in the underground, but somehow the two of them had let things slip here and there. For both their sanities.
Yaoyorozu
It would only take them a 20-minute bus ride to arrive at the Bakugos’ house. It had been about six weeks since the formal and Bakugo had kept putting off his parents to bring Yaoyorozu over so they could meet her. Gossip and pictures had surfaced of the two at the formal and Bakugo’s mom had pestered him and pestered him to visit and to bring Momo. The fact he lived on the outskirts of Musutafu, Momo was surprised he didn’t visit his family more frequently since it was less than a half-hour bus ride away.
“You’ve met my mom, so you know why I don’t go home often.”
“I like your mom. Of course, that makes sense considering how I feel about you.” Momo had met Mitsuki Bakugo on a few occasions the last two and a half years and she could see where Bakugo got his personality from. She wasn’t as hostile as he was though. She was overbearing and was quick to get riled up, but she had much more self-control than Bakugo had. Momo had hoped this meant there was a possibility of Bakugo toning things down as he got older.
They were both sitting on a bus bench. Bakugo placed an arm around Momo and pulled her close. She gently pressed her head against his for a few seconds before leaning away to try and make eye contact with him. He was looking out the window and had a grim expression on his face. He was deep in thought. Momo smiled slightly, wishing she knew what thoughts were racing through his mind. She watched him for a couple of minutes wondering how long it would take him to feel her eyes staring and for him to turn his head and meet her gaze. The last few weeks had been like something out of a dream for Momo. She didn’t think her feelings could become any stronger for Bakugo, but it seemed every day she fell more and more in love. Even with his surliness and his irritability over minor things, even through the days where he would only utter one or two-word replies, even on the days he was lost in his own thoughts and he felt miles away even when he had an arm around her, even at those times, she was crazy about him. Then there were days of coming back to her dorm and finding a vase of orchids, rare nights where he would talk his head off over everything and nothing, his arms wrapped around her, Sundays where she would awaken to breakfast in bed that he made for her before he hit the gym, class notes she had missed due to work-study photocopied and already in her binders, sometimes they were Todoroki’s or Iida’s if he had been absent those days due to work-study too. And the nights. The nights he had slept in her bed. Sometimes she would awaken in the middle of the night and watch him sleep. His face relaxed, his jaw soft, his brow smooth. His breathing, even like a metronome, his skin so warm, his hand on her stomach, sometimes reaching for her and pulling her towards him while he was still sleeping. He was so aware she was there next to him even unconscious. The sleeping in each others arms and the not sleeping.
He finally turned towards her, his eyes sharp and alert suddenly. “You okay?” he asked her in a hoarse whisper.
She smiled. “Yes. I’m very ‘okay’.” She wanted to ask him what he was mulling over, but she could tell he wanted quiet at the moment. Maybe later she could pick his brain. She knew if she asked him now, she would get a “nothing,” or a vague grunt, or more silence. She was getting good at “speaking Bakugo.” She now wrapped her arms around his bicep and snuggled in next to him, enjoying his warmth. A few minutes later they arrived at their stop and Bakugo sighed.
“Let’s get this over with,” he grumbled. He stood up and offered his hand. Momo took it, and they walked off the bus. After about a mile of walking, they found themselves in front of a modernly constructed house much larger than Momo was expecting with a meticulously tended front yard. Bakugo may not have been from an immensely wealthy family like Momo, but the Bakugos lived in a much nicer home than most of the citizens of Japan. Bakugo opened the front gate for Momo and waited for her to walk ahead. She had not been nervous, but now that she was walking towards the Bakugos’ front door she felt slightly anxious. That had more to do with Bakugo though than herself. She wasn’t sure what Bakugo’s relationship was like with his parents and she was hoping it wouldn’t be a day filled with yelling and contention. Bakugo walked up behind Momo and took her hand and before he could knock on the door, it swung open inwards and Mitsuki Bakugo stood before them. Momo was always taken aback at how much Bakugo favored her in his appearance. If he had been her daughter, they would have been identical twins. Her platinum hair, longer than her sons, was down around her shoulders, her face youthful, belying the fact she had a son old enough to be an adult, her eyes a deep red like Bakugo’s set underneath very expressive brows that didn’t scowl as much as her sons but definitely added something menacing to her expression.
“You’re half an hour early. Tea isn’t ready,” Mitsuki said, her mouth twitching at the end a bit as if she was trying not to smile.
Before Momo could say something, Bakugo shot back at his mother. “You knew I’d be early. If you wanted us here at 11:00, then you should have told me 11:20,” he said gruffly.
“Well, you’ll have time to visit with your father while I finish up tea.”
“Yeah…. With you in the room Dad can’t get a word in anyway….I can actually talk to him for a change…” Mitsuki smirked and took a step forward, her arms outstretched to pull her son into a hug. He let go of Momo’s hand and sighed and his mother gave him a big squeeze. A few seconds passed and she had not let go and Momo stood there quietly waiting, feeling slightly awkward. Eventually, she heard Bakugo grumble and bring his arms up to wrap his Mom in a hug.
“Missed you brat. You should visit more often.”
“You keep pestering me, I’ll just take longer to come back next time.” Mitsuki laughed as she let go of him. Her eyes lit on Momo and her face split into a grin that put Bakugo’s widest ones to shame. Momo felt oddly like prey looking into the face of a predator and was now worried about what she would say.
“I’m sorry my son is rude and hasn’t introduced you properly. We tried our hardest to raise him right, but a parent can only do so much.”
Bakugo groaned as he looked up at the heavens briefly, exasperated, and then met his mother’s eyes. She watched him, an amused look on her face. “Mom, you know Momo! You’ve met her half a dozen times!”
Momo instinctively bowed now, as did Mitsuki. As she rose, Momo spoke, “It’s an honor to see you again, Mrs. Bakugo.”
“You, too dear. Come inside, tea will be ready shortly.” Mitsuki stood to the side to let them both enter first. Bakugo motioned with his arm for Momo to walk ahead. A strange look alighted on Mitsuki’s face, and Momo wasn’t sure why. A few minutes later, Momo, Bakugo, and his father, Masaru were all relaxing in a sitting room making small talk. Well, Momo and Masaru were relaxing on the comfortable couches engaging in easy conversation. Bakugo’s chin rested on the heel of his hand, his elbow lodged in the armrest of the couch propping his head up, his feet crossed at the ankles, the right foot over the left, the right foot flexing quickly in short movements. His other hand held Momo’s on the couch and he was staring into one corner of the room, deep in thought.
Momo and Masaru had talked about school, her work-study, and the upcoming Hero Billboard Chart announcement the following week. As the conversation hit a lull, Masaru looked over at his son and smiled. Bakugo didn’t notice this, still gazing off into space. Masaru turned back and mock whispered to Momo, his voice still at a regular volume, “If you’re being held against your will by my son, I know morse code, you can let me know.” Masaru tapped his finger three times on the side table and smiled. Momo smiled back, not exactly sure what to say back to Masaru’s dad joke. Momo liked Masaru and Mitsuki a lot. It was strange to her to think that the mellow and easy-going Masaru could be married to the hot-headed and easily provoked Mitsuki. It made her feel like she and Bakugo could have a real future together. She felt her face flush at the thought. Masaru must have thought it was him who made her blush and he immediately spoke, “Just joking with you Momo. Unless….” His face turned serious all of a sudden.
A second later Momo heard Mitsuki’s voice echoing loudly down the hall coming towards them. “Katsuki wouldn’t be interested in a girl that was afraid of him, Masaru. Where’s the challenge in that!” Mitsuki now barged in holding a tray with green tea, balled sweet rice cakes, and sweet rice with sweet red beans. “He would have to respect her so she would have to be tough as nails and patient enough to put up with his bullsh*t.”
“Mom!” Bakugo bellowed.
“It’s true! I thought it would take some time since he’s a gremlin and hasn’t calmed down enough for my liking the last three years. But here we are!” Mitsuki set the tray on the table in front of them and turned to Momo. “Mind the sweet rice and red beans. I make them extremely spicy for the brat.”
“Yes… this trip is worth it then…” Bakugo grumbled. Mitsuki sat and all four of them bowed briefly. Momo was surprised Bakugo bowed since he seldom did this in the dorms before group meals.
A half-second later, Bakugo quickly reached towards the tray in front of Momo. Mitsuki slapped his hand forcefully, the sound sharp in Momo’s ear.
“Manners! Do you want Momo running out of here due to your boorish behavior?” Mitsuki said, glaring at her son, her nostrils flaring.
“It’s fine Mrs. Bakugo,” Momo interjected.
“What the hell?! I was reaching for Momo’s tea because I was worried she would burn herself! She doesn’t have fire-proof hands like dad and I and you always make it piping hot!”
Mitsuki reached her hand quickly towards Bakugo’s head and he flinched, but instead of the bop he was possibly expecting, Momo cringed at the thought, Mitsuki pinched his cheek and her intense glare of death morphed into a wicked smile.
“Well, I’ll be,” she whispered. “You’re full of surprises today.”
Bakugo’s face turned beet red as he picked up Momo’s cup and placed it in his palm for a few seconds. He handed it to Momo and nodded at her as she took it.
“I made sure hers was normal temperature. Yours and your dads are ridiculously hot just as you both like it. You have to get your brains from somewhere, Kat. I don’t know why you think I’m some kind of moron, and I’m going to scald your girlfriend.”
“Thanks, dear. This looks wonderful,” Masaru said, the tone of his voice calming and upbeat, trying to smooth things over. Momo realized her heart was racing due to so many feelings she had powering through her. The contentiousness of both Mitsuki and Bakugo in the same room was overwhelming, but then Bakugo looking out for her in all his subtle ways made her adore him even in such an uncomfortable atmosphere. Which was such a strange thing to think about. Adoring Bakugo. Wanting to devote herself to him. In all his chaos and fieriness. In all his impulsivity, coarseness, and crassness.
The rest of the tea was uneventful. Mitsuki was very talkative and had many questions for Momo and Momo gladly answered. “Quit grilling her, Mom!” Bakugo bellowed at one point, but Mitsuki ignored him and continued talking. As he had yelled, he had let go of Momo’s hand suddenly and then patted his hand on his bare forearm as if he was putting out a fire. Momo figured in his extreme agitation and uncomfortableness his quirk was ignited in his hand and he was trying to quell it. She had never seen him do this before. His parents were not giving these actions of his much attention so maybe this was normal for him when he was around them. Did they really aggravate him that much? Momo, who had been holding his hand most of the visit, had noticed his hand was hotter than usual. Before he had let go moments before it had almost been unbearably hot. She looked at him and smiled to reassure him. As his intense eyes met hers, the enraged look on his face seemed to lessen. She reached for his hand and he hesitated a moment but then held her hand again.
Masaru wasn’t able to squeeze into the conversation very much, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. He had a small smile on his face and would nod, letting Momo know he was involved in the conversation and interested.
As Mitsuki gathered the tray to return to the kitchen to begin cleaning, Momo stood up and followed.
“No, missy, you stay with hot-head. Masaru can help,” Mitsuki said, smirking at her husband, as she walked through the doorway.
“Of course, dear,” Masaru smiled warmly, winking at her, and then followed her out. Bakugo stood up. letting go of Momo’s hand and wiping his hands on his cargo pants. He rolled his eyes and sighed.
“You okay?” Momo asked. He reached for her hand again, she threaded her fingers through his. His hands were still hot and sweaty, he was obviously still agitated. She wanted to bring up his igniting his quirk earlier but thought it might be better to wait until he was calmer.
“Yeah. They just think they’re being cute, leaving us alone in the sitting room by ourselves. They probably wouldn’t think it was cute if they knew what we were doing in your bed last night.” Momo’s jaw dropped, her eyes wide with shock.
Bakugo couldn’t help but grin now, looking like the prey-hunting Mitsuki from earlier. It was the first grin he had given all day. “Sorry, Momo. I haven’t shocked you like that in a while.” His grin widened.
Momo blushed deeply, “You normally don’t talk about those sort of things. Especially not in public,” Momo whispered to him. Bakugo nodded at her, his smile dropping completely, his expression now one of complete seriousness.
“I shouldn’t tease about stuff like that. It disrespects you. I’m sorry. You don’t deserve it,” he whispered back to her. His words were hard to catch at the low volume, all deep rumble and cracks, she felt the words more than she heard them.
“I… don’t mind you talking about things like that. But in private.” Momo met his eyes and couldn’t help the ends of her mouth turning up slightly. He was the one to blush now and he nodded at her, his expression still serious.
He cleared his throat and pulled her by her hand behind him, “Let me give you a tour so we don’t hafta do it with the hag later.”
Bakugo showed her through the house, not stopping very long in each room and Momo wasn’t surprised because he was in an impatient mood. A living area, study, Bakugo avoided the kitchen since his parents were still in there, and dining area. They, then, went upstairs and there was a large sitting area at the top of the stairs. He led her down a hallway and he motioned to the first open door to the left, his bedroom, which Momo was interested in seeing more of but Bakugo shot that down rather quickly. “I haven’t done much to it since 8th grade… doesn’t really feel like my room anymore…” Momo looked past him and saw many All Might posters on walls and figurines on shelves. He started to lean away from his bedroom door to head down the hall pulling her behind him by her hand, but she pulled the opposite direction back towards his room.
“Momo….” he whined as she continued towards his room. She was as stubborn as he was and she was curious. Bakugo’s childhood bedroom was bathed in warm natural light coming from the open windows. His mother must have opened them up in preparation for his coming home to visit. There wasn’t any dust on surfaces or objects so she must have dusted as well before they arrived. The walls were a light, pistachio green, a very calming color. Momo wondered if Mitsuki had picked out that color for that reason. The comforter of his bed was thin and light gray as were the drapes of the windows. Posters on the walls and figurines on the shelves, however, brought vibrant splashes of color to the room. Red, blue, and yellow, the dominating colors of most of All Might’s costumes during his hero career shone against the tranquil tone of the green walls.
“So the real question is, who is a bigger fan of All Might? Deku or Dynamight?” Momo asked as she walked by one of the shelves and gazed at the many figures of All Might.
Momo turned towards him and Bakugo shrugged. He stood at his doorway, hands in his pockets, and shifted his weight awkwardly. Momo smiled.
“My room back home is also stuck in middle school limbo. My shelves are filled with dolls and stuffed animals. My mom mentioned when I was ready she would have one of the housekeepers pack up my things so they are ready for after graduation. It is strange to think about.”
Bakugo’s surly expression now changed slightly, softening a bit. He nodded at her. Momo started to think back to Bakugo’s quirk acting up downstairs when he had been holding her hand and an idea popped in her head. She realized that even though his hand had become unbearably warm before he had let go of her, he had not burned her. She took a few steps towards him and gently grabbed him by his wrist. She brought his hand to her upper chest, most of his palm resting under her collar bone. She was wearing a black knee-length dress with red poppies on it. It had a scoop neckline so his hand was lying right above the cloth of her dress on her bare skin. He looked at her, a confused expression on his face.
“Ignite your quirk,” she said matter-of-factly. Bakugo’s eyes went wide. He stared at her at a loss for words. “You won’t hurt me. I’m more durable than you realize.”
“Momo….” he said under his breath. She smiled at him.
“I’ll show you.” She activated her quirk and colorful sparks ignited right under where Bakugo’s hand rested on her upper chest. His hand slowly lifted away from her skin, an object created underneath where his hand had rested moments before. He now curled his hand around the object and he turned it over so he could see what Momo had created. It was a figure of All Might, but this one was very different than all the ones in his room. It was a recreation of how All Might looked now. Tall and lanky, with deeply shadowed eyes and a gaunt face. He was wearing a simple navy suit, one of the ones he wore frequently at the school. He was standing proudly, a hand curled on his hip, his head held high. Bakugo stared at the figure, his face serious.
“It was the first thing that popped in my head when I thought of something to create. I… if you don’t like it I would understand,… I” Momo worried that her instinct may not have been a good one. She knew, like most of Class A, that Bakugo took what happened to All Might at the Battle of Camino quite personally. He took the blame for All Might losing One-For-All, even though he shouldn’t have, since that battle had centered around everyone trying to rescue him from the League of Villains. All Might would have lost One-For-All eventually since he had passed that torch to Midoriya. But Bakugo still harbored feelings of shame from that time, taking the blame of All Might losing his hero status. Bakugo still admired All Might immensely, even in his weakened, quirk-less state. He still saw him as the greatest hero that ever lived. Momo could tell by how Bakugo looked at All Might, even if his words to his now teacher and mentor weren’t the most respectful at times. There was still awe and reverence in those fiery eyes for the former Number One hero.
“No…. I like it.” Bakugo gave her a small smile and added the figure to one of his bookshelves. “It’s one-of-a-kind.” He walked back over to Momo and now placed both of his hands loosely at the base of her neck, his thumbs resting on her collarbone, his fingertips resting on her upper back. “You’re flawless. Your skin is ….. perfect. No scratches or scars. If you want some battle scars you’re gonna have to go to someone else to get them.” His voice was hoarse but lilted a bit as if he was teasing her.
Momo placed her hands on top of his now. “I actually do have some scars. Not as many as you of course.” She inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Use your quirk. I promise you won’t hurt me. Just now, when I created the figure, did it feel unbearably hot to your hand where my quirk activated?
Bakugo shook his head at her. “No. Your skin felt warm, but that’s about it.”
Momo continued. “You may not know this, but when I create things, my skin around the area of creation becomes extremely hot to the touch. I’ve burned some of our classmates when training if they grab what I’m creating and accidentally touch my skin. And today, downstairs, your hands were extremely hot, but never burned me. I think maybe if you had been holding hands with someone else, you would have burned them.” A horrified look crept across Bakugo’s face. “It’s okay. I don’t think you realize you’re doing it. It’s not like you’ve ever held hands with people for a prolonged amount of time for them to experience it in the first place.” Bakugo started to move his hands away from Momo, but she held them firmly on her. “Trust me.”
He gave her a pained expression, but then he sighed finally in defeat. “Okay,” he whispered. After a couple of seconds, Momo felt it, both of them standing statue still in the middle of Bakugo’s childhood room. She felt the warmth from his palms grow and become almost too hot. And then she felt a strange vibration under Bakugo’s hands and then a "pins and needles" feeling, but it wasn’t painful. Bakugo’s eyes went wide as he focused on his hands. She couldn’t see his hands since they were wrapped loosely around her neck, but she assumed he had ignited his quirk enough for them to have emitted an explosive burst, even if it was small. Now she felt the vibration stop and the extreme heat subside. Bakugo’s jaw dropped, and he stared at her transfixed. “How...” he managed to croak out.
“When our quirks ignite, they have the same kind of energy I guess. I’m probably not as fire-proof as you are, but fire-proof enough.” Momo lifted her hands from the top of his and he now moved his away briefly before tracing the skin around her neck with the tip of his index and middle finger.
“It isn’t burned,” Momo stated as fact.
Bakugo shook his head. “No. It’s just dark pink, but even that is starting to fade.” Momo smiled at him. She couldn’t help to think sentimentally about something purely scientific. They were more alike than people realized. They fit together much better than most would assume. The fleeting thought of both of them being “made for each other” crossed her mind and made her heart race and her cheeks blush. Her logical side would try to quash that overly cliched phrase. Bakugo dropped his hands to his side and gazed at her, admiration replacing the bewilderment from earlier. “It’s like we were made for each other,” he said. Momo’s heart couldn’t help but race in her chest, her sentimental side reveling in his words.
Suddenly the quiet and still of the room was cut through by a voice booming loudly from downstairs. “Katsuki!” Mitsuki’s call carried through the house, shattering the serene moment between them.
Bakugo flinched, his body shaking at the sound. He cursed and then flicked his hands suddenly like he was trying to put out his quirk. Momo decided to ask him about it.
“Are you okay? Does your quirk usually behave this way when you visit home?”
Bakugo shook his head. “Not usually. It’s more of a recent thing, when I get agitated it flares up stronger than usual. It’s…. not good, I….” He held his jaw rigidly and looked away from her, out the window. “We should head downstairs. If she yells at me again, I’m gonna burn the f*cking house down at this rate.”
“It’s a good thing I’m fireproof then,” Momo said to him. He met her eyes solemnly and she smiled.
“I love you, Momo,” he said emphatically with relief in his voice, as if he was a desperately thirsty man who had just crossed the desert and she had offered him a glass of ice-cold water.
She held her breath, wondering if hearing those three words from his lips would always make her heart skip a beat. “I love you, too, Katsuki,” she said softly to him.
Bakugo
A few minutes later, Bakugo and Momo found themselves in the backyard of his parent’s house. His mother wanted to go for a walk and invited him and Momo to join them. Not that I had a choice Bakugo thought nastily. They had both headed downstairs so he could answer her bellowing call. They had a sizable yard that Momo had nice things to say about. Of course, Momo would say nice things about even the most meager and lowly of things. She was too nice and friendly and wanted to put others at ease. In this way, she was the exact opposite of him. But he did love that about her. That even with her upbringing and the fact she came from a wealthy family, she still was kind and polite and could see the beauty in even modest or unimpressive things. He saw himself as a perfect example of Momo in action. The fact she could be with someone like him, Bakugo pondered, that she could see the good in him with all of his negative attributes. He was holding Momo’s hand, lost in his own thoughts about Momo, as his mother blathered on about… well he wasn’t sure what since he wasn’t paying attention. Their yard was about an acre in size and his parents took a lot of pride in its beauty. Flower beds, trees, manicured shrubs, a raised deck for entertaining and eating outside, paved walkways, and comfortable swings made it a relaxing and attractive space.
The four of them walked towards a gate at the back fence. It led out onto a trail that meandered through the forest to the neighborhood park, no doubt where his mother wanted to take the “walk” she was forcing on them. Bakugo sighed. Momo stopped suddenly, letting his parents walk ahead a bit. He was thankful for the space. Momo looked up at the cedar tree she was standing next to. It was the only evergreen in the yard, the rest of the trees were all barren of leaves, but with winter ending soon, they would be sprouting vernal greens and bursting with color in the coming weeks.
“Your mom said this tree is as old as you,” Momo said looking up into the spindly blue-green leaves of the cedar tree, its many branches arching above them.
“Yeah. My dad planted it the day I was born,” Bakugo said, his eyes following Momo’s. He had not really paid much attention to the tree in the last couple of years. It was almost 19 years old now. It towered over them, reaching about twenty feet into the sky. “It’ll be about 70 feet when it quits growing.”
“It’s beautiful,” Momo said as she squeezed his hand and then pulled him along towards the gate his parents had already walked through.
“Well, if you saw the cherry blossom trees blooming in the spring or the maples changing color in the fall, you wouldn’t think that cedar tree was very impressive,” Bakugo answered.
“It’s still beautiful. I love cedar trees. There’s something about their simplicity and fortitude. I like them a lot.”
Bakugo now reached for Momo and pulled her against his shoulder, draping his arm around her as they walked. “Well, I don’t see it,” he grumbled.
“Maybe someday you will,” she replied. He didn’t notice, he was already distracted by two kids running through the forest to their right, but Momo looked at him appreciatively and smiled.
Chapter 78: Mind Over Matter
Notes:
So my name choices have bugged me for quite a while. I, from here on out, will be using the correct names (first names) for the main characters depending on the POV and their relationship to the other characters from their POV. I wanted to use last names since those are the names that are so familiar to us as fans, but it doesn’t feel right now. I, over time, will go back and change previous chapters as well. I’m sorry for the confusion, please forgive me for the abrupt change! I was going to try to wait for the sequels but it is driving me insane!
Chapter Text
Hitoshi
Monday evening found Hitoshi training in Bakugo’s dorm. They had dropped the Brainwash training two-hour sessions to 3 times a week. Although Bakugo could not break three-minute or two-minute holds, he could now break Brainwash with one-minute holds five percent of the time. Of course, Bakugo has to be good at f*cking everything thought Hitoshi. Hitoshi couldn’t help but feel a bit humbled by the fact someone could break through his quirk. Of course with all the training it took, it made Hitoshi realize how strong he was, but he still felt a bit envious of Bakugo’s triumph. They had not started yet, Bakugo was hydrating since the sessions were really draining for him. After he finished the bottle of water he stared at Hitoshi for several seconds a serious expression on his face.
“Yes?” Hitoshi asked him, a little annoyed.
“You’ve been kinda quiet this last week. You okay? You and Kiri good?”
Hitoshi sat cross-legged on the rug. “My status with Red is none of your business,” he replied in his usual monotone. Bakugo grinned at him.
“Damn, that sounds oddly familiar,” Bakugo replied.
“You’re not funny.”
“Not tryin’ to be.” Bakugo tossed the empty water bottle in a wastebasket by his desk. He sat across from Hitoshi. “What about you, then? What’s goin’ on?”
Hitoshi shook his head. “Nothing worth speaking about. Let’s get this session started okay? We got that history test tomorrow. I need to study.”
“Fair enough,” Bakugo said. Hitoshi had lied. It was worth speaking about, but he couldn’t to anyone, not even Aizawa or Eijirou. Hitoshi had been listless of late due to a very secret meeting he had had with the pro-hero Edgeshot in the “dungeon” about a month after the formal. The “dungeon” was what he and Bakugo had dubbed the super-secret training space under the school where he and Bakugo were working off their “punishment” for Aizawa. After Aizawa had come down to take Eri back up to the surface after a not too terrible training session, Hitoshi had stayed to move some mats back to one corner. He had not run into Bakugo yet down in the dungeon, but he knew from some cryptic bits of information Bakugo had let slip, that Bakugo was training a child around Eri’s age in the dungeon. As Hitoshi turned away from the mats, wondering if he would eventually run into Bakugo and his mentee at some point, Hitoshi met eyes with Edgeshot who had seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
“Hitoshi Shinso,” Edgeshot had said with a slight smile on his face. During the war with All for One and Shigaraki, Hitoshi and Neito Monoma had gone undercover with Edgeshot to try and find the villains’ hideout for several weeks. He had learned a lot from the secretive pro-hero. That day in the dungeon a month ago, in the deep bowels of the school, Edgeshot’s presence wasn’t surprising to Hitoshi. Hitoshi had always assumed the dungeon wasn’t under the school’s jurisdiction even if they were privy to it since it was on their property. Hitoshi had the idea it was run under the watchful eye of Japan’s secret central intelligence hero agency (CIHA) . And although the general public didn’t know which heroes worked for this agency, many assumed Edgeshot probably did due to the lack of information the public had about him and how he wasn’t attached to any public hero agencies. Hitoshi and Edgeshot had bowed to each other in the cavernous training room and then Edgeshot had confirmed Hitoshi’s suspicions about working for the CIHA by offering Hitoshi a position to become a CIHA recruit. He would train under Edgeshot.
Hitoshi at one point had made that lofty goal of working for this very secure and secret government agency when his quirk manifested itself when he was young because Brainwash seemed like the perfect quirk for just such an organization, but he knew it was a pipe dream. The undercover gig he had been offered in Naruhata seemed the second-best thing. But Edgeshot had not only showed him where that long-forgotten door was, but he had opened it for him. If he accepted the offer, he would be working directly under Edgeshot. He would be given very little notice for missions and some of these would have him gone for weeks or months. Not to mention the year-long rigorous training as a recruit he would be completing at the same time he was working undercover with Edgeshot. He would live, eat, and breathe for the agency, and although Hitoshi wanted to desperately say yes, his thoughts went immediately to Eijirou. As if Edgeshot could read his mind he had told him in order to be accepted for the position he couldn’t have any “attachments.” That would make him a weak link for the agency. It would leave him susceptible to leaking information and being outed as a member of the CIHA. Especially if his “attachment” was also a hero. Edgeshot didn’t tell him directly, but he knew what he meant. In order to become a recruit of the CIHA after graduation, he would have to break things off with Eijirou. Edgeshot said he had until March 1st to let him know his decision. Hitoshi had been distraught ever since. He didn’t know what to do. He pushed these thoughts away now. He had to concentrate on Bakugo and their training.
“Okay, we’ll start with a three-minute hold,” Hitoshi said evenly. Bakugo crossed his legs and inhaled a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “Ready?” Bakugo nodded. After several seconds of silence, Hitoshi raised an eyebrow at Bakugo, slightly annoyed.
Bakugo let out an exasperated breath. “Can’t believe I still hafta answer you verbally in order for you to use your quirk. Are you gonna upgrade your activation at some point – “
Hitoshi activated his quirk, thankful he had the ability to shut up Bakugo.
*
Hitoshi was standing in front of Bakugo. They were both wearing gym clothes and were barefoot, and they were standing in Gym Gamma on one of the large exercise mats. They were in a middle of a judo match. Hitoshi saw an opening and took it without hesitation. He grabbed Bakugo by the front of his gi, and rolled backward, taking Bakugo with him and tossing him overhead. As he quickly scrambled to his feet, he turned around, expecting to see Bakugo sprawled out on the mat but Bakugo wasn’t there. Instead, there was a huge archway that led out into bright, blinding sunshine. Hitoshi walked through it and now saw he was standing on a large platform that seemed to be suspended in the sky. Several glass staircases led away from the platform in various directions that led to other platforms. Hitoshi decided to explore. The first staircase led him to a platform where he happened upon a young Bakugo. He looked to be around five or six years old. He was surrounded by other children and what looked to be an adult, a teacher. Young Bakugo’s hands were smoking and he had a wide grin on his face.
Hitoshi assumed that Bakugo had just discovered his quirk. As he walked around Bakugo, the teacher, and the other children, none of them paid him any heed. It was as if he didn’t exist to them. He looked past this scene and saw another glass staircase leading upwards. He took it and found another platform. Here he found a young Midoriya reaching his hand out to a young Bakugo who was on his hands and knees in a shallow stream as if he had fallen. Bakugo looked up at Midoriya with such animosity in his eyes. He didn’t take Midoriya’s offered hand. Hitoshi saw another staircase past this, but he decided to go back; he didn’t want to get lost. He went back to the main platform and decided to take another staircase. This led to him finding Bakugo tied to a chair and surrounded by the League of Villains. His kidnapping at the training camp during his first year. Hitoshi spotted another glass staircase, and he went up to the platform above. Here he found All Might talking to Bakugo, his hand on a crying Bakugo’s shoulder. By Bakugo and All Might’s appearance, this was first year as well. Hitoshi backtracked back to the main platform again. No one ever made eye contact with him or spoke to him. It makes sense they don’t Hitoshi thought to himself.
The main platform had large ornate wrought iron torches around its circumference. The flames whipped and burned vigorously, looking as if they would spread out from their iron container, but they didn’t. There was nothing for the fire to consume anyhow, only glass platforms and iron and glass staircases. Although Hitoshi kept his distance. Hitoshi checked all the other staircases leading upward, finding a platform with Bakugo and his mother and father, another platform with Bakugo and Momo that Hitoshi quickly fled from because he saw more than he EVER wanted to see of Bakugo and another platform that had Bakugo blasting through the sky to bring down a high-end Nomu.
He returned back to the main platform feeling as if there had to be more areas he could explore. That’s when he noticed a staircase going down. It was easy to miss, the way it came off the main platform, almost purposefully done so it blended in and was hard to see. He took the staircase down. He was in the “dungeon.” Bakugo was standing in the same training room that Hitoshi trained Eri in. But in place of Eri was a red-headed boy about Eri’s size. He was curled up in a ball on the floor in a hospital gown. It looked as if he was waking up. He moved into a seated position and then slowly opened his eyes. The boy had large black eyes, the irises so large they only left a small crescent of white sclera on the outer rim. Aizawa was in a far corner of the room with a tablet in his hand.
“Hey, Ryuji,” Bakugo said in a tone that surprised Hitoshi. It was gentle and low. It didn’t rattle like it normally did.
The little boy’s eyes went wide with surprise. “Hi, Bakugo,” Ryuji replied.
“How ya feeling? Still tired?” Bakugo asked him.
Ryuji shook his head and Hitoshi noticed an almost imperceptible shift of the expression on Bakugo’s face. Hitoshi was naturally perceptive, a skill he further honed due to his quirk. He doubted anyone else except for maybe Eijirou and possibly Momo would have noticed the change in Bakugo’s expression. It was a look of sadness, like an acknowledgment that something bad was about to happen and Bakugo couldn’t do anything about it. Acceptance and sorrow.
“I feel it already… I’m so sorry Bakugo,” Ryuji said, his voice shaking and his eyes filling with tears.
“It’s okay. Just try to calm yourself. Close your eyes and count to ten. Like we practiced the other day.”
Ryuji closed his eyes but immediately shook his head, his straight thick hair swishing around the top of his ears. “It’s bad this time. I don’t think I can stop…” Immediately his hands started to smoke and moments later spark.
“10…..9……8…..” Bakugo started to count down, his voice clear but low. Ryuji joined him. Hitoshi noticed his hands stopped sparking and the smoke dissipated. They both got to 1 and Ryuji opened his eyes and smiled at Bakugo and Bakugo smiled back. An actual smile.
Aizawa spoke now. “I’m pulling back the barriers.” Ryuji’s head snapped from Aizawa to Bakugo.
“Remember the video? Of the ocean? Just think about that okay,” Bakugo said. Ryuji nodded his head. “Tell me. Tell me what it looked like and how it made you feel.”
“It was sunny, and there were kids playing in the water.”
“Good,” Bakugo replied. “And the waves? What did they look like?”
“They were a really pretty blue and the noise they made…. it was like this weird noise like someone was spilling a giant tub of pebbles out on the floor.”
“Yeah… that’s what the waves sound like when they wash up on the shore.”
“Can I go there someday?” Ryuji asked.
Bakugo’s face was earnest like he was making a promise he had no intention of breaking. “Yeah. I’ll take you there someday.” Ryuji smiled. Without warning, a dark purple figure lurched out and above Ryuji’s head. This phantom-like figure had the head of a bird and suddenly grew to a huge size, menacingly staring down at Bakugo, yet still attached to the back of Ryuji.
“Seems like Tokoyami must be having a bad day up above,” Aizawa said looking at Dark Shadow. “Tell me when you’ve had enough, Bakugo. I’ll put Ryuji back to sleep.” Aizawa lightly tapped the tablet. Bakugo nodded.
“New quirk, Ryuji. This one is called Dark Shadow. It’s already aggressive so on top of your own quirk, this is gonna be tough, but we can do it. You ready to try and control it?” Bakugo asked him, his body in a battle stance, ready to move quickly to dodge an attack. Ryuji had looked terrified, but when he heard Bakugo’s voice, it seemed to have lessened his fear. He nodded at Bakugo.
“Yes. I’ll do my best.”
Suddenly the whole platform started to shake, but Bakugo, Ryuji, and Aizawa didn’t seem to notice. Hitoshi figured out this wasn’t a part of the memory, it was a warning for him. He quickly went up the stairs and noticed that the platforms and staircases around him were starting to shake violently and crumble as if they were in a middle of an earthquake. Hitoshi barely made it to the archway leading to Gym Gamma before…
Hitoshi opened up his eyes and gasped. He was sitting across from Bakugo in Bakugo’s dorm room. They had been training with Brainwash.
Bakugo looked into Hitoshi’s eyes. “Did I break Brainwash?” Bakugo asked. Hitoshi couldn’t hide the feelings of dread, surprise, and utter fear that arose from his core. Bakugo’s expression changed to one of concern which was surprising.
Hitoshi looked down at his phone and saw Bakugo had been down for under 2 minutes and 40 seconds. ”Yeah… probably.”
“Shin, what’s wrong?” When Hitoshi had Brainwashed Bakugo for their training session he somehow had gained access to Bakugo’s mind… his memories to be exact. Hitoshi figured Bakugo had broken the hold and that’s when things started to crumble in his memories and Hitoshi had to exit. “You were…. in the dungeon…. You’re training a boy named Ryuji….he’s like an empath…. he takes others’ emotions and quirks but they’re more intense… he can’t control it…..” Hitoshi whispered under his breath. His mouth was dry and his heart was racing.
“How do you know that? Did Aizawa-sensei tell you… “ Bakugo stopped himself from talking and his eyes narrowed at Hitoshi, figuring it out. Bakugo was always too smart for his own good. “You somehow read my mind when you Brainwashed me. You got inside my head…. What the hell Shin, what kind of sh*t is that to-“
“This is the first time it’s ever happened, okay! I didn’t even know I was capable of doing it!” Hitoshi yelled, interrupting Bakugo while he stood up. He then began to pace the room.
“Calm down Shin, damn….” Bakugo said as he stood up. Hitoshi turned and almost pounced on him, placing his hands on Bakugo’s broad shoulders.
He looked down at Bakugo, his eyes pleading. “You can’t tell anyone, do you understand?” Hitoshi said, trying to steady his voice and lessen his panic. “You can’t say anything to even Aizawa, or Momo, or even Red.” Hitoshi's words were all rushed together. “You know what happens to people when word gets out they have any sort of mind-reading quirk?”
Bakugo’s face changed from irritation, probably from Hitoshi getting in his face, to actual concern but it didn’t take long for him to push that away and fall back to his tried and true intense seriousness. “Yeah,” was all he said.
“People panic, so they either get taken away by the government or killed. I ….. “Hitoshi was absolutely terrified.
Bakugo kept his face of seriousness and now placed his hand on Hitoshi’s shoulder. “I promise you I won’t say anything about it to anyone. You have my word Shinso.” Hitoshi nodded as he stumbled backward away from Bakugo, trying to rouse himself from the shock. He sat on Bakugo’s bed, and put his head in his hands, feeling numb and kind of lost and kind of betrayed by his own quirk. He had not been overexaggerating about the public’s reaction to mind-reading quirks. They were extremely rare and incited so much fear in others. It was a quirk that had too much power. Hitoshi felt sick to his stomach. “It’s gonna be okay. I’ll….” Hitoshi felt the space next to him on the bed depress as Bakugo sat next to him. “I know about it so I can help you deal with this, okay?” Hitoshi uncovered his face and looked at Bakugo and nodded at him. Bakugo was a lot of things Hitoshi couldn’t stand, but he was extremely loyal and honest. He would never tell Hitoshi’s secret. If anyone had to find out about this new aspect of his quirk this way, Bakugo was probably the best choice.
There was a quick knock on the door that made Hitoshi jerk in surprise. Very out of character for him. It was Eijirou, who opened the door a second later and exuberantly launched himself into the room.
“Hey, guys! Ready for dinner?” he asked them with a smile. It was time for Hitoshi to put on his mask, to hide all the events that just transpired out of sight.
“Yeah, we’re done for the day. Making Brainwash my bitch,” Bakugo said as he and Hitoshi stood up from the bed.
“Oh, don’t tell Midoriya! He’ll want to get in on these training sessions if he hears you one-upped him!” Eijirou bellowed. Eijirou walked up to Hitoshi and wrapped his arm around his back and squeezed Hitoshi against him. Hitoshi automatically wrapped his arm around Eijirou’s shoulder as they walked out of the room.
Hitoshi calmed his racing heart and tried his best to soothe his anxious mind. Even if he couldn’t, he would hide it all behind his mask so no one would be the wiser. And he knew without a doubt Bakugo would never say anything to anyone under any circ*mstances. It would be okay.
Chapter 79: Sweet Disaster
Chapter Text
Katsuki
Katsuki had not been paying attention, and he had ironed the shirt a second time. He hated the fact that he was nervous. He pulled the shirt on, buttoned it quickly, and then put away the ironing board and the iron. He looked at himself in the mirror while he tucked the crisp white dress shirt into dark denim jeans. Katsuki found the jeans extremely uncomfortable since he was used to mainly wearing baggy cargo pants. He wanted to look his best, however, and the dark denim he had been given from Best Jeanist when he started interning at his agency were the nicest casual pants he had. He walked over to his closet and pulled a magenta-colored corduroy sports coat off a hanger. He pulled it on and noticed it was tight across the shoulders. He sighed. The coat was a Christmas gift from his mother. It had fit him perfectly 2 months ago, but he had hit a growth spurt in the last few weeks. A knock sounded at the door.
“Come in, Momo,” he said while he mentally critiqued himself in the full-length mirror next to his closet. Katsuki knew it was her. For one thing, most of the other students wouldn’t be up at 7:00 am on a Sunday. The door swung open and Momo walked in and Katsuki did his best not to downright stare at her in awe. She was wearing a knee-length turquoise sweater dress with a matching turquoise wool pea coat. Her hair was down, but she had a portion of hair on the right side of her head clipped back in a grey tortoiseshell barrette. She wore knee-length grey suede leather boots with a matching clutch purse.
“You look amazing,” Momo said as her eyes fell on him, surveying his clothes.
“That’s what I was gonna say to you,” he said. He now looked at himself in the mirror and sighed.
Momo stood next to him meeting his eyes in the reflection of the mirror. “Don’t be nervous. They’ll like you because I love you.”
“I don’t give two sh*ts if they like me or not. I just know if they don’t like me, that would make you unhappy. And I want you to be happy.” Momo turned away from the reflection to now gaze into his face. She wore a broad smile briefly, then suddenly dropped it, a wrinkle appearing between both of her brows as if she was deeply concerned about something.
“You’re taller than me,” she said rather bluntly. “Just barely, but you are.”
Katsuki smirked at her. “Yeah. And I’m not wearing shoes.”
Momo’s jaw dropped. “When did this happen?”
“Sometime in the last few weeks. I noticed a couple of days ago but I wanted to see how long it took for you to notice.” He couldn’t help but snigg*r.
Momo sighed. “This isn’t fair. I’ve always been taller than you. The fact boys can grow until their early twenties is cheating.” He wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on the small of her back. He felt himself start to relax slightly.
“So competitive.” He grinned his Cheshire cat grin. “But you’re wrong, Ponytail. We’ve been the same height since second year.” Momo looked at him skeptically. He kissed her on the cheek, and she smiled. “Come on, Shorty. We better start heading towards the station.”
*
The bullet train would get them to their destination, f*ckuoka, in a little over four hours. Momo’s parents split their time between two homes; their “winter home” in f*ckuoka and their main house in Nagoya. Nagoya would have only been fifty minutes by bullet train, but her parents had kept urging her to visit and she promised as soon as she had two days off and wasn’t needed at Fat Gum’s Agency she would visit. They wouldn’t return to Nagoya until late March anyhow, just in time for graduation. So now the last week of January, a week after their visit to the Bakugos, found them both heading to spend Sunday and Monday with Momo’s parents.
Momo had brought several books for the trip, as did Katsuki, although his were audiobooks. He popped his earbuds in and Momo snuggled next to him, a large book in her lap titled, “Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments.” Two hours in Katsuki got a snack from the cart that passed by and purchased a bento box for Momo since she had trained quite hard the day before and needed to increase her calories. She balked at him, but her growling stomach had betrayed her.
After they ate Katsuki finally decided he was ready to ask Momo some questions. He had not wanted to think about it at all but realized it would be best to prepare himself for her parent’s expectations if he was going to try his hardest to censor himself and behave.
“So, what do they know?” he asked. Momo looked at him questioningly. “About us,” he clarified a bit huffy, already becoming impatient with the whole conversation.
“They know we are dating. That we’ve been dating since the formal,” Momo replied. He was resting his forearms on his knees, looking up at Momo.
“And?” he asked, his irritation growing.
“And I told them we’re a lot alike and to not judge you from some of the less stellar moments of your past. To give you the chance you deserve.” Katsuki sighed and now buried his face in his hands. Momo leaned against him and wrapped an arm around him. “It will be fine. Try not to think about it, okay?”
“That’s impossible. Or course I’m gonna f*cking obsess about it. sh*t.” Momo leaned back and pulled her encyclopedia onto her lap. He started to count to ten in his head. He had a feeling he would be counting to ten a lot over the next two days. Momo didn’t talk to him for a while or say anything and he was glad for the silence and the space. They were beginning to read each other too well over the last few weeks and just that idea alone calmed him. She knew when to back off and she knew when to not back down from him. This made him want to try even harder for her as far as his behavior. She deserved to have a decent boyfriend she could proudly take home to her family. He just hoped he wouldn’t screw it all up. After a few minutes, he put his earbuds in and pulled her close to him. She kissed him on the cheek.
He awoke slowly, somewhere between dream and consciousness. He felt weightless, his mind empty and free of anxiety, it was just Momo there. He sensed her body near him, next to him. He knew it was her without a doubt even in this limbo. Now he heard her voice in his ear, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying. His eyes fluttered open. “Katsuki,” he heard whispered at his ear. He turned towards her and she was pressed against him, her face inches from his. His arm was around her, she was tucked next to him and they were sitting on the bus bench.
“I can’t believe I dozed off,” he mumbled. Momo smiled at him. They were in f*ckuoka and as they exited the bus they were met with a humid gust of frigid air. It was raining. Momo took Katsuki by his hand as they made their way to the front of the station. There was a car waiting for them that Momo said she recognized and a man standing beside it holding an umbrella.
“Miss Momo,” the man said enthusiastically as they approached him.
“Mr. Gato,” Momo said. Then, they both bowed to each other. Mr. Gato quickly covered her with the umbrella and took both Momo and Katsuki’s overnight bags, put them in the back of the luxury sedan, and then opened the door for them to get in the back. As Mr. Gato took the driver’s seat and pulled the car forward, Katsuki marveled at how fancy the car was. It was a Toyota Century, a very rare and expensive car. Katsuki knew Momo’s family was rich, but not this rich. A car that cost more than most people’s houses and a chauffeur to drive it.
Mr. Gato and Momo made small talk and Katsuki resisted the urge to fiddle with interesting-looking knobs and compartments all around him. After a twenty-minute drive, they arrived at the Yaoyorozu’s Winter home. Winter Estate may have been a better way to put it. The home was massive and the grounds it sat on had to be at least several acres. Mr. Gato pulled up in front of the home and exited the vehicle so he could open the door for both of them. When Katsuki walked to the back of the vehicle Momo grabbed his hand and nodded towards the front door where another man stood. “Don’t worry about our bags. Staff members will take them up to our rooms.” The man at the door escorted them into the massive foyer that was tastefully decorated with art and sculptures; it was reminiscent of an art museum. He led them to a sitting room and told Momo that her parents had not arrived yet, they had been delayed due to an important meeting downtown.
Momo sat down on a sleek modular leather couch and Katsuki was about to sit next to her but he felt like he was about to jump out of his skin. He wanted to have dinner with Momo’s folks, and then whatever entertainment he would be forced to participate in afterward, and then have it all over with. They would head back after breakfast in the morning and then he wouldn’t have to be on edge anymore. Momo reached out her hand to him. He took it, kissed the top of her hand, and then let go and walked over to the far wall. There were dozens of pictures of Momo at different ages in thick black frames. Momo at a piano recital, pigtails and a missing front tooth, probably around 6 years old. Another picture of Momo winning a spelling bee. Momo posing in a tutu and ballet slippers. Momo holding a certificate showing she won a poetry contest. Momo holding a debate tournament first prize trophy. Momo holding a saber and saluting with it. Momo holding a bo staff. Was there anything she couldn’t do?
He heard a piano sound behind him and he whipped his head around and saw a baby grand piano in the corner of the huge sitting room. The room was so spacious he had not noticed it when he entered. Momo was playing a classical piece he recognized but couldn’t remember the name of. He was forced to listen to a lot of classical music growing up because his mother felt like it would help him calm himself. He walked over and sat next to Momo on the piano bench. She played through the whole song and finished.
“What was that?” he asked.
“Adagio Cantabile by Beethoven,” Momo said. “I haven’t played it in years.” Her rendition was flawless from what he could tell. He felt flush with embarrassment suddenly. Momo was the most perfect being on the planet in Katsuki’s eyes, and he felt so unworthy to even sit next to her. Why would she choose to be with someone like him? How could she ever be happy and be fulfilled? A slight panic washed over him, and he wanted to bolt out the front door and blast his way through the sky back to Musutafu.
“Can you play the piano?” Momo asked him.
There was a small upright in the library of his parent’s house. His mother could play the piano and she had tried to teach Katsuki but he had zero patience for it. The drums suited him better, he was less fidgety with drum lessons, and it was easier for him to pay attention. His mother had to leave the house though when his teacher came over to teach lessons on the drum kit. Learning the drums seemed to soothe Katsuki somehow, yet its racket put his mother on edge.
“I can play a few songs… my mom managed to teach me a few before I almost blew up the piano.”
“Will you play them for me?”
Katsuki looked at her at a loss for words, his mouth hanging open. “Why would you want to hear something so laughable compared to what you can play?”
Momo smiled at him. “Maybe they’re songs I don’t know, and you can teach me.”
“Wow. You’re… you’re really something Momo….” he said in an exasperated whisper.
She laughed softly. “Don’t sell yourself short, let me hear them.”
“I don’t even know if I can remember…. I definitely don’t remember the names….” He placed his broad hands on the ivory keys. He started to play a song, the first song he learned to play with both hands.
“Ode to Joy. That’s Beethoven, too,” Momo replied. He finished the song, then paused and started another. “Fur Elise. Also Beethoven,” she said. He continued playing it to the end, feeling surprisingly relaxed, and Momo nodded at him. “Your timing is very good. Many people want to rush through some of the parts.”
“You’re too nice, Ponytail.” Momo grinned at him. Katsuki closed his eyes and tried to remember his most favorite song his mom taught him. He opened his eyes and started playing. Momo nodded as he continued, the song was quite sad and moving and it had stuck in the back of his mind after all these years. He always hoped he would hear it somewhere else, but never came across it. It must not have been a popular piece. When he finished Momo looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“I’ve never heard that before but it was beautiful. Do you know the name?”
Katsuki shook his head. One of the many employees at the Yaoyorozu estate walked into the room and announced that Momo’s parents were ready to receive them in the dining room. Momo stood up and Katsuki followed her as she left the sitting room and he presumed was heading to the dining room. “It’s strange they didn’t greet us in the sitting room….” Momo said more to herself than him he thought. As they followed the tall, lean man who was leading them, Katsuki couldn’t help but notice the beautiful rooms they had passed along the way. Tapestries, fine furniture, more art, chandeliers, ornate rugs, it was quite impressive. The man leading them opened a large wooden door and stood to the side. Momo entered first and Katsuki followed her. Upon entering the room Katsuki’s eyes fell on a middle-aged couple who stood up from the table and bowed at them. Katsuki bowed along with Momo and couldn’t help but notice that also standing at the table across from them was a middle-aged woman who he immediately recognized as President Machida of the Public Safety Commission. He had met her several times. Some of those times he had not behaved very…. Politely. As he straighten from his bow his eyes took in the rest of the room and another guest immediately to his right was…
“Half and Half? Katsuki blurted out incredulously.
“Bakugo? Momo? I didn’t know…” Shouto Todoroki began to say before he was interrupted.
“Momo! I am so happy to see you!” Mrs. Yaoyorozu said as she walked around the table and then embraced Momo. Momo had a look of surprise on her face that slowly melded into a polite smile.
“Hello, Mother. You didn’t tell me about additional guests….”
“We seemed to have double booked. My apologies!”
“No need to apologize, Mrs. Yaoyorozu,” rang a deep familiar voice. Katsuki couldn’t help but lean forward and crane his neck to look past Todoroki and sure enough, there stood Endeavor. Katsuki started to say “What the actual f*ck,” but remembered he HAD to apply a filter to every word that came out of his mouth, so he just sharply exhaled. He had interned with Endeavor’s Agency before the war with All For One. After the war, he returned to Best Jeanist’s Agency, where he had originally interned his first year. His time at Endeavor’s he had learned a lot but he had also been pretty out of control with his behavior. He had been around Endeavor some since then and had definitely chilled considerably around the #1 Pro-Hero. But he couldn’t help to feel a bit awkward since Endeavor had seen him at a time he was a lot more immature and toxic. His hands began to sweat and at this point he felt if he could make it through the dinner without blowing something up it would be a plus. All hopes to control his mouth seemed to lessen considerably. “Good to see you Bakugo and Momo,” Endeavor said. Katsuki managed to nod and Momo gave another polite smile, but her eyes said something else. They definitely didn’t match her smile. They were wary.
“Well, let’s sit. The first course is ready,” the middle-aged man, Katsuki assumed was Mr. Yaoyorozu, said. The table was immense, made of deep red mahogany. It could have easily seated 20 people. However, it looked as if chairs had been pulled and only the one end of the table would be used. There were only eight chairs. As people took their places, they were already seated when Momo and Katsuki had arrived, there were now three empty chairs available. One next to President Machida who was seated next to the Yaoyorozus, and on the opposite side of the table, there were two chairs on either side of the Todorokis. And now things were getting clearer and the look in Momo’s eyes earlier was understandable. Katsuki felt his face flush with anger and his palms started to pool sweat.
Momo said, “Excuse me,” and then bowed. Then she walked over to the employee that had led them to the dining room. Momo said something quietly to him and then he quickly walked over and grabbed the chair next to Endeavor and then placed it next to the empty chair by Todoroki. “Thank you,” she said and Katsuki stepped over quickly seeing an opportunity. He pulled out Momo’s chair for her. She smiled at him, her eyes now no longer hesitant and apprehensive, and she sat in the offered chair. Katsuki sat next to Momo and then Momo made formal introductions. She didn’t miss a beat. She held herself with confidence and continued speaking with a tone of her usual pleasantness. Katsuki couldn’t help but smirk because he knew Momo probably would have just walked over and picked up the chair herself if she was at school. But in her parents’ world, she seemed aware she had a different set of expectations. However, she wouldn’t be bullied or pushed around by anyone. The seating arrangements could have been an accident not meant to slight Katsuki and separate him and Momo. But Momo’s reaction made him realize it most likely wasn’t.
The first course was served and the conversation turned towards the current status of heroes in Japan. Endeavor and Mr. Yaoyorozu were talking about the decline in competent employees in middle management positions at the agencies. Katsuki had finished his rather bland soup, truth be told he thought most food was bland, and now began to space out, not paying much attention to what he deemed very tedious and boring conversation. Momo would look over at him and smile every now and then. As the second course of appetizers was being served, Katsuki noticed a lull in the conversation that caused him to look up. All eyes were on him. His first reaction was to bellow why the f*ck everyone was staring at him, but he knew that was the wrong reaction. Well, technically not the wrong reaction, it was Katsuki’s initial reaction which he considered the correct reaction. But it wasn’t a good reaction as far as showing respect towards Momo. That was how he was framing this whole weekend. So he would pretend to be someone else. What would Kirishima do? f*ck that, Katsuki thought. Kiri would be gracious and funny and polite and positive. Maybe What would Todoroki do? would be more inside his skill set. Aloof, succinct, wooden. Yeah, he could do that. Maybe not the wooden part.
He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t…. paying attention,” he said, his voice coming out oddly subdued.
“Oh, Endeavor asked you how things are at Best Jeanist’s Agency,” Mrs. Yaoyorozu said. She was a short woman who was slightly barrel-shaped. Her face was very young for her age and although she was attractive, she and Momo didn’t resemble each other that much. Her eyes were the same color as Momo’s though. A deep, dark brown. Her blonde straight hair was kept very short in a pixie cut. But as she spoke to Katsuki, he couldn’t help but notice something in her eyes. Although her words and smile were pleasant enough, her eyes told a different story. She didn’t like Katsuki. Not one bit. Katsuki was garbage at interacting with others most of the time, but he could read people better than a lot of his classmates. It’s just most of the time he didn’t care to do it. He didn’t blame Mrs. Yaoyorozu for not liking him. He was him after all. But he didn’t like the fact she wasn’t respecting Momo. If Momo wanted to be with him, her mother should be willing to give him a chance. He took a deep breath, let it out, and then counted to five in his head.
“Things are going well. Last month the perp to hero injury ratio has been the lowest it’s been in two years.” Katsuki paid attention to the important numbers at the agency. Best Jeanist wanted Katsuki to be his sidekick when he graduated and to take a more visible leadership position. Katsuki had mixed feelings about this but didn’t want to disappoint his mentor. Mr. Yaoyorozu, who had not given Katsuki much attention since he entered the room, now looked at him.
“Your agency below 4.3?” he asked. What Mrs. Yaoyorozu lacked in similarities to Momo, her father made up for them. His eyes were a deep green, but the shape of them were the same as Momo’s. Expressive, upturned at the ends, almost cat-like. He had a receding hairline but what hair he had was jet-black like Momo’s. He was tall in stature with a lean, muscular build. Even sitting he had a commanding presence, his posture proud.
“Yeah. We’re sitting at 3.9,” Katsuki replied. Anything below a 4.5 was good. It meant hero injuries fell well below the average compared to perpetrators captured. Mr. Yaoyorozu continued to chat with Katsuki about Best Jeanist’s Agency, with President Machida joining in. Mrs. Yaoyorozu had a slightly sour expression on her face that Katsuki tried to not smile about. Momo had turned towards Todoroki and Endeavor and was chatting with them. As the entrees were placed before them by staff, an additional serving platter was put down close to Katsuki’s plate. Katsuki recognized the dish immediately because it was one of his favorites. Kimchi, a Korean dish, that his mother often made him. Momo grinned.
“I called our chef, A-Yeong, whose from South Korea. I asked her if she would make it for you since I know you like spicy dishes. She made it for my parents and I one time and none of us could stomach it, it was too spicy,” Momo said with a soft laugh.
Katsuki looked at Momo, feeling like his heart would burst. “Shi-“ he paused censoring himself. “That was really… nice of you Momo, Thanks.” He leaned close to her, to whisper in her ear so only she could hear. “You’re f*cking amazing.” Katsuki didn’t hesitate to grab his chopsticks and dig in. The kimchi was very spicy, the perfect amount of heat. He felt a warmness run through his body and pretty much zoned out completely from the conversation as he took turns between the kimchi and the salmon that everyone else was also eating. He now heard Endeavor speaking and all eyes seemed to be concentrating on him. Katsuki was amazed the warm sensation the kimchi gave him didn’t seem to leave him. He felt enveloped by it, almost giddy. He also began to feel quite sleepy although he was a lot less agitated and felt relaxed. Maybe dinner wouldn’t be a disaster after all.
Momo
Momo was on edge. When she had entered the dining room, she was quite upset but hid those emotions. It was very poor etiquette for her parents to not meet her and Katsuki in the sitting room since they were guests. And the presence of the Todorokis and President Machida all seemed to be some orchestrated tactic to make Katsuki as uncomfortable as possible. Or perhaps it was a message directed at her. Because Katsuki surely didn’t know about the pressure from her parents she had received over the years to pursue a relationship with Todoroki. Her parents had always been supportive and loving towards Momo, parents that most people would dream of having. But this push for a quirk/class marriage soured all of that goodness. How could she make them understand?
As if her mother could read her mind, she addressed Momo. “Is everything okay, dear? You haven’t touched your salmon. The next course will be an assortment of nigiri, I made sure they prepared some otoro, your favorite.” Her mother’s serene smile faltered a bit, was that a look of regret? Perhaps she felt bad about the whole dinner debacle. She had to have known Momo would see through it.
“I’m not very hungry at the moment. Perhaps the traveling didn’t agree with me,” Momo replied. Her mother nodded at her. Momo tried to make herself relax. So far, things had gone smoothly despite her parents’ actions. Katsuki although not very involved in the dinner conversation had chit-chatted with her father. He had asked Katsuki many questions about his agency work and had responded positively to Katsuki’s answers. He at least seemed to be giving Katsuki a chance. Momo looked over at Endeavor who was talking with President Machida. He and Todoroki had seemed genuinely surprised when she and Katsuki had walked into the room which had made Momo feel a bit better. She often wondered if Endeavor put similar pressure on Todoroki as far as future marriage candidates. Although Momo and Todoroki were friends, they had never had deep conversations but maybe now it was time. It would be good to vent about marriage pressure to someone because she definitely couldn’t with Katsuki. And she couldn’t talk to Kyoka because it would come across as “rich people” problems.
Momo suddenly felt pressure on her left shoulder and she turned her head to find Katsuki nuzzling her upper arm like he was a cat and she was a scratching post. Momo stiffened in shock. Katsuki had strong feelings about PDA. Even in the dorm common area he seldom initiated contact with Momo if anyone else was around. It was normally her who was physically demonstrative in public. And this cat-like nuzzling on her arm was very out of character, even when they were in private.
“Katsuki?” she whispered, hoping no one else was watching their end of the table. After he rubbed his face a bit more roughly against her shoulder he lifted his head up slightly, and sleepy, heavy-lidded red eyes blinked slowly at her. He smiled at her and whispered, “Momo.”
“Bakugo, President Machida was just mentioning what they have planned for the memorial at ground zero where All For One was vanquished. You probably would be interested in hearing this since it includes you,” Endeavor said, his voice proud and overbearing. He was at that hallowed battle along with Katsuki, Midoriya, Hawks, and Edgeshot.
A low, jovial chuckle erupted from Katsuki, it sounded nothing like him. Katsuki stood up abruptly, using the table for leverage and had used enough force to cause the table to shake, its plates and glasses rattling briefly. Katsuki grabbed at a glass and raised it up and towards Endeavor, the water sloshing around inside and spilling out onto the linen tablecloth. “Too Endeavor! The number one hero!” Katsuki blurted out. The other dinner guests stared at him dumbly while Momo couldn’t help but be concerned by his erratic behavior. “Not for long though…. Soon it will be me…..” Katsuki said, his words changing to a low and serious tone. Almost menacing. He brought the glass to his lips and then took several gulps of water.
He lowered his glass to the table and then grabbed Momo’s hand and pulled her up to where she was standing next to him. Momo glanced at Endeavor who didn’t look amused. “And Momo….” Katsuki continued. The grin he gave her was purely sinful and she felt her face blush with embarrassment. He now threw an arm around her, pulling her towards him. He lurched his head towards hers, his breath suddenly at her ear, hot and tickling her skin. Normally she would have reacted differently to this in private, but now she had to resist the urge to push him away as her mother stared at them from across the table, her jaw having dropped open with shock. She was mad at herself for even thinking she would push Katsuki away; she wasn’t sure what was going on with him, but she needed to support him, especially in front of her parents. Momo leaned away from Katsuki and grabbed one of his wrists gently and she reached for his face with her other hand. “Katsuki? Are you feeling okay? You feel hot. Even for you.” Was he ill? He didn’t seem to be sick, if anything he seemed euphoric. Now Katsuki bolted away from Momo and bounded around to the other side of the table. He knelt on the chair next to President Machida, turned towards her, and glared at her. He clumsily took off his sport jacket letting it fall to the floor and then he started to feverishly unbutton his shirt. President Machida could only stare at him in shock.
“He is out of control! This is highly inappropriate!” Mrs. Yaoyorozu’s voice rang out. Momo’s father was watching Katsuki with concern, but also with interest as if he wondered what he would do next. Endeavor stood up suddenly which garnered Momo’s attention.
“Katsuki!” he said sternly. By this time Katsuki had unbuttoned the last button of his white dress shirt, jutted out his chin towards President Machida, and then violently jabbed his own finger at the huge scar on his now naked chest like he was trying to squash an ant under his fingertip. President Machida leaned away from him looking repulsed.
“You like that? This ugly scar? It’s your fault! Because of the restrictions you put on heroes during the war because of civilian unrest. I couldn’t get upgrades to my gauntlet approved because it was deemed too dangerous, so I was working at half the power I coulda been workin’ with. I almost died because of it! A lot of heroes died because you didn’t have the balls to support pro-heroes when they needed you the most!”
Todoroki walked over to Katsuki, finally paying enough attention to the whole scene to move into action. “Bakugo, calm down.” He placed his hand on Katsuki’s shoulder. Momo walked over to join Todoroki hoping she could calm him down as well. Katsuki violently shrugged his shoulder to dislodge Todoroki’s hand, almost falling over in the process.
“Get off me Icy Hot! I don’t need your f*cking help!”
“Dear, I think we need to call the police, he’s scaring me,” Mrs. Yaoyorozu said.
“That won’t be necessary…. I think he’s drunk,” Endeavor spoke, his face having changed suddenly as if an integral piece of the puzzle was finally locked into place.
“Drunk? How? I’ve been with him all day and he hasn’t had anything alcoholic. Katsuki doesn’t drink anyhow,” Momo said as she scanned Katsuki’s face. It was red but now instead of rage, his face looked pained.
“He isn’t drunk, he’s just out of control! Like a feral animal! Like he was at the Sports Festival!” Mrs. Yaoyorozu exclaimed.
Todoroki’s head shot towards Mrs. Yaoyorozu as if he was seeing her for the very first time. “Bakugo’s changed a lot since the Sports Festival. He’s not some wild animal. You don’t know him.” Todoroki’s words rang out sternly and he looked at Mrs. Yaoyorozu like a disappointed parent to a belligerent teenage child.
“Dear, he did seem fine earlier….” Mr. Yaoyorozu said before his wife sighed heavily and gave him a dismissive gesture with a few flicks of her hand.
Todoroki glanced at Katsuki. “This is out of character even for Bakugo…” Todoroki mumbled under his breath, more to himself now than to the other guests at the table. Stumbling backward, Katsuki swung his arms wide as if he was trying to regain his balance. His eyes started to scan the room as if he was looking for something.
Momo placed her hand on his shoulder. “Katsuki…. I think we should get you to your room…..” Without warning, Katsuki bounded heavily over to the far corner of the dining room, placed his hands on the rim of a 4-foot tall 19th-century bronze and copper vase, the one with high relief birds and flowers (Momo’s mother’s favorite), and violently started to vomit into it.
“What an absolute disaster! That vase is priceless!” Mrs. Yaoyorozu shrieked with disgust.
“Katsuki…. You’re sick…. A stomach bug of some kind….”Momo said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Katsuki righted himself for a moment and shifted his weight unsteadily. Momo placed her hand on his mid-back to steady him.
“He looks really bad….” Todoroki said, his face in a grimace that looked foreign on his usually impassive face.
Endeavor’s voice rang out, demanding everyone in the room’s attention. “He’s drunk.” Momo craned her neck around Todoroki until her eyes fell on Endeavor. He was holding the bowl of kimchi under his nose. “This reeks of cheap sake.”
Momo and Todoroki’s gaze now fell on Mrs. Yaoyorozu. “It’s a fermented dish Enji. Perhaps that is what you’re smelling,” Mrs. Yaoyorozu said in a bland tone.
"I know straight sake when I smell it. It doesn't smell anything like fermented food. My apologies, Mrs. Yaoyorozu, for disagreeing with you." Endeavor's face was stony and serious.
She looked down at the table and sniffed once very primly. Momo knew her mother was uncomfortable by her mannerisms. Momo would have been saddened by the whole mess if she wasn’t extremely angry, that one emotion trumping all the other things she felt. Betrayal. Hurt. Embarrassment. Not at Katsuki, who was innocent in all this, but at her mother. How low her mother had stooped. She, and perhaps her father was in on it, had spiked a dish with strong alcohol that was specifically just for Katsuki that Momo had asked them, along with their cook, to prepare. It would seem it was their hope he would become drunk and then lose control and cause a scene. Which was exactly what happened. Momo couldn't believe any of what was happening was real.
“f*ck me….” Katsuki whined seconds before he vomited again into the vase.
Mr. Yaoyorozu motioned to one of the house staff that had just walked in with another course, the assorted nagiri. “Ohara, please escort Bakugo to the guest quarters. He has taken ill,” he said, his voice tired.
“No father. I’ll take him.” Momo’s voice was cold and loud. She glared at both her parents briefly before she turned her attention back to Katsuki. He was still now, his hands gripping the rim of the vase, his exposed chest and face were soaked in sweat, she could smell it, pungent and smoky. His eyes were puffy and closed and he swayed slightly. Momo placed an arm around Katsuki. “Let’s get you to your room. Come on, come with me.” She started to pull him along but he barely moved, as if he was stuck. A second later Todoroki moved to the other side of Katsuki and placed his arm around Katsuki’s lower back to help aid in trying to scootch him along. Now with the two of them helping, Katsuki started to shamble, which was a bit of an improvement, towards the door leading to the hallway.
“Momo! What about the otoro?” Mrs. Yaoyorozu’s voice rang out.
Momo stopped briefly and turned her head towards her mother. She felt the fury on her face, new and raw, like a heavy, invisible mask had finally been lifted from her face. “f*ck the otoro,” Momo said. Mrs. Yaoyorozu’s face turned a bright red and she made a strange sound like a strangled gasp. Momo turned towards the door and, along with Todoroki, they helped Katsuki out of the room.
*
The guest room Katsuki was staying in was enormous and the bathroom rivaled the size of most people’s living rooms. Katsuki moaned and made a gurgling noise like he was about to vomit. Todoroki and Momo increased their speed substantially and luckily got him to the toilet before he vomited. Instead of gripping a 19th-century vase, Katsuki was gripping a toilet seat, but in his current state, it didn’t make much of a difference to him it seemed.
Momo grabbed a washcloth, wet it with cool water, and placed it on Katsuki’s neck.
“Thank you…” he said weakly before his chest and stomach heaved, but nothing came out. Maybe he was through the worst of it. But a few seconds later… more vomiting. Katsuki now kneeled in front of the toilet, and Momo sat next to him.
“I’m sorry, Momo,” Todoroki said, leaning against the door jamb.
“I know the possibility of dinner being a disaster was in the cards, but I never thought it would be at the hands of my parents.”
“Yeah. Spiking a dish only Katsuki would eat was pretty diabolical on their part. Guess we know where you get your smarts from,” Todoroki said in his usual monotone.
“My parents obviously don’t want us together if they would go through all that trouble. Orchestrating Katsuki getting drunk so he would cause a scene…” Momo’s voice wavered, but she wouldn’t cry. Not in front of Todoroki. And definitely not in front of Katsuki in his current state.
As if he could read her perfectly, Todoroki bowed. “I will leave you two alone. If you need anything, you have my number.”
Momo looked up at him and gave him a small smile. “Thank you,” she said. As he began to turn away, Momo blurted out. “And thank you for sticking up for Katsuki.”
“Of course. That’s what friends are for.”
After Todoroki left, closing the bathroom door behind him, Katsuki seemed to stop retching, at least for now, his face was still in a harsh grimace.
“Is there anything I can get you Katsuki? Are you cold?” He was no longer sweating profusely, but he was so pale, and he felt clammy to the touch. Momo was sitting behind him now, her hand resting on his upper arm. He answered her, but not in the way she expected. His head was bowed down, his face obscured from Momo’s view.
“Ya know, I have a ring. It’s my grandmother’s. I’m gonna ask you to marry me, but I don’t know how.” Momo held her breath and looked at the back of his spikey head. “I’m worried you’ll say no. I’m more worried you’ll say yes and then I’ll ruin your life…..” Katsuki’s upper body started to heave. Momo rubbed his back and waited for the next wave. She didn’t know how he still had anything left in his stomach. Her mind raced trying to process what he had just said to her. Her face went flush trying not to think about the words that had just spilled from his mouth. “I love you so much, Momo. It f*cks me up sometimes… because I think about everything now with you in mind. Always...” He groaned and vomited again into the toilet.
“Shhhh,” she whispered to him. “Calm down, Katsuki. Try to rest.” As he sat back a bit, she wiped his face with a damp washcloth.
“sh*t. This blows…” he said under his breath. Momo rinsed out the washcloth in the sink and dampened it with very cool water. Katsuki laid on the cool tile floor in front of the toilet and groaned. Momo wiped his face and neck and then sat next to him and waited. He blindly reached for her, his eyes tightly closed, and found her forearm. He slipped his hand gently to where his hands wrapped around her wrist and then brought it to his lips and kissed the palm of her hand. He then rested her hand on his chest. “Thank you… for taking care…. Of me…..” he whispered. He drifted off to sleep a minute later. She moved to kneel next to his head and gently brushed his damp hair away from his face. Although he was asleep, his face was still twisted in a harsh grimace. Knocking sounded on the bathroom door.
“Momo?” It was her mother on the other side of the bathroom door. Momo was still angry and not in the mood to speak with her.
“Not now, mother. Please give us some privacy.”
“Momo…. I’m sorry….”
“Not now, Mother,” Momo repeated. Although Momo was saddened by all the events that had transpired that evening, her anger seethed underneath it all, and she knew if she talked to her mother, she wouldn’t be able to resist saying unkind things. She heard her mother’s receding footsteps. She knew things between her and her parents would never be the same.
Chapter 80: Careful You
Chapter Text
Eijirou
Sundays had changed drastically for Eijirou. What used to be a day mainly spent volunteering at the dog shelter and hanging out with his friends was now a day mainly spent with Hitoshi in his Gen C dorm room and most of that time was spent with both of them in varying degrees of undress. They had road-biked the one Sunday weeks back, but since then, they kept up the ruse of Eijirou joining Hitoshi on his weekly bike ride so they could have those few hours together alone uninterrupted in Hitoshi’s room. It sure beat make-out sessions in the gaming room closet or even sneaking away to Eijirou’s own dorm room. His room had always been a gathering place for his friends and Bakugo, Kaminari, Mina, Sero, Mineta, and even some of the other class A members didn’t have any qualms about barging in without knocking. The lock on Eijirou’s door hadn’t worked since day one in the dorm and previous to Hitoshi and him becoming a thing he didn’t care. But now that he and Hitoshi were going out, it was becoming a problem. He really needed to remember to put a work order in and get that lock fixed.
Eijirou was laying next to Hitoshi, Hitoshi’s face buried in the crook of Eijirou’s neck. His arm was draped across Eijirou’s chest, his breathing even, warm, and shallow against Eijirou’s skin. They had both fallen asleep after messing around and Eijirou was now wide awake and having mixed feelings about letting Hitoshi continue to nap versus waking him up so they could have some more fun. They were both down to their boxers and briefs respectively, laying on top of sheet and blankets but Eijirou ran hotter than the average person so it was enough to keep them both warm in the chilly room. Brimming with energy he could no longer stifle, he decided he couldn’t lay still any longer. He slipped away from under Hitoshi, Hitoshi letting out a low grumble of annoyance. Hitoshi then grabbed the pillow Eijirou had been laying on and wrapped his pale arms around it, burying his face in it and inhaling deeply. “Half an hour….jus’ another half hour,” he mumbled into the pillow.
“Come on, Hitoshi… we have like two hours left until dinner when they’ll be expecting us back.” Sitting on the bed next to Hitoshi, Eijirou shifted to sit on his knees. He thought about grabbing the pillow and smacking Hitoshi with it, but that would definitely put him in a foul mood. He hadn’t slept very well the night before, and the night before that, and so on, so he now having napped deeply would need to be treated with care. Eijirou was learning quick that his boyfriend, like some sort of hibernating creature, had to be handled gingerly when being awoken. Eijirou grabbed the pillow and slowly pulled it away from Hitoshi. Hitoshi elicited a whine that was pretty pathetic and unlike him, as he rolled flat on his back, Eijirou couldn’t help but chuckle low and deep. He tossed the pillow on the floor and then laid halfway on Hitoshi, resting his chin on the bottom of Hitoshi’s bony rib cage.
Hitoshi kept his eyes shut and took a deep breath. “I feel like I’ve been sleeping for hours…. I even had a dream…. you’re so good, Red. The best sleeping aid.” Eyes still closed he brought a hand over and ran it through Eijirou’s hair which was loose, wild, and probably very tangled.
“You have plenty of time to sleep tonight. We’re wasting time now…”
“But I won’t sleep tonight…it’s gotten so bad…the insomnia…”
Eijirou began to lightly kiss Hitoshi’s stomach which caused him to shudder slightly under him. He opened one sleepy indigo eye and looked down at Eijirou and Eijirou grinned back, feeling an odd emotion, almost predatory. He gently opened his mouth and, very, very carefully because of his sharp teeth, nibbled on one of Hitoshi’s ribs. Wincing, Hitoshi grabbed Eijirou by the shoulders abruptly and pulled him up so he could kiss him.
Hitoshi
Kissing Eijirou was always like kissing him for the first time. Hitoshi wondered if that would ever change. His breath, the intense pressure at times, or the gentlest of trembling lips. It made Hitoshi feel like he was floating on top of a lake of still water. Weightless and his head empty in the most calming and peaceful way. Hitoshi had made himself the rule that on Sundays he wasn’t allowed to think about anything other than the present, what was happening right in front of him. And being with Eijirou made it an easy task. All his worries he would push back to Monday to then fret over the next six days. And there was a lot to fret and stress over. Edgeshot’s offer. His future with Eijirou. Training Eri. His worsening insomnia, three hours was a good night. His slipping grades due to his lack of sleep. Brainwash: Mindreading. Bakugo holding that secret. Not today. Not right now.
And it was easy to let go, to forget about it all when it was just he and Eijirou in his room. When they would fall asleep, his arms wrapped around Eijirou’s warm, solid body, Hitoshi would revel in it. The sleeping was top-notch. The not sleeping was even better. He didn’t mind it when Eijirou would wake him from the short cat naps that energized him better than his nightly slumber. Well, he was sometimes a brat about it, but Eijirou’s hand running up his thigh or a nibble on his neck made him forgetful and forgiving. After several moments of Eijirou kissing him, Eijirou pulled away, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Everything okay, Red?” Hitoshi asked.
“Yeah… I just…” Eijirou was at a loss for words. This didn’t happen often. Hitoshi leaned back, crisscrossed his legs, and waited. He felt his heart rate slow down, back to normal. He glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was almost 3 PM. At 5 PM both of their phones would start buzzing from their classmates wanting to know if they were back from their “bike ride.”
Eijirou gave him a sheepish grin as he spoke finally. “I just wanted to ask you something, about if you’ve ever used your quirk….” his cheeks turned bright red and he broke eye contact with Hitoshi, looking down at his hands, “you know… when you were messin’ around with people in the past.” His eyes now shot back up to look at Hitoshi, his face questioning, but not in an impish way. It was surprisingly serious.
Hitoshi couldn’t help but smile. “Took you longer to ask me than I expected.”
Eijirou’s lips parted slightly, looking like he was not sure what to say. He stammered a bit, “S-sh*t, really? I mean, you… people have asked you? Have you done it?”
“Yeah. Pretty much with every person I’ve gone out with,” Hitoshi replied nonchalantly. He thought for a couple of short-term flings it may have been the sole reason they wanted to be with him in the first place. He never brought it up first because he wanted to see how long it would take for others to bring it up when things started getting physical. Eijirou definitely had lasted the longest. “You want me to do it?” Hitoshi asked, keeping his voice level even though his heart had started to race again. He lifted his hand up from his lap and brought it to Eijirou’s neck, caressing the side of his neck with his thumb. He felt Eijirou swallowing heavily underneath it.
“Yeah.”
“What do you want me to make you do?”
“Anything… surprise me,” Eijirou whispered breathlessly. Now this surprised Hitoshi. No one had ever given him that much freedom. That much trust. That much power. They always had very specific things in mind and Hitoshi would always follow their wishes not wanting to manipulate them or break their trust. Hitoshi pulled Eijirou by his neck towards him and kissed him. And before he activated his quirk, he made the decision he would do what he desperately wanted to do if Eijirou had ever brought this up in his dorm room when they were having this time together. He had been thinking about it a couple of days after he and Bakugo had discovered Brainwash: Mindreading, a whole week now. He had done it once by accident to Bakugo, but now that he knew he could do it…. Could he activate it now? Would it work? Eijirou did say he could do “anything.” Hitoshi felt ill for a second thinking that was a chicken sh*t justification, but his curiosity got the better of him. He gripped Eijirou by the neck and shoulder with his hands and activated his quirk, feeling Eijirou’s breath on his lips and hearing Eijirou’s sharp gasp in his ears, and then everything went blissfully dark and quiet.
Katsuki
Katsuki’s head was splitting. As he awoke that was the only thing he could comprehend. The worst headache he had ever had. He then felt overwhelmingly hot. He opened his eyes and saw that he lay on a bed that wasn’t his own and that a heavy white down comforter was draped over him. He rushed to pull it off him and he felt the chilliness of the room hit him and let out a deep breath. He had been sweating and now he felt the cool air alight on his damp skin and clothing and he inhaled deeply as he began to cool off.
“I was wondering when you would finally wake up,” Momo’s voice rang out a few feet from him. He sat up suddenly and looked over at her. She was sitting in a chair, a book in her hands. She was dressed for the day, wearing a dark green button-down shirt tucked into black slacks. His splitting head tried to make sense of everything. And then he started to remember.
“Dinner with your parents….” He looked around the huge guest room. “Oh sh*t, Momo….”
“How much do you remember?” Momo asked as she walked over and climbed on top of the bed to sit next to him.
“I remember the kimchi and talking to your dad and then…. I remember vomiting more than I ever have in my whole entire life.” Momo smiled weakly. Katsuki looked down and saw he was wearing red silk pajamas. “What the hell?”
“Those are my father’s… sorry… he didn’t feel comfortable going through your overnight bag.”
“Your dad?” Katsuki looked at her confused.
“You were really sick last night. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving you when it got late so my father said he would stay with you. He sat in this chair all night until about half an hour ago. I would have stayed with you last night but…”
“It wouldn’t have been “proper” I guess?” Katsuki finished Momo’s sentence.
“Yes.” Momo moved towards Katsuki and straddled him. He grabbed her and held her in a tight embrace.
Momo looked down into his face. Her expression was sad and he didn’t like it. “Did I get food poisoning? Or have a stomach bug or something?”
She kissed him on the forehead and sighed, her face resigned. “No. My mother spiked the kimchi she served you with very strong sake. You were drunk.” Katsuki’s jaw dropped. Momo placed her hands on Katsuki’s face and they felt cool and soothing on his hot skin. “Really it was kind of like alcohol poisoning considering how sick you were.” Katsuki started to laugh and Momo looked at him confused. “Why are you laughing? This is an awful situation.”
Katsuki’s laughter died down to a deep chuckle and then he shook his head. “I knew she didn’t like me, but damn…” he sighed and then couldn’t help but wince. The laughing had not improved the state of his aching head.
“Are you okay?”
He closed his eyes, still holding onto Momo. “Headache. The world’s worst. Like someone’s pounding my brain with a hammer.”
“Let me get you some medicine,” Momo started to lift herself away from Katsuki, but he gripped her firmly. He heard her laugh softly, her breath in his face. “You won’t feel better until you take something.” Her voice was so sweet, her waist and hips soft, yet solid in his grasp. But his head was splitting….
“Fine… you’re right,” he whispered as he let go of her. Keeping his eyes closed he laid back down. He heard her lift what he presumed was a phone from its base on the nearby end table. She asked whoever she had called for medicine for his headache, a glass of water, and some tea. He heard Momo moving around the room tidying things up he presumed, he didn’t dare open his eyes. He felt on the verge of being sick so he thought lying flat with his eyes closed was probably the safest thing for him to do. A couple of minutes passed and there was a knock at the door. Katsuki opened his eyes and saw Momo take a tray from someone and close the door behind her with her foot. She set the tray on the bed next to Katsuki.
The tray was filled with the things Momo asked for along with crackers, a slice of plain toast, a cup of juice, and a cup of coffee.
“They don’t do the bare minimum around here,” Katsuki said as he took two blue pills with the water.
Momo smiled at him, even though her lips communicated she was happy her eyes were sad. He assumed it was the whole ‘her parents getting him drunk’ thing. He didn’t think it was that big of a deal. He knew going in that the Yaoyorozus probably didn’t like him. Mrs. Yaoyorozu definitely gave off fake nice vibes at dinner. What she did to him was a petty, ugly thing to do, but Katsuki could be ugly and petty so all he could think was “touche’.” At least now he didn’t have to pull his punches so to speak if Mrs. Yaoyorozu was going to act this way. He could speak his mind which was what he wanted to do anyhow. But that would make things worse and of course, would make Momo more unhappy.
He wanted to ask her if she was okay, but it was obvious she wasn’t.
“You’re upset. You want to talk about it?” Katsuki asked. He surprised himself with the question. He was oddly talkative for some reason despite the headache and the happenings the day before. In fact, he couldn’t ever remember a time he asked someone else if they wanted to talk about something. Usually it was people asking him. Very, very carefully asking him.
Momo’s eyes went from sadness to anger, an improvement maybe? thought Katsuki. “You mean finding out my mother is a horrible person and it’s undone my whole childhood’s view of her as a perfect parent?” Katsuki nodded. Momo sighed and sat next to him, wrapping her arms around his torso loosely. “Not right now. I’m surprised you’re taking this so well. I thought you’d be very pissed off about the whole thing.”
“So your mom gets me drunk in front of the Todorokis and the president of the Hero Safety Commission so I would cause a scene. Crazy, f*cking belligerent Katsuki Bakugo explodes in front of everybody, and Shouto Todoroki the white knight takes me out and gets the girl. That was her plan I guess?” Momo let go of him and sat up straight so she could look at him face to face. She looked baffled. Katsuki grinned at her. “Did it work?” he asked her hoarsely trying his best not to laugh again.
“What’s gotten into you?” she asked him, the corners of her mouth twitching. He laughed again.
“So am I an angry drunk? Did I at least get some hits in on Icy Hot before he took me down?” Momo shook her head and grinned now.
“You were kind of….goofy actually. You rubbed your face on my shoulder like a cat.”
“I don’t believe it. Pics or it didn’t happen.”
Momo laughed now. “You did! And then you looked at me…. Like… like you were going to….” Momo’s cheeks blushed a dark pink.
Katsuki raised an eyebrow at her. “Lay you on the table and have my way with you?” Momo’s jaw dropped and she laughed.
“Yes, that was definitely the look... do you know how awkward that was… in front of my parents?”
“Damn that’s funny….”
“You also took off your shirt in front of President Masuda and called her spineless. Well…. Your word choice was different, but that was the meaning. I think every hero would have been proud of you for calling her out though.”
“sh*t… I was….that’s crazy,” Katsuki shook his head trying not to grin. He was uncharacteristically… jovial? Silly or humorous wasn’t his forte, but here he was. “Why did I take off my f*cking shirt?”
“To show her your scar.”
“Hmmm.” Katsuki had no recollection except just being sick. The whole thing was surreal. “And Half and Half? Did he banish me to my room without dessert?”
Momo wrapped her arms around his neck. “No actually. He defended you when my mother said you were a feral animal. And he helped me walk you to your room after you got sick.”
Katsuki placed his hands on her forearms, feeling his headache was beginning to lessen some. “’Feral animal.’ I see. So your mom’s plan didn’t even get the results she wanted. Serves her f*cking right.”
“You have every right to be angry.” He felt Momo’s hands in his hair, her finger and thumb twirling a small section of it as she looked into his face. “We can leave right now. Without seeing my parents. You don’t ever have to come back. I want you to know I’m not mad at you in the slightest. It wasn’t your fault.”
Katsuki sighed feeling the levity of the situation leave him. “That’s not entirely true. I’ve been an asshole so many times… of course your parents would freak out with the idea of you and I dating.” Katsuki thought back to so many conversations over the last three years he had had with Best Jeanist about Katsuki’s public persona. Katsuki had an abysmal general popularity rating considering all the hero work he had done, villains he had taken out, and lives he had saved. His debut as a hero in training was the Sports festival his first year and that was an awful first impression. Follow that up with his getting captured by villains and his whole persona being dissected as to why he was targeted. If it wasn’t for Aizawa vouching for him at the time…. And then his many interviews over the next year. Best Jeanist had gone over so many mock interviews with him and lectures trying to help him. It wasn’t until after the war with AFO and Shigaraki was over that he started to actually make somewhat of an effort not to come across as a giant dick when interviewed. Best Jeanist had even had him give a couple of press conferences and answer questions the last year and luckily they hadn’t been disasters. But it would take some time until he could undo the damage he had done. And he was still him. Even a mindful Katsuki was still abrasive, impatient, easily irritable, and too direct.
“I want you to be you, Katsuki. I’m not with you to try and make you better behaved or to change you. I love you for who you are right now.” Momo swallowed, he knew she was trying to control her emotions.
“You sure about that?” he whispered as he brushed her side bangs away from her face. “I already broke your heart twice.” His voice was low, his tone serious. These talkative moods of his were few and far between but he was glad he had them in him. Things needed to be said.
“Yes, but the difference is I know now that you love me. So it’s going to take a lot more now to break my heart again.”
“When did you figure that out?” He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it.
“That night in my room before the formal.” She smiled at him, her eyes soft as she looked at him with such admiration. He had no idea how she could feel that way about him, but he knew she did. Now he could finally ask her about that night.
“The night you said you loved me. When I said I loved you too, it was like you knew already. How were you so certain? ”
She made a small noise, a hum of contentment. “I’m not sure exactly. A culmination of a lot of things I think. You finally let go and came into my room. And then we talked. We really talked about things. I didn’t know if you had that in you before that night. All the things we had gone through, that we will go through. They mean things to you even if you don’t normally say it or show it.”
His headache was gone now and so was his ability to talk about anything else at the moment. He felt his usual anxiety return and the impatience that he had been sitting too long and the feeling that he didn’t feel right in his own skin with that idleness. He kissed Momo on the cheek and finally realized how gross he felt. He needed a shower probably 10 hours ago. “I should … I should shower. Then we can decide what to do.” Momo nodded at him and smiled.
Shouto
Shouto had returned to dinner the night before after helping Bakugo to the guest room. He felt awful for Momo. He understood the unfair pressure she probably had endured most her childhood much like he had. He had never spoken about it to her, but he had assumed the importance of quirk marriages and class marriages had been taught to her along with kanji, arithmetic, and etiquette. Tenya and he on the other hand had spoken about the pressures in recent weeks as they had grown closer. He realized he had to talk to his father because it needed to stop. He, Momo, and Tenya weren’t pawns in their parents’ lives to continue old traditions and keep the status quo. His own parents were a shining example of what Shouto didn’t want. Even though his parents were patching up past wrongs, Shouto knew the only reason they were married to each other to begin with was because of their quirks and their wealthy families playing matchmaker as well.
When he sat back at the table, the conversation carried on as if Bakugo hadn’t just been essentially drugged/ poisoned by Mrs. Yaoyorozu. This didn’t surprise Shouto. This was how the wealthy and powerful dealt with their problems; They pretended like they didn’t exist and because of their unbelievable privilege they could. Shouto did realize his father was more curt than usual and President Masuda and Mr. Yaoyorozu seemed to be the ones keeping up the conversation. Dessert couldn’t arrive soon enough. Shouto and his father would spend the night on the Yaoyorozu estate due to an art exhibition the next day in town both he and his father were participating in. Works of art from some of the most famous artists in Japan along with some up-and-coming artists would be on display and the subject matter was heroes, so of course, the current number one hero was asked to be there. The Todoroki family had always donated heavily to the arts and some of the artists were recipients of an art scholarship started by the Todorokis. In the aftermath of the war against AFO, people were finding joy in recreation again and putting effort into the arts and it was important for heroes to support these things so they could be seen as important aspects of society again. And Shouto was drug along since he was now being groomed to take over the Endeavor agency in the future. Something Shouto had mixed feelings about.
A few times that night his father turned to face him, looking as if he was going to say something, but then he would shift his attention back to his plate in front of him. Shouto wasn’t in the mood to ask him what he was hesitating about. Honestly, Shouto was never in the mood to talk to his father about anything deeper than just the tip of the iceberg. Their relationship was still tenuous at best. After dinner, Shouto said goodnight to everyone and was happy to retreat to his guest room.
Now it was morning and he was heading to breakfast that was to be served promptly at 8:00. He wondered how Bakugo was feeling and if he would come down for breakfast after such an awful dinner the night before. He wouldn’t be surprised if Bakugo headed back home and Momo with him. He had been so proud of her for standing up to her parents. He knew she had it in her, but it was still nice to see it and to help her if he could. He cared for Momo like a sister and was disappointed the Yaoyorozus didn’t trust their daughter enough for her to live the life she wanted.
As he opened the door, he saw his father and the Yaoyorozus sitting at the large dining table. They were drinking tea and as Shouto entered they stood up to bow and welcome him. As he took a place on the other side of his father, being mindful to leave two chairs open on the other side of Endeavor, he hoped breakfast wouldn’t be a long, drawn-out affair. The sooner they could go to the art exhibit and make their appearance, the sooner he could head back to UA. He felt himself more eager than usual to return to school and he realized it was because of Tenya. He missed him. After a few minutes, staff came in and they asked Mrs. Yaoyorozu if they were ready to be served. She looked hesitant to answer as her eyes drifted to the door leading out to the hallway.
“Yes, Ohara. You can serve breakfast. I don’t think Momo and Bakugo will be joining us. They’re both very punctual, perhaps he is still not feeling well,” Mr. Yaoyorozu answered. Ohara nodded and left the room. Shouto noticed Mrs. Yaoyorozu looked pale and her eyes were downcast and solemn. A few moments later, as if speaking their names somehow summoned them, Momo and Bakugo came through the Dining Room doors. The group of four at the table all stood up and bowed and Bakugo and Momo reciprocated. After the bowing Shouto couldn’t help but watch Mrs. Yaoyorozu. Her eyes were wide and her lower lip trembled. Seconds later she took several steps toward Bakugo and dropped to her knees. She then lowered her upper body to the ground, her hands flat on the wooden floor and her forehead resting on the floor between her hands. Bakugo stood still, his face unchanging, devoid of all emotion, his eyes falling on the prostrate figure of Mrs. Yaoyorozu. He somehow looked a lot more fearsome that way than his usual snarls and frowns thought Shouto. He had seen dogeza used to apologize mainly because his family and those he associated with were very traditional when it came to rituals and ways to show respect. But Shouto never thought in a thousand years he would ever see someone bowing and asking forgiveness this way towards Bakugo. It was the ultimate form of showing humility and lowering oneself to show their shame and agony for their transgression.
All eyes in the room were on Bakugo. “Bakugo…words can’t describe my regrets… I know what I did was unforgivable… I have no excuses.” Her words were slightly muffled since her mouth was mere inches from the wooden floor. “I hope someday you can find it in your heart to forgive me.” Bakugo’s expression never changed, but he turned towards Momo and nodded at her.
Momo knelt by her mother and gently grabbed her hand. “Mother…. Let’s go back to the table.” She helped her mother off the floor. Mrs. Yaoyorozu’s face was streaked with tears, dark lines of mascara lining her cheeks. Momo walked her over to her chair and Mrs. Yaoyorozu used a napkin to wipe her face. Shouto could sense the others’ feelings of awkwardness in the air due to the whole situation although it didn’t make him feel awkward personally. Shouto rarely felt awkward about anything.
“So…Enji. When will you and Shouto attend the art exhibition today?” Mr. Yaoyorozu said, breaking the silence. The conversation continued and breakfast was served with no other incidents, Momo and her father leading most of the conversation. Mrs. Yaoyorozu was oddly quiet and Shouto’s father wasn’t as chatty as he had been before Bakugo’s drunken incident the night before. Shouto moved his rice around with his chopsticks absentmindedly. The portions of the two courses offered were quite big and he had always been a quick eater so he found himself done eating long before anyone else.
His father and Mr. Yaoyorozu had been talking about some recent changes to the registration of quirks and its limited access by hero agencies when a letter had arrived at the table for Mrs. Yaoyorozu. Ohara had brought it to her on a platter. She took the letter, nodded at him, and opened it. Shouto watched her while the two men talked and saw Mrs. Yaoyorozu’s face light up as she read whatever had been sent to her. It had been delivered in a gold-lined envelope. The card inside was made of very high-end card stock with a feathered finish and a silver filigree ornament on the cover of the card glistened with a subtle sheen. In the center of the filigree were two words Shouto could not make out from the distance he sat.
Mrs. Yaoyorozu waited for a lull in the conversation and then spoke with a new vigor towards her husband. “Pardon my interruption, but we just received an invitation to a wedding, dear.”
All eyes turned towards Mrs. Yaoyorozu. “The joining of two families! The Iidas and the Hasegawas.”
“That’s wonderful news,” Mr. Yaoyorozu added.
“Tensei and Hisano have been dating the last couple of years. It is great news they are making it official,” Shouto’s father said. His voice sounded a little flat and Shouto knew why. When his sister Fuyumi had turned 18 she had received a lot of pressure from their father to “befriend” Tensei. They had both attended UA, but not at the same time as Tensei was a few years older than Fuyumi. Fuyumi, always wanting to please their father, had pursued getting to know Tensei better through galas, fundraisers, parties, etc. and they had dated briefly. But they were much better suited as friends and when Tensei began to take interest in Fuyumi’s best friend Hisano, Fuyumi was actually relieved as was Tensei. The only reason Shouto knew about the details was because his sister had recently told him about it when rumors started to go around about the possible union between the Hasegawas and the Iidas. The Hasegawas were “new money” but were still respected and seen as one of the most powerful families in Japan.
“The wedding is in three weeks! My, that’s very fast. It has been months since I have seen the Iidas, not since the Fall gala.”
“Shouto, mark your calendar. The Todoroki family will be attending to show our support. Goodness knows Tensei can use it. There has been bad press for the Iida family ever since Tensei took over the family business last year. Some members of the public feel having a leader of a hero agency that is physically compromised isn’t a good image. It’s ludicrous. Tensei is one of the bravest men I have ever met. He will be an excellent leader.” Tensei had been wheelchair-bound ever since his run-in with Stain the hero-killer 3 years previous. Even though he could no longer walk, he didn’t let that stop him. There were moments like this Shouto found it hard to dislike his father. He had changed so much in the last two years. He would have never said such things about “true bravery” previous to All Might’s fall. But Shouto still had a hard time fully forgiving his father for past wrongs. They had a relationship now at least. Baby steps.
“Yes. I know about the wedding father, and I’ve already RSVP’d.” Shouto sighed looking at the grilled eggplant on his plate. Tenya’s grilled eggplant that he topped with bonito flakes and a balsamic vinegar reduction was much better. He really needed things to speed up. He wanted to get over to the art exhibit, get it over with, then on a bullet train back to Musatufu.
“Oh? How did I miss the invitation arriving before our trip?”
“It didn’t. I knew about it last week because I’m Tenya Iida’s plus one.” There was a long silence which caused Shouto to look up from his plate wondering why everyone had stopped talking. Every eye was on him. Bakugo had a grin on his face. Oh. Yeah, he DID just say that, didn’t he? Shouto often got so distracted by his own thoughts, he didn’t always process fully the things that escaped his lips.
“Well, perhaps a Todoroki and Iida union is in the future after all,” Momo said, her tone matter-of-fact and her face its normal good-natured seriousness. Although Shouto did notice the end of her mouth twitch before she took a sip of her tea. Shouto couldn’t help but notice his father’s jaw was hanging loosely open and his eyes wide with surprise. He now glanced at the Yaoyorozus and Mrs. Yaoyorozu’s expression was a mirror of his father’s. Mr. Yaoyorozu had a slight smirk on his face as he took a bite of rice and chewed it slowly.
Bakugo gave a loud laugh that Shouto swore caused the glasses on the table to vibrate. Mr. Yaoyorozu started to laugh as well and then started to choke a bit, perhaps the rice had gone down the wrong way. Ohara stepped over to him to aid him in any way he could. “No, Ohara!” he said between small coughs, a napkin covering his mouth. “I just guess I haven’t laughed like that in a while. I’m out of practice.” As Mr. Yaoyorozu’s coughing died down and he sipped some water, donning a smirk, Shouto couldn’t help but give a small smile now. Hopefully, Tenya wouldn’t be too upset about his faux pas.
Chapter 81: A Sorta Fairytale
Chapter Text
Hitoshi
Hitoshi was standing at the bottom of a huge canyon. The sun shone above making the orange, reddish rock of the walls around him even more vibrant and for deep shadows to be cast where the sun couldn’t infiltrate. Standing before him, blocking the entrance to the canyon, was Eijirou. He was bare-chested and only wore a bright white fundoshi, a traditional Japanese loincloth. He stood proudly, his hands resting on his hips and his chest puffed out, his chin was tipped up and he looked at Hitoshi with a challenge in his eyes. He was grinning good-naturedly even though his eyes spoke that he was ready to fight.
Hitoshi now remembered he had to “beat” Bakugo in a judo match to gain entry into his mind. It would seem he would have to best Eijirou somehow. Hitoshi now realized this could end up being a real problem. This “Eijirou” was about two feet taller than the “real” Eijirou. As Hitoshi looked at him more closely, he saw his quirk was activated at different points of his body. His muscular forearms had rock-like ridges protruding out almost like armor. His fingernails that gripped his hips were thickly taloned like a hawk’s. His hair was shorter, like it was through his first and second year at UA, but instead of hair spiked with product, it was shards of bright red rock. His teeth were longer and more jagged than usual, his jawline, although it looked like it was smooth skin, seemed to jut out more and looked more angular and pronounced.
Hitoshi looked down at his clothes and realized he was wearing his hero costume, but without the binding cloths. Melee fighting would definitely give Eijirou the upper hand. He doubted any form of wrestling/judo would be sufficient to throw Eijirou off his feet when an almost 8-foot tall Eijirou probably outweighed him by 100 pounds, most likely more than that with parts of him turned to rock. Hitoshi wondered if his quirk would work but he hesitated to use it. Using his quirk within an instance of his quirk… quirk inception Hitoshi thought humorously to himself, probably wouldn’t work. Or maybe it would and something terrible would happen. Before he had time to come up with a plan, Eijirou spoke.
His voice was deeper than normal and echoed down the walls of the canyon.
“Tell me the password and you can enter.”
Well, that was unexpected Hitoshi thought to himself. Realizing the challenge would not be a physical one, Hitoshi approached Eijirou until he was a few feet in front of him. He was even more impressive up close. A great unseen power radiated from him, his skin glistening, almost as if he was made up of tiny diamonds that were refracting the light that shone on him from the sun shining brightly above. Baring sharp teeth that were more rocklike than the real Eijirou’s he grinned down at Hitoshi.
“How many guesses do I get?”
Eijirou the Rock God, Hitoshi couldn’t resist dubbing him in his mind, now crossed his muscular massive arms in front of him. “As many as you can tell me before my patience wears thin.”
Well, if this Rock God Eijirou is anything like the real Eijirou… that won’t be very long thought Hitoshi. Although Eijirou was patient with people, he wasn’t about being made to wait in general.
Hitoshi decided he would name things quickly and see if he could tell Eijirou was getting irritated with him.
“Red Riot,” Hitoshi said.
The giant shook his head, the noise of rock moving against rock emitted from the shards of hair on his head as he made the gesture.
“Crimson Riot.”
“Wrong,” Eijirou spoke.
Hitoshi continued to say names of heroes that Eijirou admired and they were all wrong. He then started listing attributes important to Eijirou. “Chivalry, Manliness, Protector, Shield, Unbreakable….” He began to branch out, “Red Gauntlet… um dogs, what was the name of that one dog…. the malamute he’s always talking about…” Eijirou absentmindedly scratched his cheek shaking his head; they were all wrong answers.
Hitoshi decided to get more personal. Why not?
“Mind Jack. Hitoshi, Shinsou.” All elicited an incorrect response from Eijirou. “Dynamite, Katsuki Bakugo um, Denki Kaminari, Chargebolt…”
The rock giant sighed. “No….” he said, bored. Hitoshi realized he was running out of time.
“Can you give me a hint?” Hitoshi asked.
Instead of looking bored, Eijirou now grinned at him. “I’ll give you a hint, but then you’ll only have one chance to guess after that.” It was a gamble but Hitoshi would take it.
“Fair enough. I’d like the hint.”
Dropping his massive arms to his side, Eijirou the Giant spoke. “Three words.” His eyes went soft for a few seconds and then they reverted back to the challenging glare.
Feeling a sudden emptiness in his stomach, Hitoshi knew what he was doing was wrong, but his curiosity outweighed the guilt. He felt shame for telling the guardian of Eijirou’s subconscious the three words he was too afraid to tell Eijirou to his face in real life.
“I love you,” Hitoshi said in his usual monotone. He didn’t smirk or smile. He was revealing his cowardice and it was nothing to celebrate.
The rock giant grinned now and stepped aside.
*
The canyon seemed to stretch out endlessly in front of him but as he walked further in he saw caves on both sides and he knew these spaces would house Eijirou’s memories. He walked towards the first one on his right and crouched down so his head wouldn’t hit the top of the small opening. He walked forward several feet and then the small, cramped tunnel opened up to a large cavern lit by several torches on the walls that burned brightly like mini suns. In the space, he saw Eijirou, who looked to be about 5 or 6 years old crying, blood streaking down the right side of his face. His mother was kneeling in front of him, wiping his face with her hand, Eijirou’s father was patting him on the back telling him encouraging words. He held his son’s hand carefully, observing the hardened, rock-like surface of small Eijirou’s arm. His quirk discovery. Eijirou’s mother wiped his cheek and brow and that’s when Hitoshi saw the gash that ran up from his right eyebrow. So this was how he got that prominent scar; at his quirk’s awakening. Hitoshi looked past Eijirou and his parents and saw two additional tunnels that most likely led to other quirk-related childhood memories. Hitoshi decided he would rather just observe the major “caverns” of Eijirou’s memories to see if the layout was similar to Bakugo’s.
He exited back to the canyon and walked into each of the main offshoot caves. One had Eijirou and Fat Gum fighting villains. Hitoshi could tell it was during Eijirou’s first year due to his hero costume and his size. He looked shorter, less bulky. Another cave had Eijirou crying in his bedroom. He had black hair and a physique that showed he had not yet started weight training or exercising. Middle school maybe? Eijirou knocked over some items on his desk, causing a video of Crimson Riot to show on the wall, having been activated due to falling open. Hitoshi saw the change in Eijirou’s expression. A resolve spread through Eijirou that must have profoundly changed him.
Another cavern showed Eijirou rescuing Bakugo at Camino. Another cavern had Eijirou beating the school record of number of pushups in one minute. That was just a couple of months before. In the next cavern, he found Eijirou and himself lying on Hitoshi’s bed in his dorm. Hitoshi held his breath; it was strange seeing himself, outside of himself. sh*t… am I really that pale? And my ass… well …. doesn’t look too bad. Guess all those squats are paying off. Hitoshi was tempted to go to some of the offshoot caverns wondering if this was “Hitoshi’s area.” But he didn’t want to run out of time.
He went back out to the canyon and wondered where the more secret areas of Eijirou’s mind were. Bakugo had those almost hidden staircases which meant most likely Eijirou had to have them as well. As Hitoshi continued to walk he looked closely at the canyon walls and that’s when he saw them. Faint holes going upward, like hand and footholds for him to climb. He walked over to the wall and ascended. After climbing about 30 feet, he saw a small cave and climbed into it. Crawling on his hands and knees he squeezed through the space until it opened up into a large cave.
In the center of the cave was Eijirou’s dorm room and in his bed laid Bakugo and Eijirou. Bakugo was splayed out, fast asleep. Eijirou was laying on his side staring at Bakugo. The look on Eijirou’s face made Hitoshi’s stomach lurch. He was familiar with that look; he had caught Eijirou staring at him like that the first couple of weeks they were dating, not so much now that they had been going out for a while. It was lovesick. Hitoshi sighed. That must have been hard on Eijirou. To long for someone so close, yet so out of reach. Bakugo was straight as an arrow. But he did love Eijirou very much, just not romantically. This cave had offshoots, but Hitoshi exited with the idea he knew he was running out of time.
He walked for a couple of minutes in the canyon until he found another set of hand and footholds. He quickly climbed them. This cavern showed Eijirou walking the halls of UA behind a group of girls who were talking about him. About how cute he was and how it was a shame he wasn’t very bright. The way they freely talked about him, you could tell they didn’t know he was right behind them. Eijirou stopped in his tracks and waited for them to keep walking, his face reminiscent of what a puppy might look like if it got kicked. Hitoshi sighed.
This cavern had 3 offshoots and Hitoshi decided to take one. The short tunnel led to another cavern that appeared to house the streets of Musutafu. Eijirou and Hitoshi were walking together down the street and it hit Hitoshi now when this had taken place by recognizing the clothes Eijirou was wearing. A red long-sleeved top with slim cut, dark denim jeans and scuffed up red leather boots. This was their first “date.” The day the third years were allowed to go off campus to get ready for the formal. They were headed towards the rental place. He dared to walk up close to Eijirou. He was walking with the “dream” Hitoshi, but within the cavern, he “stayed” in one place as if he was walking on a treadmill. Hitoshi could get right next to him without fear of bumping into him.
“Having regrets secretly dating the “himbo of Class 3A?” Eijirou stated trying to sound like he was joking around, but Hitoshi could hear the subtle flat tone in the question. Hitoshi was standing so close to Eijirou, he could make out the tiny mole on his neck and every thick black eyelash that surrounded his eyes. Suddenly he heard a rush of voices, all Eijirou’s, sound around him. “It’s what they all think at UA.” “I’m a moron.” “Barely get by with my abysmal grades.” “I’m just a gym rat with a hollow head.” “Just a face.” “Just a body.” The voices overlapped, Hitoshi tried to focus on each one so he could make out what they said. “Shinsou will get bored.” “He’ll use you up and leave you.” “You’re just a pretty face and a hot body.” “You’re boring, you’re one dimensional.” These were the thoughts Eijirou had when this memory happened thought Hitoshi. If Hitoshi approached each Eijirou throughout the caverns and got this close to them, could he hear their thoughts? Most Likely thought Hitoshi “Stop, you’ll ruin the date. Just enjoy it. Just enjoy this short time you have while Shinsou is still interested.” Hitoshi’s heart ached.
“It’s not true,” Hitoshi said under his breath. As he spoke, Eijirou’s eyes locked with his. He was still walking in place, but now his eyes were focused on Hitoshi.
“What’s the truth?” Eijirou from a few months before asked him with hurt in his eyes.
Hitoshi’s chest felt tight. He turned to look at the other Hitoshi walking next to him in place, he didn’t seem to notice the present Hitoshi. He had a small smile on his face looking like he was going to answer Eijirou but Hitoshi had interrupted them and this memory. Eijirou was still staring at him. His crimson eyes were pleading in a way Hitoshi had never seen and it made Hitoshi’s heartache.
“The truth…you’re …amazing. You’re fun… and funny and… you’re warm. Truly kind. You really see people. You’re beautiful-“ Eijirou rolled his eyes but looked back at Hitoshi. “-not just physically, but inside and out. And you are smart, you just don’t see it. I want to be around you all the time because you’re so amazing. You’re tenacious…You never give up, you’re the one constant in so many people’s lives. You’re the one constant in mine.” Hitoshi swallowed. He was nervous to talk about these things, even in a place where no one but himself would know or even remember.
Eijirou’s pleading eyes now shifted. His eyes were collecting tears at the outer edges, his expression now of resolute sadness. “Then why won’t you tell me?” Eijirou spoke, barely above a whisper. Before Hitoshi could answer a great deep cracking sound echoed around them. The walls of the cavern began to shake and small rocks and pebbles began to cascade from the ceiling above. Eijirou looked at Hitoshi, his eyes all worry. “You should go, I’m about to wake up!” As Hitoshi began to leave the cavern, he turned towards Eijirou one last time.
“If I don’t make it out before you wake from Brainwash, what will happen?”
“I don’t know… but it can’t be good! Run, Hitoshi!” Eijirou pleaded.
Hitoshi started to climb down the wall and then decided to risk jumping when he was halfway down the cliff, hoping he wouldn’t hurt himself. Could he hurt himself in this place? No time to think about that he thought. His feet hit the cavern floor and he ran as fast as his legs could carry him down the canyon towards the entrance. The ground below him shook and he saw cracks begin to appear. His heart was racing and his breathing was quick and ragged as he pushed himself to run even faster. He looked ahead and saw Eijirou the Rock God. “Hurry! You’re almost there!” he bellowed deep and gravelly. Hitoshi pumped his arms to help propel him and felt his thighs begin to spasm, but he didn’t stop. He ran past the Rock God and almost instantly….
Eijirou
It took him a couple of moments to figure out what had happened. Hitoshi was gripping his shoulders tightly and they were both sitting across from each other, close enough for Eijirou to feel Hitoshi’s hot and quick pants on his face. They were sitting on Hitoshi’s bed and that was when Eijirou finally remembered. He had asked Hitoshi to use his quirk on him. Eijirou’s eyes searched Hitoshi briefly and then he looked down at his own torso. They were both still in their underclothes and it seemed like nothing had really happened. Except Hitoshi looked blind-sighted, which was an expression seldom seen on his face.
“You okay?” Eijirou asked him reflexively. Hitoshi nodded at him, his eyes locked on to his, and Hitoshi’s expression began to change into a look of desperation. Eijirou had no idea of what to make of the whole situation. Hitoshi let go of his shoulders and that’s when Eijirou noticed a slight burning sensation and realized that Hitoshi had been gripping his shoulders so hard, Hitoshi’s fingernails had dug into his skin leaving small, sharp pains in their wake. Hitoshi, his expression still intense and bewildered, now placed his hands on either side of Eijirou’s face. They were surprisingly cold and Eijirou tried his best to suppress a shiver. This tender moment began to overwhelm Eijirou; Hitoshi’s hands on his face, his expression seeming to search deeply into Eijirou as if he was trying to read him somehow. His breathing finally slowing, Hitoshi seemed to be calming down from whatever had ensued between them. Eijirou wanted to give in to this moment, but he didn’t know quite how to catch up. What had he missed? What had happened? Hitoshi’s whole demeanor seemed oddly out of place for two teens just messing around. “Well… whatever I did… I guess it must have been pretty good…” Eijirou joked with a grin, trying to lighten the intensity that seemed to almost hum between them like an electrical current. Hitoshi dropped one of his hands and rested it on Eijirou’s chest, over his sternum, his intense gaze never leaving Eijirou’s.
“Red….” Hitoshi’s eyes were alert and so clear, the purple seemed to be a deeper color than they normally were, a trick of the light perhaps Eijirou thought. “I love you.”
The grin fell from Eijirou’s face. He held his breath and his mind raced. Was this happening? Was this really happening? He had waited so long to hear those words because he feared, way deep inside in a place that was sometimes easy to forget which made it bearable, that every day was the day Hitoshi would break up with him. That he would tire of him. Because he wasn’t as complicated as Hitoshi. As smart as Hitoshi. As creative and mysterious. He was just Eijirou. Plain and simple. But maybe that was enough. It felt like several seconds had passed, neither of them had moved or made a sound. Eijirou could only hear the steady thrum of his own heartbeat in his ears and feel Hitoshi’s hand on his bare chest.
Eijirou drew in a shaky breath. “I love you, Hitoshi,” he whispered. Smiling weakly now, Hitoshi’s eyes softened. “I wanted to tell you the night of the formal… I almost texted it but… I didn’t want to do it that way. I wanted to say it to your face. I almost said it the night of Kondo’s party. I just chickened out… I’m sorry.” Eijirou was rambling; he did that when he got nervous. It was out now though and it seemed he couldn’t stop it. “I was just worried… worried if I said it, you’d bolt. I thought I’d rather just have…... whatever we were doing….. continue instead-“ Hitoshi kissed him, silencing all his fears. As Eijirou kissed him back, he felt tears form at the outer edges of his eyes and felt them cool against his hot skin as they rolled slowly down his cheek. He didn’t think it was possible but everything felt different now. He felt small and vulnerable and now the idea of losing Hitoshi seemed like an unbearable possibility. This feeling he wouldn’t be able to bury so easily and forget like before. But they were in love and that agony was worth it.
Momo
Emotionally exhausted by the last twenty-four hours, Momo was happy to be boarding the bullet train back to Musutafu. It was close to eleven am and it would be nice to get back to the dorm before dinner. Sato was cooking so she knew she and Katsuki had a delicious meal, plus an indulgent dessert, waiting for them when they arrived. She held Katsuki’s hand as they boarded the train and she tried to not seem too excited because she had a surprise for him. As they walked towards the general class seating area, Momo pulled him along passed several empty chairs and benches until they had made it to the other side of the large compartment.
“Momo, where we going?” Katsuki asked as he followed her hand-in-hand. He was carrying both their bags (he insisted) so she only wore her backpack. They made it to the door that led to the next compartment.
“First class?” Katsuki asked. Momo looked back at him and grinned. They walked through the first-class section and to the door that led further down the train. Now the large cabins were not repeated in this section of the train. Instead, there was a narrow corridor to their left and a few doors to their right. Momo looked at the tickets in her hand and she walked until she found their suite, the last one in the section.
She opened the door and they both stepped into the space. It was a deluxe suite. It had a queen-sized bed with a bright white down comforter and several large pillows, a dark wooden desk, and a door Momo guessed led to a private bathroom. The room was decorated like a high-end hotel suite, just on a smaller scale. Katsuki’s eyes went wide as he took it all in. She watched his face, smiling. “This wasn’t cheap, let me know how much and I can pay for part of it…”Katsuki said as he put the bags down and opened the door. It revealed a small, but poshly constructed bathroom with a rainfall showerhead, stone walls that made up the shower backsplash, and a modern round sink that seemed to float in mid-air. There was a vase of fresh pink roses in a square, squat vase.
“You don’t have to worry about paying me anything. I’ve saved up quite a lot this year from work-study,” Momo said as she sat on the bed. First-year internships and second-year work studies didn’t pay anything to hero students, but third-year work-studies did. Momo of course had a credit card without a limit from her parents to use towards anything she wanted, but she had not used it since second year. A warning light flashed up high on the wall farthest from them and a chiming signal sounded to let them know the train was about to leave the station. Katsuki sat next to Momo and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned in towards her and kissed her softly on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, trying to not appear too eager. The train left the station and the floor-to-ceiling window that ran down the length of the room let in the bright mid-day light now that the train had pulled away from the station building.
Katsuki stopped kissing her and grinned. “The next station is fifteen minutes away. That doesn’t give us a lot of time. We’ll be pulling into the station and people outside will see us,” he said, his voice deep and already a little breathless with their kissing session. Momo smiled at him and leaned back. She reached her hand and pressed a button by the white satin headboard. A thick white curtain began to pull across the window from the far left side. A few seconds later the once brightly lit room was now completely dark. Momo could still make out Katsuki in the darkness. He reached for her and pulled her against him.
She hadn’t really been thinking about this. Sure, she thought it was a possibility, but she had been thinking about the suite being a nice option on their trip back so Katsuki could rest. He could take a nap or they could snuggle on the bed or they could study together. But now she realized all of that thinking had been rather foolish. She felt his hand on her back unzipping her dress. His mouth was at her ear, all hot breath and unrelenting intent. “Let’s start here, but I want to break in that shower,” he hoarsely whispered. She couldn’t repress a high-pitched gasp and then her hands went to his lower back, her fingers grabbing the bottom of his shirt and pulling it over his head. His hands, she felt them trembling at her shoulders as he pushed her dress down at her arms. Aiding him, she pulled her arms up through the garment hastily to disrobe. His hands were now on her and she felt dizzy, the heat radiating from him was so immense it was hard for her to catch her breath as she ran her mouth across his jawline leaving kisses in her wake. With one deft movement, he unclasped her bra and she hastily pulled it away. She pushed him back to where he was laying on the bed and lowered herself on top of him, skin to skin, his flesh burned beneath her. If she didn’t know him, she would have thought he had a dangerously high fever. But she knew him. Nobody knew him as she did.
*
Katsuki stepped out of the bathroom in fresh clothes, his hair still slightly damp. It was so thick and coarse, it still stuck up in unruly tufts, just slightly flat at the crown of his head since it wasn’t completely dry. He let out a deep breath and a hum of contentment before plopping on the bed, causing Momo to bounce slightly where she was sitting at the foot of the bed. The curtains were now open letting in bright warm rays of sun and Katsuki crawled towards Momo laying near her then scootching over until his head was in her lap. He looked content, his face relaxed and peaceful. He closed his eyes and sighed.
Momo ran her hand through his hair, feeling the slight dampness. She had gotten out of the shower before he had because she had to blow dry her hair and that took a while. He had whined when she had stepped away and she had grinned at him. Neither of them was sure how long they had been in the shower and it would have been embarrassing if they missed their stop or worse if employees came through the door telling them it was time to leave. After Momo dressed, she was glad to see they still had an hour until their destination. Momo looked down at Katsuki and smiled. She lowered her head down and kissed him on the lips. He kissed her back and as she sat up she saw his eyes were still closed. The train turned a slight corner and now the sun shone directly on Katsuki’s face.
She leaned back to close the curtains but before she pushed the button, Katsuki intervened. “Wait… the sun feels good. Leave the curtains open.”
After another two minutes, he was asleep, even though the sun was shining on his face. There was a slight tint to the window, but she was still amazed when he drifted off to sleep. She gazed at him, his brows and eyelashes looked bleached out with the sun shining on them. Every hair on his brow seemed to glow and his skin that was slightly tanned looked much more light in the sunshine. She saw a few light brown freckles on his face and a slight scar that ran across his right cheek that was barely noticeable in normal light.
Her thoughts went back to the night before, Katsuki sitting before the toilet, delirious from the alcohol still in his system and exhausted from how sick he had become. He had said he wanted to marry her, but he didn’t know how to ask her. She couldn’t get those words out of her head. He had a ring…. His grandmother’s. He was going to ask her to marry him after he figured out how to do it. He probably wanted to make it special but honestly, he could just simply ask her. And he would ask her after he stopped thinking he was some kind of antidote to her happiness. That was the furthest thing from the truth. Since it was Katsuki, it wouldn’t take him long to figure things out. Her chest felt tight, the emotions she was feeling she didn’t know quite how to deal with. There was something so excitingly final about it. This part of her life was figured out. It grounded her. Katsuki was her rock now and she felt like she could take on anything. It seemed so unfair, someone as young as she would experience this kind of surety and stability. But denying it would be like saying the Earth was flat or that ice wasn’t cold.
“What’cha thinkin’?” Katsuki whispered beneath her. She lowered her gaze and looked into his sleepy crimson eyes. She had been looking out the window at the countryside beyond the glass, but not really seeing it.
“I thought you were asleep,” she said as she smiled at him.
“I was… don’t know why I woke up. I’m so f*cking sleepy….” He didn’t even try to stifle a huge yawn. Momo could see down to his tonsils with his mouth wide open and she laughed softly. “Sorry… kinda rude of me, sh*t…” He ran a broad hand over his face. “You looked real intense. Everything okay? You still bothered about your mom?” Momo shook her head.
“No. Just thinking about other things,” she said not really prepared to talk to Katsuki about what she had been thinking. About his drunken proposal.
“You thinking about the shower?” He grinned at her wide and devilish not holding back a single lascivious thought he must have had running through his mind. She thought about lying to throw him off of what she had been really thinking, but she remembered Katsuki never lied about anything so she had to follow suit. If their future marriage was to work, they had to be on the same page about these things. That thought sent her heartbeat racing. The idea that this man lying beneath her, his head in her lap, was all hers made her giddily euphoric.
“No, actually,” she said as steadily as she could.
“Well, I must have not done a good enough job earlier…” he rolled over on his stomach quickly and lifted up the bottom of her dress that had been covering Momo’s crisscrossed legs. He gently kissed her upper thigh and Momo’s body shuddered. Her eyes flicked over to the clock on the wall. They had 45 minutes. Momo leaned back laying on the bed now and touched the button by the headboard. The whirring of the motors that guided the curtain to close filled the room along with Momo’s heavy exhales and moments later the suite was filled with darkness.
Chapter 82: Love Will Come To You
Notes:
Greetings! I apologize for the long hiatus. I had two major life events happen in 2022 (good ones, but still very stressful and time-consuming) that really stymied my ability to write or want to write. Things have calmed down now, and I am glad I am back to writing. I hope you enjoy this 24K word update spread over two chapters 😊
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Marise Yaoyorozu
Marise finally had a break between meetings to close his eyes for a minute and rest. He only went into Tokyo twice a week during the months when he and Hiroko went to their “Winter” Estate. He was able to work most days remotely at home during this time of year, but the times he did go into his office, his day would basically be filled with back-to-back meetings.
The Yaoyorozu Family ran one of the first businesses that began to manufacture support items for people with quirks that affected their everyday living so they could improve their quality of life. What started out as one small store with very limited items built by his great-grandfather had grown into an empire. They had stores all through Japan and in other parts of Asia and they exported items globally. Their brand was always on the cutting edge as far as high-tech merchandise. Even their family’s quirks were related to creating objects. His grandfather could create simple, small objects made of metal, from his body, emerging from his hands. He mainly created tools for their business. Marise could create any object he knew the molecular makeup of, Momo had inherited his quirk, but on a much larger scale. Marise could only make objects the size of his hand.
His parents had pushed him into marrying his wife, Hiroko, when he was eighteen. She came from a wealthy, established family, but she also had an invaluable quirk in Marise’s parents’ eyes. She could create vaporous clouds of immense size. This quirk wasn’t useful on its own when it came to the family business, but paired with Marise’s quirk his parents could see the possibilities. That one of their children could possibly have a creation quirk like Marise’s but without any sort of limit on size if Hiroko’s quirk came into play.
So they dated while Marise earned his business degree. By nineteen, he married Hiroko, who was 18 at the time. By the time Hiroko was twenty-one, Momo was born. Four years later, Momo’s quirk awakened and it had been the perfect combination of both their quirks that the Yaoyorozus had hoped for.
As Marise closed his eyes and let his mind wander, he thought about this history of his family and then his mind went to Momo, Katsuki Bakugou, and the disastrous dinner at the hands of his wife that had played out the week before. Bakugou had pleasantly surprised him. The conversation they had had before Bakugou had become drunk was general enough and had made Marise feel neutral toward him. He knew from his hero accomplishments Bakugou would end up one of the top heroes, probably right out of high school. At dinner, he learned that he also was knowledgeable of the business end of hero agency work and that Best Jeanists’ Agency had seen better numbers since taking Bakugou on. Marise knew through the conversation that even though Bakugou was an introverted, intense, and uncouth young man, he would be successful in the years ahead. He was also hard-working and serious he assumed because of how far he had come and Marise knew he was intelligent due to coming out on the top spot in the exams mere months before, finally besting his daughter.
Bakugou had a commanding presence upon finally meeting him in person, much like Endeavor, and seemed more pleasant in real life versus on-screen through the news, although pleasant may have been too enthusiastic a word. His face was still harsh, his countenance distracted and rude, and he wasn’t handsome like so many other young men his age at UA, specifically Shouto Todoroki and Tenya Iida. Two young men who seemingly had it all (hailing from wealthy and prestigious families, strong quirk stock, intelligence, good natured-ness, strong Pro-heroes in training, good looking, and knew how to carry themselves in high society) and that had purposefully been forced friends to Momo for obvious reasons.
But what had stood out to Marise was Bakugou the next morning. The subtle glances he had given to Momo. Bakugou had been watching her intently. He had been trying to read her. He had not said more than a few words during the breakfast, but his attention was taken up fully by Momo. He had refilled her beverage twice with the carafe between them before the valet could get to it. Momo had not touched her food much, but the two items she had eaten, plain rice and seared tuna, Bakugou had dished additional amounts of those to her when the valet had come around with the serving dishes. She had eaten what he had dished out absentmindedly. He thought Bakugou would be loud, brazen, obnoxious, and self-centered from his impressions of him over the last three years via news coverage and that Momo was interested in him due to some rebelliousness against him and his wife perhaps. But upon meeting him he realized the young man had much in common with his daughter: serious, hard-working, and focused on being the best hero he could be. And that there was something going on beyond just a superficial relationship. And Marise wasn’t ready for that. Not with his little girl. As much as Bakugou’s actions had surprised him, he had also been moved by his daughter’s behavior toward the young man. The way Momo had stood up for him. The way Momo had tended to him when he was ill. The way she had worried to be away from him during the night when he was sick. The way she looked at him. Marise felt nauseous.
He was suddenly pulled out of his own thoughts by yelling that could be heard outside his office. He could hear the bellowing of a belligerent man but also his secretary’s voice shrill and loud. The bickering was becoming louder and louder as they neared his office door.
Suddenly the door to his office burst open causing Marise to stand up at his desk in surprise. In marched Katsuki Bakugou.
“I only need a few minutes!” he yelled behind him at Marise’s secretary, Takagi, who was shrieking at the young hero, running in after him.
“I told you, you have to make an appointment!” Her face was red and puffed up with anger and her hair which was normally in a pristinely coifed bun was disheveled as she glared at Bakugou. Marise’s eyes alighted on Bakugou; he was wearing his hero costume and his clothing looked a bit worse for the wear, dirty and torn in places as if he had decided to drop in after a battle on the streets.
“I only need a few minutes,” Bakugou replied again, staring at Marise, his voice more calm although his volume and tone were irritated. He was addressing Marise this time so his countenance had shifted slightly.
Marise looked at his secretary. “Takagi. Please give us a few minutes.”
Takagi, whose expression had been smug when Marise had called her name, now morphed into one of shock, her jaw dropping. “Sir, you are to meet with the Morita Firm in a few minutes, they actually just arrived-“
“A few minutes, Takagi,” Marise repeated sternly, interrupting her. She glared at Bakugou and the young man snickered as he watched her leave, his upper lip curled in a sneer. She slammed the door behind her. Marise sighed. His secretary was a hard worker and was very defensive when it came to Marise’s time. But she had a temper and was a bit of a control freak. Traits that also made her a great secretary no doubt.
Marise had no idea what Bakugou wanted, but since they had talked about hero agency numbers the week before, perhaps it had something to do with that. Marise had a lot of information most hero agencies didn’t have. Statistics for pretty much all the hero agencies in Japan since he supplied supplemental equipment to almost all of them. He could only discuss the unclassified stats of course.
They both bowed to each other and then Marise motioned at the chair in front of his desk as he took a seat.
Bakugou shook his head. “I’m…. filthy. I don’t want to ruin your furniture. I’m guessing it’s not cheap.”
“You would be guessing correctly. But I can have it cleaned.” Marise smiled at him. Bakugou’s expression was stern and serious. Was Bakugou being considerate, not sitting so he wouldn’t sully his luxurious armchair? Marise thought. That was strange. Or maybe he was just trying to impress Marise with manners but that inclination fit the young man even less. He didn’t seem like he cared about false pretenses or putting on airs.
“I’ll stand, it’s fine.”
Marise nodded at him. “What can I help you with Dynamight?” He called him by his hero name since he was in uniform, adhering to common manners and propriety.
Bakugou took several seconds before he answered, his serious expression never changing. “I need to ask for your blessing.”
Marise felt the blood drain from his face and held his breath. His heart knew exactly what Bakugou meant yet somehow his brain needed clarification. “Bakugou…” Marise couldn’t form the words but he had to ask. Japan’s most shrewd and cunning businessmen, CEOs of some of the biggest, most successful companies in the country, some in the world, regularly sat before him and he was prepared for whatever they had to volley at him. Marise rarely was thrown off his game. And never by “field employees” which was what they labeled Pro-Heroes. It was an improvement from “guinea pigs” which was what his father called them seeing as many of them wore the newest Yaoyorozu products out in the streets. This always disgusted Marise, and honestly “field employee” wasn’t much better. But here was Marise, shaken to his core and made speechless by a Pro-hero. Correction. Pro-hero in training.
Bakugou’s eye twitched. Before Marise’s mouth caught up to his brain, the young man spoke again.
“Momo doesn’t need your blessing of course. She is someone who will do what she wants and won’t be bullied into any situation she doesn’t want to pursue herself. I’m sure you know that though.” His voice was even, but his tone was still serious. There was a definitive edge to it that Marise thought was inappropriate for one so young. Arrogant. But he wasn’t wrong.
“Then if that is the case, why do you ask for my blessing for her hand?” Marise’s logical side caught up with his sentimental side, the flush of intense emotion he felt moments before replaced with cold intellect. He was Marise Yaoyorozu once more, CEO and head innovator of Yaoyorozu Tech, not Momo’s blind-sighted father.
“Because as much as she is her own person, she is traditional. So I ask you only so I can honor her.”
Several moments passed and Marise even surprised himself by his first reaction to the statement. He began to laugh. Bakugou’s expression never changed, but Marise couldn’t help himself with what he thought was such an inappropriate response. He had always imagined Shouto Todoroki or Tenya Iida asking this very question in the near future. A beautiful dream because of the union of powerful families and even more powerful businesses would also be formed. Although after last week's revelations, he knew that was no longer a possibility. He laughed even louder, yet Bakugou’s stern face never faltered. It was absurd to him, but he realized at that moment that this young man was who Momo wanted. Who she was in love with. He had never even considered that. For himself, for his own child. How absolutely wretched. “Forgive an old man…” Marise wheezed out. Bakugou’s face, like a mask, was unchanged. “I just have to laugh because if I didn’t, I think I would weep. Weep for all this ridiculous quirk marriage business. Old families. Old money. Perhaps it needs to stay old.” His laughing began to die down and he sighed. “I want more for my daughter. I want her happiness above all.”
Bakugou’s lips became a thin line and he nodded as if to agree or approve. The young man suddenly moved around the armchairs in front of Marise’s desk and stood in the empty space next to Marise on his side of the desk. Bakugou then dropped to his knees, bringing his arms and head down to the floor, assuming the dogeza posture. Marise’s jovial attitude was suddenly forgotten by the gesture. He froze in shock, again by the actions of Bakugou. He thought back to his wife the week before. She had done the same pose when asking for Bakugou’s forgiveness. It was the highest form of giving someone respect.
This was the most traditional way to ask a man for his daughter’s hand in marriage. It had gone out of vogue with the younger generations, but he remembered asking for Hiroko’s hand in the same fashion. “May I marry your daughter?” Bakugou’s words were muffled and low but shook with emotion. Marise swallowed and leaned back in his chair. His eyes moved across his desk and fell on pictures of Momo. Two pictures in black matching frames. One was her first day of kindergarten. The other was taken at the hero gala last summer. Marise remembered she and Bakugou had danced the first dance together as UA’s top students. He now wondered if the two were in love, even then. It was a type of love Marise had never experienced because his marriage was not one of love, but convenience. But he could at least recognize love due to the paternal love he felt for his daughter. Since the day she was born. Momo was in love with the walking explosive enigma that was Katsuki Bakugou, who reverently bowed before him. Completely out of character for the young man, but because of that, actually meant so much more.
“If she will have you, you have my blessing.” Marise felt the words escape his lips before he knew he was speaking. Bakugou slowly stood up, his face still absent of any humor. He bowed to Marise and walked out the door. Marise grinned again, shaking his head in disbelief, but also he could not deny the mental picture that popped into his head of his wife’s reaction when the engagement would be announced. She would be furious. Marise let out another bellowing laugh. He couldn’t wait to see it.
A Wild Sero Appears!
Sero
Three weeks left of school. Three weeks until they would graduate and be Pros in the “real world.” Sero and a couple of the guys in 3A decided after last hour they would head to Gym Gamma for some additional training. Bakugou cleared it with Cementoss during gym, so Bakugo, Kaminari, Mineta, and Sero headed towards homeroom when the bell rang to grab their hero digs. Their practical exam was next week and so far they had not heard anything about what would be happening so their class was a bit on edge and desperate to continue to train and blow off some steam to calm their nerves.
“Has anyone checked with past alumni to see what the last practicals for third years have been?” Kaminari asked as they walked down the main school building hallway.
“Kirishima talked to Amajiki at work study a couple of days ago. Last year they had a mock disaster at the USJ, similar to what we had our first year,” Bakugou replied.
“Ah great. Yeah, that’s not gonna cause serious PTSD for half our class….” Mineta exclaimed.
“Dude, with that mindset every place we go we should be having PTSD if you consider our whole first year and pretty much most of second,” Sero laughed.
“You guys quit being babies about it, sh*t….” Bakugou grumbled under his breath.
“You’re in a mood. Thought you’d be excited to do some training, Bakugou,” Sero said in a taunting tone.
“He’s just pissy because Momo’s been in Esuha City since Wednesday. Can’t let off steam with her so guess this is the second best thing,” Mineta said. Bakugou snapped his head towards Mineta, growled, and reached a hand out to grab Mineta’s backpack. Mineta was too quick and ran ahead of their group laughing.
“Yeah, you better run you little sh*t,” Bakugou said under his breath as he continued to walk at a steady pace.
“I’m surprised you didn’t kill him saying sh*t like that about Momo,” Sero said more seriously than he intended.
“Yeah, you’ve mellowed quite a bit Bakugou. Better watch it, you don’t want to get TOO soft,” Kaminari remarked with a grin.
“Hey, f*ck you Pikachu,” Bakugou said. Sero noticed he had seemed very distracted the last couple of weeks, even when Momo was around. It was weird. “And f*ck you Post It Note,” Bakugou replied in an unusually even tone like he was talking about the weather, almost like an afterthought. He was looking down the hall but wasn’t focused on anything.
Sero glanced over at Kaminari and Kaminari shrugged at a loss. As the three of them caught up to Mineta, they caught him slamming the homeroom door behind him, his eyes wide and bewildered, like he had seen a ghost. Or maybe a high-end Nomu, much more likely.
“What’s up, Mineta?” Kaminari asked.
“Oh my gawd, my eyes!” Mineta cried melodramatically.
“Let me guess, you walked in on Shinsou and Kirishima making out?” Sero laughed. “I’m still traumatized, I mean I can’t even go into the gaming closet now, talk about PTSD.”
“What the hell, man?” Kirishima’s voice sounded behind them.
“Oh, hey Kirishima, didn’t know you were gonna train with us,” Kaminari said.
“That was months ago and it only happened once,” Kirishima said to Sero. He turned towards Kaminari and added, still highly annoyed. “I got Bakugou’s text about meeting up, I just got back from Esuha City.”
Mineta didn’t make eye contact with any of them and immediately walked down the hall toward the exit as fast as his short legs could carry him.
“Well, whoever was doing whatever in Homeroom’s gonna be coming out soon due to Mineta catching them probably. I say we walk down the hall a bit so it looks like we weren’t right behind Mineta and didn’t see him freaking out,” Sero said.
“I don’t have time for this sh*t, I don’t care who’s in there, I want to get my stuff and hit the damn gym.” Bakugou stepped to the door but before he grabbed the handle to open it, the door swung outward. Ahane-sensei stepped out of the room, followed by Aizawa-sensei. All four of the boys froze.
“Oh, hey guys!” Ahane-sensei said. She looked a bit flustered and Sero couldn’t help but notice the buttons on her blouse were mismatched, having skipped a button. He didn’t dare make eye contact with Aizawa-sensei. He valued his life. “N-Need anything from homeroom?” she asked.
Kirishima was the only one brave enough to look her in the eye. “Yeah, we um just needed our hero costumes. We’re gonna squeeze in some training in Gym Gamma before dinner, sensei.”
“Of course, well. You guys go right ahead. We were just um, doing some grading, yeah. Eraser and I. But I left the papers in the classroom. You know me… I’ll just drop them all anyway on the way to um…”
“Ahane. We should go.” Aizawa’s voice was low and unaffected. As always.
“Yes! Of course!” Aizawa started to walk down the hall, hands in his pockets. “Well, you guys be careful!” Ahane said as she walked away behind Aizawa-sensei.
They listened to the two teacher’s footsteps recede down the hallway and heard the doors shut as they exited the building.
“Go Aizawa,” Kaminari said quietly with a laugh.
“No way. I don’t believe that for a second. Like how?” Sero said as serious as a heart attack.
“I think it’s kinda nice. I mean, even old people deserve love you know,” Kirishima said.
A voice came from behind them and Sero and Kaminari jumped in surprise. “That’s been going on for months,” sounded the deep voice of Shinsou who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
“Oh, hey babe!” Kirishima said as Shinsou wrapped his arms around him to give him a hug.
“PDA, come on guys,” Sero whined.
“That’s been going on for a while? Why didn’t you tell me?” Kirishima asked.
“Because you can’t keep secrets worth a damn,” Bakugou blurted out.
“Exactly,” Shinsou said with a wry smile.
Kirishima shot them both dirty looks.
“Well the only ones worse than Kirishima are Mina, then Kaminari about blabbing so I’m pretty sure everyone on campus will know by the end of the day,” Sero offered up as the group entered homeroom to grab their hero costumes.
“Hey!” Kaminari called out.
*
Bakugou, Shinsou, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero all had a great training session in Gym Gamma. Every time Sero thought he had made some great strides in his hero repertoire, all it would take is a session with his fellow 3A classmates to take his pride down a notch. He had to remind himself they were going to also improve over time.
The guys hit the showers at the gym and then returned to the dorm just in time for dinner. It was a typical Monday evening, it was Asui and Shouji’s turn to cook dinner, and rich smells of teriyaki and grilled tuna filled the air as Sero piled his plate with food and a lot of rice. Mina’s eyes went wide when she saw his plate.
He grinned at her. “Carb loading, me and a couple of the guys hit the gym earlier for some training.” Mina nodded at him approvingly. After dinner, many of the students settled in the living room to start on schoolwork. Sero realized finals were in two weeks as he pulled his Calculus book out of his backpack. The last semester had gone by too fast. Before he could let any feelings begin to grow about the fact he would be living somewhere else completely different in three short weeks, away from the class he had grown close to the last three years, he cleared his throat and pushed those thoughts away.
Sero had sat on the opposite end of the couch from Bakugou. As he settled back in the comfy sofa cushions with his textbook and notebook, he couldn’t help to look over at Bakugou as a loud “thump” sounded from his direction. Bakugou was deeply engrossed in his English textbook, resting the book on his knee and holding it with his left hand, but his right hand was tossing one of his hand grenades at the rounded edge of the coffee table and catching it with his right hand as it ricocheted back to him. Without taking his eyes off his book. It was an almost absentminded gesture like someone tapping their foot or flicking a pencil against a tabletop. But Sero knew what those grenades were capable of and he felt an impending sense of doom settle in his stomach as Bakugou repeated the careless action. Again. And again. He glanced over and noticed Kaminari and Kyoka on the other couch, Kyoka was reading a book, but Kaminari met Sero’s gaze and he looked as uneasy as Sero felt. Mina was laying on the floor atop some floor pillows near Kaminari, but she seemed too caught up in studying with Toru, who sat next to her, to notice Bakugou.
Kaminari gave Sero a wide-eyed look and nodded toward Bakugou like he wanted Sero to stop Bakugou. “You do it,” Sero mouthed soundlessly to Kaminari.
Kaminari shook his head and mouthed back, “No way.”
Sero sighed. Sure, Bakugou had mellowed a lot over the last two years and even more so when he and Momo started to date. But Bakugou had been pretty irritable as of late and the last thing Sero wanted to do was poke a stick at a humming hornet’s nest. He closed his eyes and winced trying to decide what to do. Thump. Thump. Thump. The f*cker’s gonna blow us all up! Sero thought, his anger overtaking his trepidation.
He opened his eyes and glared at Bakugou. “Hey, maybe you shouldn’t be doing that in the dorm,” Sero stated plainly but there was an edge of annoyance to it.
It took Bakugou a couple of seconds to realize Sero was addressing him. He looked over. “What?”
“Quit playing around with the grenade, man. You want to blow us all up?”
Bakugou’s red eyes focused back on his book. “Mind your own f*ckin’ business,” he mumbled.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Sero shot a length of tape over at the grenade, catching it in mid-flight, and retracted it back towards him, grabbing it with his left hand. Bakugou growled and launched himself towards Sero, his books flying off his lap and dropping to the floor. Sero was a step ahead of Bakugou, his tape already adhering to the opposite wall and his body whisking by Bakugou before he could grab him. Sero repeated the actions back and forth between the walls of the dorm living area but he knew Bakugou would catch him eventually so he decided to see if he could recruit some help. Tsu and Tokoyami had just walked into the area.
“Tsu! A little help!” Tsu‘s eyes flicked around the room in a millisecond taking everything in and she shook her head but stood there as if waiting to see how things unfolded. Tsu was the least biased person in the class and wouldn’t get involved with something as mindless as roughhousing, but would interfere if things went south fast. Dammit, Sero thought. Kaminari watched the happenings from the couch with a huge grin on his face. Kyoka however looked highly annoyed. Sero finally felt Bakugou grab him by the back of his shirt and he knew the game of cat and mouse was over. Bakugou slammed him against the wall and grabbed him by the front of the shirt to hold him in place. He glanced at Sero’s hands which were empty and then he glared at Sero with such fiery hatred Sero had no idea what he would do next. He had not seen that look on Bakugou’s face in the last year.
“Where is it!?” he raged in Sero’s face.
“Let go of me and I’ll give it back!” Sero yelled back.
“Tell me where it is or I’ll kill you!” Spittle flew from Bakugou’s mouth as he bellowed the words. He brought his other hand back and it began to spark.
“sh*t…” Sero breathed out a bit in shock that Bakugou was going to take it this far, he didn’t think he would.
He watched the sparks begin to ignite but before they could explode out, a glob of slime was thrown on Bakugou’s hand, squelching the imminent explosion. Well, at least Mina didn’t mind getting involved. “Boys, stop it!” he heard her admonish out of sight.
Bakugo’s lips turned into an ugly sneer and Sero couldn’t help to notice the feeling of heat on his chest coming from Bakugou’s hand that held him in place.
“Someone do something!” Kaminari bellowed from behind Bakugou.
Sero’s jaw dropped. He’s gonna kill me over a stupid grenade.
“Bakugou, STOP!” a voice sounded near them. Sero didn’t recognize it, but he instinctively moved his hand over Bakugou’s wrist to try and wrench his heated hand away.
Bakugou turned toward the voice, his expression not changing, but he let go of Sero’s shirt. His hand was smoking and Sero’s shirt was charred.
“What the f*ck man….” Sero said in exasperation as he looked down at himself. He removed the shirt over his head quickly throwing it off of him onto the tiled floor and glared at Bakugou.
Shinsou was standing beside them both, his eyes boring into Bakugou like he was challenging him. Sero had never seen the expression on Shinsou’s normally passive face. Sero realized it had been Shinsou that had yelled at Bakugou to stop. He thought it was strange because Shinsou rarely got involved with things happening between classmates.
A long pink tongue appeared suddenly by Shinsou’s head dangling the grenade. Sero sighed; during his bounding from wall to wall he had shot it up to the ceiling and taped it in place unbeknownst to Bakugou at that split second since his back was turned. It seemed Tsu had seen him do it and she decided she finally wanted to diffuse the situation.
Bakugou grabbed the grenade and turned towards Shinsou, getting right up in his face.
“Let me guess, next step was to Brainwash me if I didn’t stop,” he growled, looking up into Shinsou’s face.
Shinsou tilted his head and grinned. If you could call it a grin, it was more of a taunting challenge if anything. Sero was hoping things would settle a bit because he was under the impression Shinsou and Bakugou were simpatico the last couple of weeks. He thought maybe they had bonded over being Aizawa’s dogs or maybe it was because they were both close to Kirishima, but this exchange was pretty caustic.
“Are you done?” Shinsou said in a low, bored drawl that didn’t match the determination in his eyes.
Several seconds passed and Sero couldn’t keep his eyes from going back and forth between the two. He was pretty sure he heard Kaminari whine.
“This wasn’t your sh*t to deal with. Don’t interfere in my business again. That’s a warning.”
“Oooo I’m shaking in my nylon composite neoprene boots,” Shinsou said in a monotone deadpan. His eyes had softened though and now he just looked a lot like how Aizawa-sensei looked after assigning a ridiculously difficult practical drill that usually had someone end up in Recovery Girl’s office.
“And you,” Bakugou’s eyes shot over at Sero. “Don’t touch my f*cking stuff.” Sero gave Bakugou an exasperated expression but didn’t feel like saying anything back because he was DONE with Bakugou and didn’t want to deal with his bullsh*t anymore. With that, Bakugou left the living area, grenade in hand, taking the stairway door out. He had left all of his books and his backpack behind.
Everyone was stone still in the living room, eyes on the stairway door. “Okay, that was crazy. What’s wrong with you Sero? Why were you jacking with him?” Mina asked.
“You’re saying this was my fault? He was throwing around one of his grenades! Like I want us all to get blown up!” Sero retorted.
“Bakugou’s always been really careful with his equipment. Most likely it was empty,” Tsu said. Always the voice of reason Sero couldn’t help to think, annoyed.
“Well, Bakugou has also been a bit of a loose cannon lately with how he’s been acting. And without Momo or Kirishima here, well no leashes for him, you know, so I told him to stop and he didn’t. He was being a total dick,” Sero said.
During the conversation after Bakugou’s departure, Shinsou had left the room and out the dorm front door without saying anything to anyone. “Have to admit, I thought it was weird Shinsou got involved and that somehow Bakugou actually listened to him. What’s up with that?” Kyoka said as she settled back down into the couch after picking her book off of the floor. Kaminari plopped down next to her and started to laugh.
“Yeah! I thought Momo had Bakugou’s balls in her purse the last couple of months but apparently Shinsou’s had them this whole time,” Kaminari said.
Kyoka raised an eyebrow at Kaminari. “You made sure Bakugou was out of earshot before you said that. You’re so brave.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t say that to his face, I value my life,” Kaminari said as he looked back down at his book.
Kyoka turned, looking behind her. “Oh, hey Bakugou, did you forget something? Your books?” Kyoka asked. Kaminari turned around, a distraught look on his face and then when he saw no one was standing behind them, his face turned into an irritated scowl as he looked back at Kyoka. One end of her mouth turned up slightly before she resumed reading her book.
“Hey… um… you okay Sero?” Mina asked as she walked towards him. Her eyes shot to his chest which was somehow luckily unscathed.
“Yeah. But that asshole owes me a shirt,” Sero grumbled.
Kirishima
Eijirou decided to head to the gym after the training session with the guys and had hoped when he got back to the dorm there was some dinner left. However as he entered the living area he was accosted by Sero, Mina, and Kaminari who all had told him about Bakugou’s huge outburst over his grenade several minutes before. It explained Hitoshi’s absence too since he was supposed to have a late dinner with Eijirou in A dorm, and he was MIA.
“Okay, okay! I’ll talk to him,” Eijirou told them, trying to calm them down.
He went up the stairs and knocked on Bakugou’s door. No answer. Eijirou knocked again. “Come on, I know you’re in there.” Eijirou turned the doorknob and felt the resistance of it being locked. “Bakugou, open up! I’m not leaving until you open the door.” He could hear Bakugou growl through the door and walls and heard his heavy footsteps bound towards him. Bakugou unlocked the door but didn’t open it so Eijirou let himself in.
Bakugou walked over to his rug where it appeared he was working on his gauntlet. There were tools and parts strewn across the floor. Bakugou immediately picked up a part of the gauntlet that housed the lever and began tweaking where the lever joined the base with a flathead screwdriver. Eijirou walked over to Bakugou’s desk and deposited Bakugou’s backpack he had left downstairs. Bakugou didn’t look up at him as he worked on the gauntlet.
“So you want to talk?” Eijirou said although he knew what the answer would be. Bakugou glanced at him with a look of ‘what do you think?’ and he turned back to his project.
Eijirou was a natural-born peacemaker and because of this, he was always pushed by others to intervene and smooth things over whether it be calming down a Bakugou acting out, Class 3A disagreeing over something, or even when students outside of his class couldn’t see eye to eye.
“I know what this is all about,” Eijirou said. Bakugou still didn’t look over at him. “3 weeks left. I mean, we’re all feeling it. Stressed out but also sad about the last three years coming to a close.” Bakugou put down the screwdriver and reached for some lubricant and began to oil the hinges of the lever. “You’ve been more quiet and irritable. You’re almost being as big of an asshole as you were first year.” Eijirou leaned against the lip of the desk, watching Bakugou. “I heard about what happened downstairs, man. That’s pretty unhinged, even for you.”
Eijirou saw the grenade sitting on the desk and reached over and picked it up. Bakugou now glanced over at him and bristled. It had to have been the same grenade he had fought with Sero over. Eijirou knew it wasn’t live. Probably didn’t even have any of his fuel reserves which he knew he sometimes would keep in them. Bakugou was extremely anal about securing the live grenades either on his hero costume or in his hero case or at Best Jeanist’s Agency, never out where someone could inadvertently hurt themselves with it. Eijirou had noticed him carrying this specific grenade around the last couple of days.
Eijirou having spent too much time with Bakugou knew how to open it. As he flipped the clasp and the top flapped open he knew one of three things could happen. Either it would explode due to the pressure being released if it was live (not as strong as a charge when detonating it, but enough to probably disfigure his face) or fuel would spill out making a huge mess OR Bakugou was hiding something in there. He had activated his quirk as he did it although he thought the explosion was the least likely, but he wanted to protect himself just in case. No spill and no explosion. As he peered at the grenade’s contents, Bakugou had reached him, having leapt up from the rug. His hand was gripped around Eijirou’s wrist but it was too late. He had seen it.
“Wow. I mean I figured you were hiding something, but didn’t think…” Bakugou’s face went bright red and he looked like he was about to explode a barrage of expletives at him so he had to think fast. He quickly closed the grenade up and pushed it into Bakugou’s hand. “I think it’s great.” Eijirou smiled at him, just a simple smile but he meant what he said.
Bakugou snatched the grenade up and became an even brighter shade of red and turned away from Eijirou. “Come on, talk to me. I promise you’ll feel better if you let it out. Maybe then they’ll be no casualties this year. Sero would like to graduate along with the whole class.”
Bakugou placed the grenade on his desk, then walked over and sat on his bed. He put his head in his hands, and then scrubbed his fingertips vigorously at his scalp, tearing through his hair like he was trying to rid himself of having to think. Eijirou felt Bakugou’s extreme tenseness like static in the air. He would have to tread carefully. He walked over and slowly and quietly and carefully sat next to his friend as if he was approaching a wild animal he didn’t want to spook.
Eijirou let out a shallow breath and placed his hands on his knees as he watched his friend. His head was still lowered, his face hidden from view, but at least his fingers had stilled as he clutched at his head. “So… what’s the plan then? With the ‘grenade’,” Eijirou said in a low tone, almost in a whisper.
His head still lowered Bakugou answered, “I don’t know. I…. have no idea…” He sounded absolutely defeated. This was uncharted territory and Eijirou was surprised Bakugou was going there. It showed how much this meant to him and how hard he had been struggling with trying to figure it out.
“Well… when is y’all’s next anniversary?” Eijirou asked.
Bakugou now looked up at him confused. “What?”
“You know your anniversary. The day y’all started going out?” Bakugou looked at him still confused. Eijirou couldn’t help but grin. “You know, like Hitoshi and I started going out November 28th. Or that’s the day he asked me to the formal so… the 28th of every month is like an anniversary. I mean it’s not a huge deal to me or even Hitoshi but sometimes people like to do something to celebrate it, like a gift or something.” Bakugou looked at Eijirou like he had sprouted a second head. Eijirou chuckled. “Okay, well maybe that’s not the –“
“November 24th,” Bakugou blurted out his expression changing to absolute seriousness suddenly.
“Oh,” Eijirou said surprised. So Bakugou did have that day engrained in his mind. The day he and Momo started going out. He just didn’t know about any of the anniversary stuff. Eijirou grinned. “Dude. The 24th’s tomorrow!”
Bakugou’s expression changed to a slightly baffled one. “What the hell do I do then?” Eijirou was witnessing another new expression of Bakugou’s he had yet to see in the 3 years he had known him. Bewilderment. His brows actually can go in the opposite direction like that, Eijirou thought. His jaw had dropped slightly, and his lips were in a slight frown. Not a sneer or a smirk or a ridiculously over-the-top grin. His bestie needed him. He was gonna help his best bro out. They were going to come up with something special. Something amazing.
“When does Momo get back from her work-study?”
“Late tonight,” Bakugou replied.
Eijirou grinned. “We’re gonna plan something amazing for tomorrow night then!” he shouted as he punched Bakugou in the shoulder enthusiastically. Bakugou’s expression shifted into a pained scowl, almost looking like he was going to be sick.
Momo
Momo couldn’t sleep. She had gotten back from work-study a little before midnight and had found Katsuki in her room waiting for her. They had only talked briefly before settling down to sleep. She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand and the red numbers even set at their minimal brightness still glared at her stark and deliberate. 2:03. She lay on her side, just a sheet covering her body but she felt Katsuki’s body heat radiating behind her even though he wasn’t pressed up against her. At some point in the night, he had pulled away from her. So now her backside was warm, but the front of her body was freezing. She rolled onto her back and still did not reach him. She turned her head and saw he was facing away from her on his side. He was laying under just the top sheet, the sheet only covered him up to his waist and his bare back barely moved with each of his shallow breaths. He was in a deep sleep. Momo shivered and couldn’t help the urge to move toward his warm body, she shifted over carefully so she didn’t wake him.
She got close enough to where she could feel his warmth but not touch him. He had to wake up early for work-study and she didn’t want to wake him. As she wrapped the sheet carefully around her shoulders not wanting to disturb him she inhaled deeply. Sweet embers burning. She barely noticed Katsuki’s scent now unless she consciously thought about it. It had permeated her room, her bed, and even her own clothing. If anything it was more familiar to her than her own scent that constantly changed from day to day. She stared at the back of Katsuki’s head for a few seconds, yawned, then laid her cheek gently against the top of his back as she positioned herself behind him, trying not to disturb him.
He had been growing distant from everyone the last couple of weeks. Even she and Kirishima. She made herself promise to not let it worry her. Katsuki was still present with her, still spent time with her, and did little things here and there to show he cared. But he seemed very distracted and irritable. Of course, most of the class was stressed and irritable. Graduation was three weeks away. Finals (practical and written) were just two weeks away. Momo would be patient. She closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.
*
The phone alarm blared. Momo sat up quickly and leaned over to grab her phone off the end table. It was hard for her to move because of the sheet and thick comforter tucked around her. As she silenced the alarm she realized Katsuki must have tucked her in tightly before he left. The room was barely illuminated by the early morning sun. Normally she would immediately start her morning routine. Change into her uniform clothes and then grab her toiletries bag and go downstairs to brush her teeth and hair in the bathroom. But instead, she sat in her bed and thought of Katsuki.
It was difficult not to do that as her eyes fell on her desk. His dented-up insulated aluminum water bottle sat next to her textbooks. His book from their novels class. A few mechanical pencils of his favorite brand. One of his hoodies, a plain black one, was draped over the chair at her desk. A pair of his orange slippers were neatly placed by her door.
She couldn’t shake the feeling of missing him deeply as if he had been gone for weeks and not just an hour. She realized as much as she loved UA and all she had learned and all the people whose lives had touched hers, she had outgrown UA. She was ready for the next part of her life to begin. And it would be with Katsuki. He would return that night and he had told her he had something planned for her. The thought of seeing him that evening for a special occasion made her nauseous. Was it finally time for him to ask her? His grandmother’s ring. She shook her head as if to shake off the thought. It was ridiculous to think about. They were both still so young, but even so, she would talk to him tonight about how she had changed her mind about working at Endeavor’s Agency. He had agreed to certain requests she had and had sent her a new contract. All she had to do now was sign it. At Endeavor’s Agency, she would be able to see Katsuki much more frequently and they could continue their relationship past graduation. It’s what she wanted and she hoped that was what he wanted as well.
She reluctantly climbed off of her bed and started her day. It would stretch out very long before her since Katsuki would not return until close to 7.
At lunch, Momo’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out to see she had received a text from Katsuki.
Katsuki: Reminding you to not eat dinner tonight with the class. I’ll be getting in around 7 and have something planned.
Momo smiled. Like she could forget.
*
Momo sat on the dorm living room couch and kept checking her phone every few minutes. 6:15. 6:20. 6:24. 6:33. She had to stop. She couldn’t help to feel the excitement build. It somehow made her think back to the night of the Formal. And then to that night in her dorm room when she made the orchid card and wrote, “Yes,” to Katsuki’s invitation to the dance. She had noticed Kirishima was absent from the dorm living areas as were Iida and Sato which was odd. Momo had changed into a simple yellow a-line dress before coming down for dinner. The fabric was knit so it made the outfit a bit more casual so she hoped it would not draw any suspicions. She tried to read the book in her hands but kept skimming through the words and not reading them. She glanced at the phone on her lap. 6:45. 6:53.
Shinsou walked in through the front doors and sauntered straight towards her. He sat next to her and sunk into the couch. He looked over at her, his face its usual passive calm. “Bakugou is waiting for you outside,” he said in his usual low and dull tone.
“Oh.” She smiled at Shinsou. “Thank you.” She looked around as she left the couch making sure no one besides Shinsou was giving her any attention, and headed towards the front doors. Her heart rate increased as she pushed the door open and walked outside. It was already dark, although she could see gray clouds low in the sky and hear thunder off in the distance.
Katsuki was standing at the bottom of the entrance steps, his hands in his pockets. He wore baggy, black cargo pants, his shiny black leather boots, and a magenta button-down shirt with a black floral pattern. An untied black tie was looped around the neck of the shirt as if he had either forgotten to tie it or had tied it and then undone it. The top button of the shirt was unbuttoned so Momo thought the latter. Maybe he was getting overheated so he had undone it for some relief. Somehow he looked more pleasing to her than he had on first seeing him dressed for the formal. His mouth was relaxed, but his eyes were wide and alert. He offered her his hand as she approached him. She took it and they held hands as they walked along the sidewalk.
Momo wanted to ask him where they were going but thought she would wait for him to speak. He usually was a man of few words, but he was even more so as of late.
“How was class today?” he asked, looking over at her finally after a couple of minutes of walking in silence.
She met his gaze. “Most were mainly reviews actually. Due to all the work-study absences. I took notes for you.”
“Your notes are crap,” he said with a small smile.
Momo couldn’t remember the last time he had actually smiled and she tried to not let that make her sad. “I put forth a lot of effort to make them detailed, but if you don’t want the advantage…” she teased, being egged on by his smile. He felt so close all of a sudden which made her realize how truly distant he had been the last few weeks.
“Fine. I’ll take them. Unless I have to worry you may be trying to sabotage me.” Before Momo could reply, Iida ran up to them.
“Bakugou! Kodai and I were able to move the um….” Iida looked over at Momo for a second and then back to Bakugou. “Special Occasion to another venue due to the inclement weather. It is all set up and ready for you both.”
“Um. Yeah, thanks, Iida. I owe you one,” Katsuki replied.
“Oh, never mind that! Glad Kodai and I could help last minute! Have an enchanting evening, the both of you!” Iida nodded his head at Momo and sped off. Momo’s curiosity was at an all-time high. Thunder sounded much closer now and Momo could see the flashes of lightning. Seconds later she felt a large rain droplet on her cheek.
“Dammit… we better run so we don’t get drenched…” Katsuki said gruffly. They ran down the sidewalks and luckily made it to their destination before the torrential downpour started. They were at the faculty dorm which Momo found odd. As they stepped into the building into the foyer, Katsuki turned towards Momo and scooped up both her hands in his. “This was supposed to be… I had planned it to…” he took a deep breath and looked intently at her. “We were supposed to be on the roof of the observational tower at Ground Omega…. But the rain…” his cheeks flushed a light pink but he didn’t look away.
It hit Momo now, he had planned something to take place at the spot where they first kissed. Where they had both revealed, without a doubt, that they were leaving behind the notion of friendship for something so much more. It was hard to believe it had been about four months ago. Everything had been so intense and their romance fast paced it was hard to believe it had not been years. Momo nodded at him, but before she could say anything, to get all the feelings rushing through her into coherent thoughts, he led her by the hand up the stairs to the third floor.
As they walked the suspended walkway flanked by windows on all sides, Momo shivered at the darkness that surrounded them with the incoming storm. The lights around them seemed unable to cut through it and the rain that rattled the roof, outdoor walls, and windows seemed to make her feel trapped where they stood. As they neared their destination, Momo realized where they were going. Aizawa’s dorm suite. She had been there in the past to babysit Eri.
As they arrived at the door, Katsuki turned towards Momo and let go of her hand. He exhaled a large breath and then wiped his hands on his pant legs. If his hands had been sweaty, Momo had not noticed it. He closed his eyes for a few seconds as if he was trying to calm himself. Momo found it odd because she couldn’t imagine what he could have planned for the evening that would set him on edge. Unless…
As he opened his eyes, he spoke. “I just want to warn you, if this whole thing is cringey, if it’s terribly….. corny…. and you want to go back to the dorm, it’s fine with me.”
Momo couldn’t help but grin widely back at him. Her curiosity was considerably peaked now. “We’re hero course students. Corny is good. I think we can all use a giant dose of corny in our lives.” Katsuki’s face turned into a slightly pained expression as he took her hand again and opened the door.
The dorm suite looked very different than how Momo had remembered it. The kitchen area was cordoned off with a tall, many sectioned, panel so they could not see in, but they could hear “kitchen” noises. Momo was hit by delicious smells of food signaling they would have dinner there.
Eri stood in front of the paneled screen, a big smile on her face. She was wearing a black dress with shiny black ballet flats and her hair was in a single French braid. “Good evening! Do you have a reservation?” Katsuki stared at her, his face bright red. Several seconds passed. Momo had scanned the rest of the living room dorm space and noticed furniture had been moved out of the living area of Aizawa’s dorm suite and a small table now sat there with a red tablecloth, a large lighted candle, two formal place settings, and a simple crystal vase with a single flower: Phalaenopsis Aphrodite.
Momo couldn’t help but squeeze Katsuki’s hand tightly and then leaned her shoulder into his as if to prod him to answer.
“Yes. 2 for 7:00. Under the name Bakugou,” Katsuki said, sounding absolutely mortified.
Eri gave him a huge smile. “Your table is ready! Right this way!” The trio walked to the table and Katsuki pulled out Momo’s chair for her. Eri giggled. Katsuki grumbled something under his breath Momo didn’t catch. As Katsuki sat, Eri placed two menus on top of the place settings. Katsuki grabbed the menu, not making eye contact with Momo. As Momo looked over her menu, she noticed Eri had been the one to create them. Even though she was young she had written the items with a careful hand. There were drawn illustrations next to the five courses that would be served. Eri had become quite the gifted artist Momo thought to herself. Gone were the stick figures of a couple of years ago. Momo now wondered if Katsuki had taught her any drawing techniques. After Momo perused the menu smiling at the thoughtfully picked-out dishes that were all favorites of hers, she looked up and saw Katsuki was watching her, his expression now much more serious.
“Kirishima! Oven Mitts!” Momo heard a voice yell from the kitchen area. It took her a couple of seconds to recognize it was Sato’s voice.
“It’s cool, man. My quirk… I don’t need mitts, I won’t get burned…” she heard Kirishima answer back. She couldn’t help but grin. Katsuki met her gaze and rolled his eyes. Of course, Kirishima would be involved with the whole ordeal somehow. She began to wonder how much of this whole event was Kirishima’s idea.
Eri had disappeared behind the panel and then reemerged with a tray of tea things along with two small confectionaries. From the menu Momo knew they were red plum blossom sweets and the tea was gyokuro. It was her favorite tea of late. Momo loved tea and had many that she really enjoyed but lately she had started making gyokuro tea for her friends in the dorm on Friday afternoon. Katsuki had been paying attention. Katsuki prepared and served the tea as soon as Eri had placed the tray down.
“I can’t believe you had time to plan all this –“ A loud thunderclap sounded, interrupting Momo. It seemed dangerously close, it had made Momo jump and Katsuki had almost spilled the teacup he had placed before Momo. Eri suddenly bolted from the kitchen and ran towards the table. She stopped abruptly as she reached Momo and Katsuki and her eyes darted back and forth between them, her chest heaving in heavy breaths. Before Momo could reach her arms out to Eri to comfort her, Eri took a huge step towards Katsuki and his arms went out in time to scoop her up as she barrelled into him.
Another thunderclap rang out and Eri cried out this time, burying her head into Katsuki’s shoulder. A second later Momo heard the fortified storm windows drop into place a few feet from where she sat, covering from the outside the two windows in the exterior wall of Aizawa’s suite. The school’s inclement weather protocol had been initiated. The storm raging outside had to be very dangerous for that to happen Momo thought to herself. Either a tornado, very high winds, or very heavy lightning.
“We should take cover in a more secure space in the apartment,” Momo said as she stood up.
“There’s a closet through that door, no exterior walls,” Katsuki said still holding Eri in his arms, but nodding towards a door off the living room. The lights suddenly flickered and then went out. Eri screamed out in the darkness and then seconds later the emergency lights, fueled by the generators, kicked in barely illuminating the apartment in an eerie red glow.
“You’re safe with us, Eri,” Katsuki said as the three of them walked toward the closet.
“Sato, Kirishima! You guys need to take cover!” Momo called out.
She heard a loud clatter, something dropping, and then heard Kirishima curse under his breath.
“Come on, not like we can do anything much anyway with no power and everything’s so dark,” Momo heard Sato say.
*
A minute later the 5 of them were huddled together in the laundry room/closet. Even in the more protected space, Momo could hear wind racing around the storm windows in the next room. There were no emergency lights in the closet so four cell phone flashlights glared out to give them light.
It had continued to thunder outside and Eri had grown quiet. Momo noticed she at some point had wrapped an arm around Katsuki’s upper arm and was holding his hand with her two small hands. Her head leaned against his chest and with each thunderclap, she jerked reflexively. Her face was pained with worry.
Momo checked the weather radar app on her phone. “Looks like we’re to take cover for a few hours. They are calling for severe thunderstorms, high winds, and flash flooding.” Momo looked at Eri and added, “We should be secure here Eri.”
Eri looked over a Momo. “So no… cyclones. Or… tsunamis?”
“No. Nothing to warrant us having to go any higher than a second story. And we are protected from the high winds and lightning in this closet.” Momo’s eyes shot up to meet Katsuki’s and he smiled at her. He looked very odd, holding a small child in his lap. The fierce hero Lord Explosion Murder God Dynamight, comforting a scared child. He looked non-fazed and the small smile on his face showed he wasn’t uncomfortable in the situation. Of course, he, like all of Class A was very familiar with Eri who had spent a lot of time with them all. Her reflex wasn’t to run to Creati, Red Riot, or Sugar Man first, though.
“A few hours Momo?” Kirishima asked.
Momo nodded at him.
“Well in that case…” Kirishima quickly bolted out of the small space closing the door behind him.
“Where the hell are you going, dumbass!?” Katsuki yelled. Eri didn’t even flinch in his lap and his bellowing was definitely louder than any of the inclement weather outside. Momo couldn’t decide if Eri’s non-reaction to Katsuki’s yelling was a good thing or a bad thing.
20 seconds later, Kirishima joined them again carrying several trays of food. “If we have to hang out here, no sense in starving. None of us had dinner. You don’t mind Bakugou? Momo?” Kirishima asked with a sheepish expression on his face.
Bakugou shook his head. Momo smiled as she spoke. “Would hate for it to go to waste.”
Thirty minutes later, Sato and Kirishima had fallen asleep, both leaning on the other. Full bellies and the drone of the heavy rainfall outside had lulled them to sleep. Momo tidied up the trays and food as much as she could in the tight space and then stood up and decided to squeeze next to Katsuki and sit by him. Kirishima had not left a lot of space. She lowered herself to sit and then leaned into Kirishima to push him over slightly to give herself a bit more room. It was like trying to move a mountain.
“Yeah, he’s even heavier than he looks,” Katsuki said. Momo leaned into Katsuki and rested her head on his shoulder finally feeling sleepy. It had been a long day.
“Is Eri asleep?” she asked.
Katsuki looked at Eri, the light from the four cell phones that were placed on the floor in the center of their haphazard circle was enough for Momo to see Eri’s torso moving slightly with her even breaths. “I think so. She’s been really still.”
“I’m surprised Aizawa-sensei didn’t come to check on her. I’m guessing he is tending to things on campus due to the storm.”
“He knows she’s with 3A. Can’t imagine a safer place.” They both looked at Sato and Kirishima completely out, Kirishima beginning to snore in his sleep. Katsuki snickered. “Well, excluding those two.”
A crack of thunder rent through the dorm suite and Eri immediately woke and screamed. She began to shake and then cried out. “Are we safe? Should we go somewhere else? What happens if the winds get to us?” The words tumbled out of her in quick succession.
“It’s okay, Eri. Just thunder. We’re safe here,” Katsuki said trying to calm her down.
“What if the wind bursts through the windows? Or it floods?” Eri said, her lower lip trembling.
“Katsuki will get you to higher ground. You’ll be safe with him; he'll use his explosions and you'll both fly through the air until he finds a safe spot,” Momo said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
“Really? Doesn’t the rain put out your explosions, Kacchan?” Eri asked.
Katsuki shook his head. “Not even a typhoon can put me out of commission,” he said with a grin.
“You were out in a typhoon?” Eri asked in awe.
“Ask Momo, she was with me,” Katsuki said, looking at Momo and grinning ear to ear. “You remember that Ponytail? Our first year?”
“Of course. I was completely soaking wet, not to mention freezing as well. I had to hold on to him for dear life.” Momo looked at Eri. “I swore I would never fly with Katsuki again. And I didn’t until a few months ago.”
Eri now finally smiled. “A few months ago on your first date?” Momo looked at Eri, surprised. “Kirishima told me all about it earlier today.”
“Really?” Momo looked at Katsuki and could have sworn he was blushing in the dimly lit space. “You told Kirishima about that night?”
Katsuki cleared his throat. “Just enough so he could help me plan stuff for tonight. Of course, it was all a waste of time anyway the way things ended up.”
Eri looked quite sad as she spoke now. “I’m sorry your special anniversary night was ruined.”
“Anniversary?” Momo asked, confused. Katsuki snickered. “Wait… it’s the 24th…. Today is our 4-month anniversary.” She had been so preoccupied with thinking about Katsuki and his grandmother’s ring she didn’t think about a more simple event that made a lot more sense. “Well, we’re still getting to spend time together so I wouldn’t say it’s completely a wash. Thank you for helping out tonight, Eri.” She grinned at Momo.
“Just two more sets…” Kirishima mumbled in his sleep. The three of them looked over at Kirishima and Sato, both of them still in a deep state of sleep.
“Oh, Kirishima’s dreaming,” Eri giggled.
“Idiot. Only Kirishima would exercise in his f*cking sleep,” Katsuki said.
Eri’s jaw dropped. “Kacchan… you can’t say that word, remember?” she whispered.
“Well Aizawa-sensei isn’t around to hear me say it, is he?” Momo poked Katsuki in the side and he turned towards her and winked. Even though the bad weather had made a mess of the evening, Katsuki seemed to be in a much better mood now. More talkative and relaxed. Well, as relaxed as Katsuki was capable of being.
The three of them continued to talk for the next half hour since it seemed to help take Eri’s mind off of the storm. The lights came on finally and Momo heard the storm windows retreating outside. The warning period to take cover had been lifted. Katsuki yelled at Kirishima and Sato to wake up and help tidy Aizawa’s suite.
By the time they got things cleaned up and furniture replaced to its usual positions, it was close to 10. Shinsou showed up and he and Kirishima would watch Eri until Aizawa returned. “There was some damage to the campus he is tending to. He texted me he won’t be too much longer,” Shinsou said.
Before Momo and Katsuki left, Eri ran up to Momo and hugged her. She then turned to Katsuki and pulled down on his hand. A confused look alighted on Katsuki’s face. “What the….” He then knelt down raising an eyebrow at Eri. Eri leaned close to Katsuki’s ear, her small hands cupped around her mouth, and whispered something to Katsuki that Momo couldn’t hear. He smiled. Eri then hugged his neck and Katsuki sighed, rolled his eyes, and hugged Eri back.
Momo and Katsuki walked back to the dorm hand-in-hand. The rain had finally stopped and it was quite chilly outside. “So what was that all about? What did Eri tell you?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Katsuki said, his face donning a smug expression.
“I’m shocked you didn’t tell me to ‘mind my own damn business’.”
“I did. You just got the nicer version.”
“Thanks,” Momo said back smiling. She was in such a good mood and it was strange considering how the evening had been spent. Katsuki seemed to be in a talkative/interactive mood and Momo was enjoying it a little too much. “I’m surprised Aizawa-sensei let you guys use his dorm suite for something as frivolous as a dinner date.”
“Wow, Ponytail. Frivolous, huh? See if I ever do anything nice for you again.” His voice was hoarse and his tone irritated but he had a wide (dare she think good-natured?) grin on his face so she knew he was teasing.
“No! That’s not what I meant!” She leaned into him for a moment as they walked.
“Sure it was.”
“What I mean was Aizawa-sensei would see it as frivolous.”
“Uh-huh.” Katsuki stared at her for a moment still grinning. He then pulled her in and draped an arm around her, his body heat warming her in the cold night. “Shinsou asked Aizawa if we could use his apartment for training tonight.” Momo knew Katsuki and Shinsou were doing some training together but neither of them would say what kind of training they were doing. Apparently, Aizawa was in the know.
“That makes a lot more sense. Well, I still had a good time, even if things didn’t go as planned.” Katsuki hummed a hum of contentment.
As they entered the dorm, most of the class was still in the living area talking about the storm and some of the damage that had occurred on campus. “Maybe we won’t have class tomorrow!” Kaminari said hopefully.
Iida was trying his best to calm people down and get them to go to bed. “As the class rep, I received a message from Aizawa-sensei that the damage was minimal, and classes will resume their normal schedule tomorrow. Now to bed 3A! Tardies have increased in homeroom in the last two weeks! No staying up late which will only cause sleeping in and being tardy in the morning! Ahane-sensei and Aizawa-sensei will be checking on everyone tonight to make sure rooms are undamaged and everyone is okay.”
Katsuki grumbled. “Guess we’ll be sleeping in our own rooms tonight…”
Katsuki still insisted on walking Momo to her door. As she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss she decided to tell him the news about her change of plans after graduation. “I was going to tell you over dinner tonight so I didn’t get the chance, but I don’t want to wait, so I’ll tell you now.” They were face to face, her arms still around his neck, her hands absentmindedly playing with a piece of his hair.
Katsuki’s brows furrowed with worry. “Everything okay?”
Momo smiled to reassure him. “Yes. It’s just… I decided to sign on with Endeavor’s Agency.”
Katsuki’s mouth dropped open and his expression became tense. She wondered if his mind was now being bombarded with several thoughts all at once about what that statement entailed. “What changed? What about Fat Gum? Endeavor’s contract? He’s a bastard and works his heroes too many hours, I-“
“Katsuki,” she said quietly and was surprised it was enough to interrupt him and his stream of very loud questions and comments.
“Are you sure?” he said quietly now. Momo suddenly began to not feel quite so sure about Katsuki’s future intentions with her. The night before in her dorm she felt like she knew without a doubt he loved her deeply enough to want to link his life to hers after graduation. To continue their relationship. But what if that deep love wasn’t enough? What if he felt his feelings for her would interfere with being the number one hero in Japan? What if he didn’t want to continue their relationship despite his heart? She searched his face and it was concerned and worried. Was he worried for her or worried for himself?
“I had some requests for him and he agreed and sent over a new contract. Fat Gum said he would relinquish my contract if I wanted to bow out. He has a waiting list, Sero is actually on it, so he said he would much rather I take a position that worked better for me, that he was covered. And I thought being two hours away from you instead of almost six would make a long-distance relationship easier for the both of us….” Momo swallowed nervously. Maybe she had read everything wrong. “I haven’t signed it yet.” Katsuki’s expression now became serious. Hard. He had reverted back to the distant Katsuki of the last couple of weeks. Momo lowered her hands from Katsuki’s head and placed them on his chest. She somehow managed to keep eye contact even though she felt the urge to look away.
“Will you be doing what you want at Endeavor’s? He’ll want to stick you in the office more to lead and do press releases. You won’t be doing daily patrols…And he won’t be giving you many days off. I remember. I work-studied for him for a year and Burnin’, one of his sidekicks, practically lived at the agency.” His expression didn’t change.
Momo let out a breath feeling like he seemed more worried about her at Endeavor’s than her cramping his style. “No, the contract says I have at least half of my time in the field. And I will have at least 5 days off a month, and I can lump them together any way I want. So I could spend a few days a month in Tokyo with you…” his face had not changed. “I mean… if that sounds okay to you.” Momo felt an empty pit in her stomach suddenly. She was terrified now to see how he would react.
A few seconds passed and Katsuki finally grinned. His eyes crinkled at the edges. “I think that’s very okay. I mean, I wasn’t sure how we would… if you were in Esuha City… it’d be tough for us to… but now we can see each other a lot more. I…” Momo lurched toward Katsuki and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He laughed. It was such an unusual sound coming from him. A low, drawn-out laugh that seemed relaxed and full of joy. “You okay?” He squeezed her gently in their embrace.
“Yes.” She felt her eyes begin to fill with tears, but she blinked quickly to try and stop them. She felt excitement begin to swell inside her completely erasing the emptiness that had been creeping up on her before.
Momo heard the sound of someone clearing their throat near them. They both let go of each other and saw Aizawa-sensei standing a few feet away holding onto a clipboard and staring daggers at them. “Yaoyorozu, Ahane is probably waiting for you downstairs to check on your status and the condition of your dorm.”
“Yes, sensei,” she replied. Katsuki looked at Momo and mouthed “‘Night.” Momo quickly gave Katsuki’s hand a squeeze and walked to the stairway door feeling like she was floating. Soon there would no longer be curfews and dorm checks and chaperones. She couldn’t wait.
*
Momo returned to her dorm and although she was tired, the excitement she felt made it hard for her to fall asleep. The future was finally taking definite form and Katsuki would be an integral part of that. Momo thought back to the ring in Katsuki’s care and the proposal he was possibly still mulling over. That was a very real possibility now that her doubts had been erased about Katsuki’s after-graduation plans. Even so, she realized she could wait for him. And if she had to wait 20 years until he asked for her hand, she would patiently do it. Because she knew in the interim he loved her enough to make space in his life for her. She began to feel a bit embarrassed she had even doubted him in the hallway. She should have recognized how he cared for her because she saw that selfless devotion to Katsuki in herself. It had been such a great night. Such a great year at UA. She figured Katsuki would most likely be joining her for the night in her dorm soon when he felt Aizawa was done with his inspections and left the building. But if for whatever reason he didn’t join her, maybe he was exhausted and wanted to sleep in his own bed, she wouldn’t draw negative feelings about Katsuki’s intentions over it. It didn’t matter because she knew he loved her passionately and more importantly he loved her practically. She would not insult him by doubting him again.
*
Bakugou
Katsuki had not been in his room since the storm so he let Aizawa in to check it to see if it had been damaged. It looked fine so Aizawa checked off a space on his clipboard, asked Katsuki how he was, and then checked off another space and left. Katsuki closed the door behind him. He took the grenade out of the deep pockets of his cargo pants and placed it on his desk. He then took off his cargo pants and his nice shirt that was as uncomfortable as hell and changed into a faded black sleeveless t-shirt and scrub bottoms. He was going to text Momo if she wanted him to come over for the night but before he could pick up his phone, Kirishima came bursting into his room. “So?” he asked excitedly.
“What?” Katsuki asked him annoyed. "I thought you were helping watch Eri?"
“I wanted to check on you so left early. Anyway, did you do it? Did you ask Momo?”
“No. I mean… everything got crazy with the storm.” Katsuki had been so excited about Momo deciding to sign with Endeavor’s Agency, about her being so much closer to him distance-wise after graduation, but now his anxiety had returned in full strength pushing that high away. “f*ck,” he said under his breath. He sat on his bed and put his head in his hands. Why was he having such a hard time with this? Was he worried she could say ‘No?’ Would she? And there was the thought that kept stilling him every time he thought about it, which was all the damn time:
How could anyone ever truly love me?
Sure Momo wanted to continue dating and she loved him. He definitely saw that now after what she had done. But. What about more than that? Could she tie her life to his forever? Someone like him? Someone so deeply flawed. His eyes flicked over to the grenade on his desk. What was inside that stupid grenade had consumed his thoughts. “Maybe I’ll just wait. Until after graduation.”
“Bro.” Kirishima plopped down next to Katsuki. “You can do this. You need to just give yourself a deadline now. Like, you have to do it before finals. I mean if you don’t, things will be different after graduation. As far as cohabitation and stuff.”
“What?” Katsuki looked over at Kirishima and had no idea what Kirishima was talking about.
“You know…. If you guys are really serious, then you’ll be kinda living together right? That’s different than dating. And if you guys aren’t living in the same city, well the just dating thing could be more strained if you aren’t committed.”
“What the hell!? Why are you making this so complicated!?” Katsuki bellowed.
“Chill, man!” Kirishima put his hands up in front of him, his face open, his tone trying to placate. “I’m just trying to light a fire, just a small one. I know how much you want to do this. Just giving you a nudge.” Katsuki closed his eyes and started to count to ten under his breath, taking deep breaths in between numbers. Kirishima was right. He wouldn’t feel his anxiety lessen until he asked her and she answered. It had to be soon. He only hoped she would feel the same way he did.
“You know she’s crazy about you. You guys are meant to be together.” Katsuki looked at Kirishima and his friend’s expression was so earnest. “You’re… you’re so worth it, Kat. Remember that.” If anyone could read right down to the heart of him at times through all his bullsh*t, it was Kirishima. He thought back to Aizawa’s dorm suite and what Eri had whispered to him. Thank you for making me feel better. You are one of the best heroes. And one of my favorite friends. Katsuki never thought 3 years ago he would have anyone that cared for him so much to consider him a friend. His experience at UA had changed his life in so many ways. He had made friends that he fiercely cared about and that cared about him, too. He still had so many things he had to work on, like his temper and his patience. And his mouth. But maybe Kirishima was right. Maybe he was worth the wait.
Notes:
Shameless plug here, but if you are interested in reading a one-shot about the first time Momo flew with Bakugou that was mentioned in this chapter, click here -> Puppy Love. There’s some pre-relationship Baku Momo and some platonic Kiri Baku in this story. And also dogs!
Chapter 83: Trouble
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Eijirou
It was Saturday early afternoon, and Eijirou found himself in Hitoshi’s dorm, but not in his dorm room. Eijirou was in Gen C’s living area on the couch with Chiba and Fujioka talking about Hitoshi. They only had a half day of classes due to a teacher development seminar so all of UA were enjoying the early start to their weekend. Hitoshi had work study Friday and Saturday and had gotten back to UA about thirty minutes before. He was exhausted and dirty (he had the night shift and had gotten on a bullet train back to UA right after his shift ended Saturday morning) Eijirou had gone over to Gen C to greet him as he arrived back on campus. Hitoshi had decided to shower, get changed, and meet Eijirou and his friends downstairs. Then, they would head over to the market for lunch.
Eijirou thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with Hitoshi’s classmates, especially Chiba and Fujioka since they were closest to him. He enjoyed hearing about the things Hitoshi did when Eijirou wasn’t around and just talking about Hitoshi in general.
“He has been a lot more social since you two started dating. We all worried he would be less so because his social meter would be filled by you and you dragging him around places,” Chiba said.
“Hitoshi’s not really introverted though,” Eijirou grinned.
“Soshi’s not introverted? Are we talking about the same person?” Fujioka laughed.
Eijirou smiled good-naturedly at Fujioka. “Well, not a typical introvert. An extroverted introvert.” Fujioka rolled her eyes at this but she was smiling so it didn’t come off as antagonistic. Eijirou had gotten used to her, she was a bit pretentious and could be grating at times but Eijirou knew she meant well. She cared for Hitoshi, being his best friend when they were younger, so they had that in common. “I don’t think he minds crowds of people or even talking in groups, he can be a bit of a show-off if given the opportunity.”
“Well, that’s the truth,” Chiba added.
“He definitely was a bit of a show off last weekend. There was a party when we went home Saturday evening and he was the center of attention. A pro-hero in Nakatsugawa caused quite a stir. I have some pictures you guys have got to see! Pics of the party, but I also brought some childhood ones of Soshi!”
“You have physical pictures? Who does that nowadays?” Chiba laughed.
“Call me old fashioned but I like having actual pics instead of just going through them on my phone and posting them on socials.” She walked over and grabbed a pristinely decorated pink box about the size of a shoe box from the kitchen counter and sat between Chiba and Eijirou.
“Scrapbooking and crafting, Kimi?” Chiba teased her as he took in the box.
She rolled her eyes at them and then opened the box and started to hand stacks of pics to both boys. “Very funny. I don’t scrapbook and I didn’t make this box, I bought it. I mainly keep my pics in boxes like this one or put some in albums,” she said dryly. “I took photography as my elective last year so I sometimes use my camera instead of my cellphone and if so, I develop my own pics. It’s become a bit of a hobby.”
“A bit of an obsession looking at this box,” Chiba said.
“Well, maybe. Most of them are digital ones I had printed up though,” Fujioka replied.
“Party last weekend?” Eijirou asked a bit late in the conversation, but he was curious. Last weekend Hitoshi had gone home overnight on Saturday because his parents had pestered him too much about never visiting. He had returned to UA early the next morning and Eijirou and Hitoshi had spent the rest of the day together, mostly in Hitoshi’s dorm room. Hitoshi had told Eijirou he loved him that afternoon. He smiled now thinking about it. Every day since he couldn’t help but view Hitoshi in a different way. In a way that made him think of the future, which admittedly wasn’t something Eijirou often thought about, living too much in the present at every moment.
“Yeah, a lot of families in our neighborhood got together at my house to celebrate Soshi coming home since he barely does it. He would rather be up at UA most of the time, even on holidays, even before you,” Fujioka said, her green eyes falling on Eijirou. She was smiling, but something was off with her. Eijirou figured it was the fact she and Hitoshi had had a falling out months previous. Eijirou didn’t know the specifics of why but knew they hadn’t spoken for weeks but then had made up and were friends again recently.
“Oh! Look how cute!” Eijirou said as he started to go through the stack of pictures in his hand. There was a tiny Hitoshi, probably 4 or 5 years old. His face was impassive, (not surprising Eijirou thought) which didn’t look quite right on someone so young. He was wearing blue shorts and a blue shirt that had a decal of All Might on the front. His hands were cupped around something small, but you couldn’t see it. His hair was a mess of purple waves and his eyes were large and doe-like. There were no dark circles under them, but his face had a sleepiness to it. Maybe it was just the serious expression.
“I remember that day. We were in my backyard looking for grasshoppers. That’s what he’s holding in his hands.” Eijirou flipped the picture to the bottom of the stack and then the next pic on top showed Hitoshi again, but this time a small blonde girl with pigtails was with him. Fujioka. They were about the same age as Hitoshi in the pic before. She was giving him a hug, a big smile on her face. Hitoshi was standing rigidly, looking uncomfortable, his face in a slight scowl.
“He sure hasn’t changed much has he!” Chiba laughed.
“He’s nothing if not consistent,” Fujioka said. Chiba and Eijirou went through stacks of pics, oohing over cute baby pics, laughing at awkward middle school ones (Eijirou still thought Hitoshi had an air of coolness to him even with the harsh undercut hairstyle and braces) As Chiba and Fujioka talked more about middle school, Fujioka glanced over at a stack of pics Eijirou had started going through. “Those are from last weekend, from the party at my house,” Fujioka said to Eijirou before returning to her conversation with Chiba.
Eijirou grinned as he went through the pics. He thought the party would be more of a whole neighborhood thing but most of the people in the pics looked like teenagers or young adults. He didn’t recognize anyone in the pics except Fujioka and Hitoshi, but there were group shots with Hitoshi and he looked like he belonged there. These were the people he had grown up with. His childhood friends. It was nice to know he had that back home, much like Eijirou. People who remembered you when you were a small child when you were an annoying middle schooler. As he got through more pics, he saw some of the teens and young adults had flushed cheeks and/or glassy-eyed expressions. Seems like they were having a LOT of fun thought Eijirou with a chuckle.
One of the last pics in the deck made Eijirou stop and hold his breath when he flipped to it. There were four people on a couch. A girl and a guy cuddled up next to each other on one end of the couch smiling lazily at the camera/phone. On the other end of the couch was a guy with long blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail, a snake bite piercing, his face was sun-kissed and his skin tanned, and clothing that gave him a “uni student” air. He was mid lip lock with Hitoshi. Both the blond guy’s hands were wrapped around Hitoshi’s lower jaw and neck, his mouth open, and Hitoshi’s tongue exposed in the shot. It was intense and deliberate and made Eijirou see red. There was no denying the two were making out. Eijirou felt his face grow hot. He flipped through the last three pics and none of them had Hitoshi in them. But there was another pic of the blond. A big grin on his face, tan-skinned, muscled, and gorgeous. Well, Hitoshi is nothing if not consistent thought Eijirou bitterly.
“You okay Kirishima?” Chiba’s voice brought Eijirou out of his own head.
“Yeah. I’m…” Eijirou placed the stack of pics back in the box. He stood up, his knees felt weak and he felt like he was going to be sick. “I’m gonna check on Hitoshi. See what’s taking him so long to get ready.” Eijirou started to walk towards the stairway.
“If you go upstairs, the two of you will never come back down!” Chiba said with a laugh. “And this time we’ll know you two aren’t going out for a “bike ride!”
“Yeah… like they were ever going out on bike rides…” Fujioka said with a sour expression.
Fujioka
“Great, I guess it will be just you and I for lunch at the market now,” Chiba said as the door shut behind Eijirou.
“Not necessarily…” Fujioka picked up the stack of pictures Eijirou had put down before he went upstairs. She flipped through them and saw the two rogue pics. The pic of Hitoshi making out with Kin Hidaka and the pic of Hidaka. Both were taken last summer. She had purposefully placed them in the pics from last weekend’s party to start sh*t. She thought Kirishima wouldn’t take the bait. Hitoshi had been wearing a different shirt in the summer pic and his hair was shorter. But he had fallen for it. Of course he would, he’s an idiot.
She had told herself Kirishima wasn’t good enough for Hitoshi. That this was for the best, the two of them breaking up. They were too different. Hitoshi would grow bored of the one-dimensional Kirishima anyway so she was just saving him some time. But she couldn’t help the one thought she tried to suppress that was the true catalyst. If I can’t have him, no one else can.
While Chiba was distracted looking at pics from her Class C pile, she took the two rogue pictures and placed them in the correct summer pics pile and then placed that pile underneath the last weekend pics. That way if Kirishima and Hitoshi talked it out and figured he had seen mixed-up pictures, the two piles were on top of each other and she could play it off as a misunderstood mishap if they wanted to see the box of pics. The piles were on top of each other right? Easy to mix up. But she hoped they would fight about it and there would be enough miscommunication to cause them to break up.
She waited, trying to abate her excitement. Hitoshi would be single now and would be spending more time with her and Chiba if things worked out. Maybe the three of them would be heading to lunch in a few minutes. He would be upset about Kirishima’s wild accusations and he would need someone to talk to. And she would be there. And then he would finally see. She was the one that had always been there for him. When he was sick as a child, she would help take care of him, and sit with him and watch movies with him or play board games when he couldn’t play outside. All through middle school she was there for him when friends were fickle and times were hard because everyone at that age is so self-centered. Maybe she could finally make him see that she had been in love with him all these years. Only her. Always her. Since they were small children. It was meant to be. He would realize it in time.
Hitoshi
There was a loud knock on the door which Hitoshi found odd. He had told Eijirou, Chiba, and Fujioka he was going to meet them down in the common area after he showered and changed. He was dressed except for his socks, so he stepped over to see who was bothering him. He opened the door and was met with a surprise.
Eijirou quickly walked past him into the room, his mouth set in a deep frown and his brows furrowed.
“Well, you’re impatient,” Hitoshi said, amusem*nt ringing in the statement as he turned towards Eijirou. “I told you I was going to head downstairs as soon as I was ready so we could go to lunch -“
“I know what happened last weekend, okay!” Eijirou blurted out. Hitoshi saw Eijirou’s chest heaving heavy breaths, his face flushed, his expression hard. Hitoshi stared at him, shame spreading throughout his whole body, he felt numb by how quickly it overtook him. He didn’t know what to say, how to answer. They stood there in the room staring at one another. Eijirou’s face that before was irritable and angry now morphed into a blank expression, devoid of any emotions. It didn’t look right on his face, which was always easily readable with whatever emotions were running through him. The silence now became something palpable, like a separate creature hiding in wait and ready to strike. Hitoshi tried to think of the things he could say to change the outcome of where the conversation had to go. But he knew no matter what he said there was probably no other direction where it could lead.
The deafening silence had spread throughout the whole room, it filled his ears as if it was white noise; he could barely hear his own reply. “I’m sorry,” Hitoshi whispered.
“That’s all you have to say?” Eijirou’s voice came out raspy and low, almost lost in the sea of space between them that seemed impossible to close now.
“It won’t happen again. I promise.” Hitoshi heard the pleading in his statement. The sharpness of the tone, it made him sound like a child that had gotten caught stealing a piece of candy. But his crime was so much worse.
“You betrayed me. I thought you loved me… we… “ Eijirou broke eye contact finally and turned away. He wiped his eyes with the fingers and thumb of his left hand. Not looking into those eyes made things easier now for Hitoshi to try and explain himself. Even though he knew it was pointless.
“I couldn’t help it… I…” Hitoshi wanted to tell Eijirou he had told him he could do whatever he wanted with Brainwash when he asked him to use his quirk on him, but that seemed like a shallow justification. And was gas lighting at its finest right? ‘You said I could do it. You said I could violate you’ Something an abusive manipulator would say. Because deep down he knew what he did was a violation. But he was too hungry. Too eager to test out this new, ridiculously overpowered part of his quirk. He couldn’t help to think at the time about how invaluable he would be to any agency if he could fully control it. But now all he felt was stark regret that made his stomach turn and made him feel sick.
Eijirou’s eyes were back on Hitoshi’s and he looked so hurt now. He stared at him, his expression weighed down heavily by his own sadness. Hitoshi wished he would yell at him or cry angry tears. This defeated, yet resolute Eijirou was too much. How could Hitoshi make him see? Make him realize he loved him and he had made a mistake. He would vow to never impede into his mind again.
“We’re done,” Eijirou said. Hitoshi was frozen in place, unable to move or speak. He watched Eijirou leave his room, slamming the door closed behind him. The interminable silence filled the room now that Eijirou was gone. Hitoshi was lost in that silence. It filled his now empty self, leaving him cold and hopeless.
Eijirou
Eijirou ran down the stairs until he hit the bottom floor and slammed the exit door open. He strode out into the cool afternoon air, his head racing with too many complex thoughts pulling his mind in every direction, his heart feeling heavy and broken. He jammed his hands into his jeans pockets and walked quickly towards his dorm trying to not burst into tears. He dropped his eyes to the sidewalk in front of him not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. The last thing he wanted to do was have to engage in conversation. The sadness was overwhelming but the acute anger he felt about what he had discovered mere minutes before was overtaking his broken heart, at the moment he was seething. He had never felt this way towards anyone. Being upset and having one’s anger stirred by criminals and villains was something he understood. But this level of betrayal at the hands of someone who he was so close to and trusted was a new experience and he didn’t know quite how to process it. He knew at some point this anger would dissipate and he’d be left alone with the stark sadness and realization it was over with Hitoshi and he didn’t want to think about it.
With his eyes downcast Eijirou ran right into Hanta Sero, almost knocking him over.
“Oh, sorry Sero,” he said as he grabbed Sero by his shoulders, steadying him.
“Damn, Kirishima, where are you off to in such a hurry?” Sero said as he secured his footing.
“No place in particular, just out for a walk.” Sero eyed Eijirou suspiciously. “What about you?” Eijirou asked, deflecting and trying to steer the conversation someplace else. He didn’t want to answer any more questions.
Sero chuckled nervously. “Well… “ he dropped his voice and got closer to Eijirou. “To the Market Party,” Sero whispered, and then he grinned. The Market Party… Eijirou thought to himself. Of course, it’s Saturday.
“Can I tag along?” Eijirou quickly replied, trying to keep his face from scowling, trying his best to give one of his usual easy grins. But it wasn’t easy at the moment.
“Seriously? You of all people? Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes finally wants to break the rules, huh?”
“Sure. Why not? Better late than never,” Eijirou tried to talk in his usual casualness, but he heard the hardness in his tone. He only hoped Sero didn’t catch it.
Sero nodded at him and nodded toward the gate in the direction he had been heading in.
They walked quickly towards the main gate leading into UA. Almost every day at 6 PM the gate was closed and locked. Only certain personnel could unlock the gate and anyone wanting in or out had to use a button at the gate to call into the night security’s office. Every night except Saturday night. This was due to the large number of students that used this night to leave and go visit family overnight. Some school clubs and activities lasted until 6 or later so it made sense they would extend the time until closing up for the day so students could leave for a night away back at home when they were done with school activities. They would return the following day since Sunday was their one day off a week aside from holidays. So on Saturdays, the gate closed at 10 PM.
Because of this, some students decided to take advantage. 6 PM was also the curfew every night to be back on campus if students went to the market next door. This was the only place students could usually go to off-campus unless they had permission. So even though technically students had to be back from the market at 6 pm, the gates didn’t close on Saturday like they did the other nights. So if any local teens from the area high school (and even teens that attended UA but lived locally) threw parties at the market due to knowing shop owners or even living there themselves, it was secretly passed along throughout the school. As long as they were back before the gate was closed at 10 pm, they most likely wouldn’t get in trouble even though they were technically breaking curfew.
The duo left UA through its main and only gate and headed towards the market a block away.
“So where’s the party? Kinda early, too. it’s not even 2.” Eijirou asked, wanting to talk now that the silence was starting to let his mind wander to Hitoshi.
“Sweetbank Bakery. Maru Iwai from Class D’s family owns it. They live in a huge apartment above it. Her parents are out of town until tomorrow morning. So it’s just her and her older brother. There will be some local uni kids. So…. college girls.” Sero grinned. “As far as getting there early, it’s less suspicious the earlier we can get off campus. Most of the UA kids will be there before 3 due to the shorter day of classes. Kids from the local high school and Uni won’t be there until closer to dark though.”
“So what do you guys do to kill time before dark?” Eijirou asked.
Sero grinned at him. “Oh, there’s stuff to do. You’ll see.”
Eijirou nodded feeling completely out of his element and a bit naïve’. He had heard of these parties but had never gone since he saw them as breaking the rules. But now he didn’t care. He didn’t care if he got in trouble. He didn’t care about anything at all at the moment.
“You okay, Kirishima?” Eijirou realized his face was probably in a grimace and he couldn’t change it at the moment to save his life.
“Yeah,” Eijirou offered half-heartedly.
“You don’t seem okay. How’s Shinsou?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Eijirou felt his face flush red with embarrassment and anger. He saw Sero’s eyes go wide and then Sero looked away up in front of him.
“Well, it’s on the far side of the market, so we have about a twenty-minute walk.” Eijirou nodded, he felt his face still rigid with a scowl but he couldn’t soften it. Normally he and Sero were quite chatty when together but they walked in silence. Sero was smart enough to tell Eijirou wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat.
They arrived at the bakery and saw several students inside, although the open sign wasn’t lit. The hours posted were 6 am to 1 pm on Saturdays and Sundays which made sense since the market was much slower on the weekends without its usual traffic from the area businesses that were only open Monday through Friday. Sero tried the door but it was locked. He lightly tapped on the glass door with his knuckle and Eijirou saw the head of Maru Iwai whip towards them. She was wiping down a counter. She grinned at Sero and walked over to let them in.
“Hey, guys! Glad you both came early, do you guys mind helping clean up? My parents left an hour ago so I closed up on my own and want to get things cleaned up before everyone gets here.”
“Sure!” Eijirou said. He was eager to do anything to keep his mind off of what had happened earlier. There were baking sheets in the kitchen that needed to be washed. Eijirou along with a couple of support student third-years finished up with kitchen chores. Sero and Maru pulled the trash and took it out and wiped down surfaces in the bakery front room. After several minutes it looked like things were ready.
“Let’s close the blinds. I’ll have to keep an ear out for the door until it gets dark. Then I can leave it unlocked. It’s dead on this end of the market after 5:00 PM. Most of the shops are daytime ones. You guys can head upstairs. My brother will be here soon with drinks,” Maru said.
“Drink drinks?” Sero asked with a wry smile.
“Drink drinks and drinks,” Maru replied with a grin. “Nikko turned 20 last week, so he can buy whatever he wants now.”
Normally any instance of underage drinking would make Eijirou leave immediately. He would never risk getting into that kind of trouble. But it didn’t matter at the moment. He wanted to have a good time. He needed to have a good time.
There was a light rap on the door. Maru opened it and in walked Mina, Setsuna Tokage, and Kosei Tsuburaba from Class 3B. “Kiri! What are you doing here? You’ve never come to any of these,” Mina said in surprise almost dropping the large bag she was holding. Sero took two huge steps and helped steady the bag in her arms.
“I… uh…-“
“What the hell are you haulin’ around Mina? This bag is heavy,” Sero said interrupting Eijirou. He was thankful for the deflection, he didn’t even know how he was going to tell people that he and Hitoshi broke up. It made him sick to think about having to say it out loud. Sero had to know something was up.
“Oh, just some snacks and stuff for some games,” Mina said.
“I’ll take it,” Sero said as he took the bag from Mina.
“Thanks,” Mina said, a surprised lilt to her voice.
“You didn’t have to bring snacks, Mina! We have a lot of baked goods that I put aside for us. You always do too much for the parties,” Maru said.
“I don’t mind. You can never have too many snacks.”
“Games, huh?” Sero asked.
Mina smiled wickedly at him. “Of course.”
They headed to the back of the bakery, Sero ahead of them seeming like he knew where he was going. They must have had a “Market Party,” at this location before. Sero opened a door where there was a hallway leading out to the back of the building and a stairway leading up to the apartment. Upstairs there were a couple of other students Eijirou recognized as third years from UA in the kitchen eating snacks. Sero put Mina’s bag on the counter and started to unload it. Mina now grabbed Eijirou by the arm and pulled him into the room next door.
“What the hell, Mina!” he said, irritated. She kept pulling him to the other side of a large open living room until they were at the far end by a bay of windows.
“What’s going on? Why are you here? You and Shinsou?” she said in hushed tones. Her black eyes glistened. She looked hurt. She had to know by the way he was acting and his presence at a place he would normally never go. They were childhood friends and when they both started at UA and ended up in the same class they had become a lot closer. She really was like a sister to him. He opened his mouth to say it, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he let out a shaky breath and felt a couple of tears stream down his face.
“Oh, Kiri!” she said as she wrapped her arms around him. He felt her small frame shaking, she was crying, too.
“Mina, please… if you start… I’ll become a wreck… please…” Eijirou croaked out. After several seconds, she let go of him, put her hands on his shoulders, and looked him earnestly in the face. She had black makeup smudges under her eyes.
“You’re right… I’ll stop,” she whispered as she searched his face. She took a deep breath. “But we’re going to talk about this tonight. After the party in my room okay?” Eijirou nodded at her. “And Shinsou better f*cking run the next time I see him.” Her face was serious, her mouth a hard line. She meant it.
Eijirou couldn’t help but weakly chuckle. Mina stood on her tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek. “Wait….” Eijirou brought his broad hands to her face and gingerly and as carefully as he could with his thumbs he wiped her smeared makeup away. Then he cupped her face gently with his hands. “Thanks, Mina.”
She smiled at him now. “We’re gonna have so much fun tonight! I got some games planned. It will take your mind off of things!” She grabbed his hand and walked him back to the kitchen.
30 minutes later, Nikko Iwai arrived with the drinks. “About time Iwai!” A support student yelled. As it neared five o’clock, cups were filled with beer, snacks were out, music was playing, a group was playing video games in a bedroom, and a couple was making out in another bedroom. The party was in full swing. There were about 20 students in the apartment and that number would only go up as the evening grew late. Eijirou had parked himself on the couch next to Mina who had not let his hand go since they had talked by the windows earlier. Sero had ditched them both early on to game in the other room. Eijirou held a cup of beer in his other hand, but he had yet to take a drink of it. He and Mina had been chit-chatting with Maru’s brother and some of his friends.
“How long have you and Kirishima been going out, Mina?” Iwai asked.
“Oh, no, Kiri and I are just friends! We go way back. We grew up together.” Iwai smiled at her.
“So…. do you have a boyfriend?” Iwai asked.
“Kinda. It’s complicated,” Mina replied. Eijirou squeezed Mina’s hand and she briefly turned her head towards him winking at him. Something had happened between her and Inasa. Well “kinda” happened apparently, whatever that meant. Guess they would talk about that later when they talked about Hitoshi. Not Hitoshi, now. Shinsou. Just Shinsou now. It would be a hard habit to break.
“So, you’re “kinda” available?” Iwai asked.
“Yeah.” Mina coyly smiled and took a sip of her beer.
A few minutes later Mina let go of Eijirou’s hand and stood up. “Who’s ready for a game?” Mina said loudly with a lot of gusto. Some heads turned her way and a couple of people cheered. She walked over to a long island counter that separated the living area from the kitchen. She grabbed a box of unopened pocky from the bag Sero had carried into the room. She shook the box in her hand and a couple of students started chanting “Pocky Game.”
“Maru, where should we play?” Mina yelled to get her attention.
“You can go downstairs. I unlocked the bakery door, only party people should be coming in this late, no one should bother you guys.” Mina grinned, grabbed Eijirou by the wrist, and pulled him along toward the stairs.
A few minutes later 8 of them were gathered in a circle on the floor. They had moved tables to make room so they could all sit comfortably. “Okay, I wrote everyone’s name on pieces of paper and put them in this cup. I’ll draw names to decide our four pairs. The two people in each pair take a bite at each end of the pocky stick and nibble their way toward each other. The first person to back down and turn away before you kiss loses and has to drink.”
“What if they both kiss each other and neither turns away?” Iwai asked, grinning.
“Well, then they both ‘win’ and neither has to take a drink,” Mina said coyly. Eijirou’s stomach lurched. What if he got teamed up with a guy? Wait, what if he got teamed up with a girl? His palms began to sweat. “Kiri?” Mina’s voice rang out. He locked eyes with her and she gave him a knowing smile. She could read his sudden apprehension. Mina crawled over to him and sat next to him while the other people in the circle chit-chatted.
“I need you to take a big swig of your beer,” Mina said.
“What?”
She leaned towards him so she could whisper and only he could hear. “Take a big gulp of your drink. Now. You need to loosen up, love. It’s gonna be okay. It will be fun. I promise.” Eijirou nodded quickly a few times. As Mina returned to her spot, Kiri took a big gulp of his neglected beer. It tasted horrible. He tried his best to not make a face. How could anyone drink this stuff willingly? he thought to himself. He caught Mina’s eyes and she was laughing at him.
“It gets better, I promise,” she said. The look on her face made him think she wasn’t just talking about the beer. “Okay! So the first pair is…” Mina fished two pieces of paper out of the cup and read them out loud. “Setsuna and Me!” Eijirou exhaled with relief. At least he wasn’t going first. Mina opened the box of pocky and both the girls moved towards the middle. They both sat on their heels, the ends of their knees touching the other’s knees. Mina placed the pocky stick in her mouth and Setsuna leaned towards her and took the other end of the pocky stick in her mouth. They both began to nibble on the stick, inching closer to each other. Setsuna seemed to be going through her side faster and that made sense to Eijirou. She had pointy, shark-like teeth just like he did.
He heard a throaty, deep chuckle coming from Setsuna as she was gaining on Mina. Mina hummed a squeal but kept nibbling. A second later, Setsuna locked lips with Mina and a few people in the circle cheered and clapped. Setsuna pulled away, a smug look on her face. She was very competitive so Eijirou wasn’t surprised. Mina’s face blushed a dark red and she laughed as she brushed crumbs away from her cheek.
“Okay, so the next pair!” Mina sang as she drew the next names. “Kirishima and Iwai!” Eijirou’s eyes shot over to Iwai having no idea what his reaction would be. He was grinning at Eijirou and Eijirou didn’t quite know how to process that. Mina handed the pocky stick to Iwai. He crisscrossed his legs, put the tip of the pocky stick in his mouth, and wiggled it around which elicited a snort from Setsuna and a laugh from Mina. Eijirou crawled on all fours over to Iwai, feeling terribly awkward. He sat on his heels right in front of Iwai and leaned in and bit the end of the stick, being very careful because his pointy teeth were not very forgiving. It would be easy to snap the stick, and he wasn’t sure what the rules were if that happened. Probably having to finish a cup of beer knowing his luck. “Careful Kiri! If you snap the stick and it breaks, you have to finish your whole cup of beer!” Of course.
“My luck…” Eijirou somehow managed to mumble around the pocky stick. Eijirou and Iwai began to make their way towards each other, Eijirou could feel Iwai’s hot breath on his face. He could smell beer on his breath along with his cologne or aftershave. He smelled nice, although Eijirou could do without the beer breath. Eijirou was mere inches away from Iwai’s lips now. His eyes drifted away from Iwai briefly and fell on Togeike (A general studies third year). Their eyes locked for a moment. She was watching them, her face a deep blush and very serious, her eyes wide in amazement. Eijirou felt terribly self-conscious now. His eyes shot back to Iwai and he was so close, their noses were about to touch. Eijirou turned away at the last second. Iwai closed his mouth over the now freed stick and threw his hands up in the air as he finished chewing the stick. Everybody clapped and Eijirou couldn’t help but grin. So Iwai, who Eijirou assumed was straight, would have kissed him. Interesting.
“Gotta drink Kiri!” Mina said in a sing-songy tone. Eijirou crawled back to his spot, grabbed his beer, and took a huge gulp. This time, it didn’t taste as bad. Before Mina could read the next pair out of the cup, the bakery door opened, and in walked Togaru Kamakiri and Neito Monoma from Class 3B.
“What took you guys so long?” Tsuburaba asked.
“We had to be fashionably late apparently,” Kamakiri said as he side-eyed Monoma.
Kamakiri nodded at Mina, “Sorry to interrupt, I’m gonna head upstairs.”
“No worries!” Mina said.
“You comin’, Monoma?” Kamakiri said as he walked to the stairway door.
Monoma locked eyes with Eijirou briefly and then looked back at Kamakiri. “Actually, I’m gonna stay down here.” Kamakiri shrugged and continued out of the room.
“You never play any of Mina’s games,” Tsuburaba said to Monoma as he sat next to his fellow classmate.
“I just want to watch.” Monoma’s crystal clear blue eyes locked on Eijirou’s again. Eijirou eyes shot over to Mina’s and she gave him a peculiar look. She cleared her throat and turned her attention to the cup. She called out the next pair, Togeike & Tsuburaba.
Togeike chickened out and turned away last minute. Tsuburaba grinned as he returned to his spot by Monoma. The last pair was Agoyamato, a general studies student, and Tanaka, a business class student. Neither of them lost their resolve and when they kissed everyone in the circle cheered, even Eijirou. Well, everyone except Monoma. Eijirou glanced at him and saw he was staring at him intently. Again. Every time he looked Monoma’s way, those blue eyes would bore into him.
Monoma had been an enigma to Eijirou and a lot of class 3A the last 3 years. The first year, he had been co*cky and arrogant, bad-mouthing class A as much as he could. Then second year, he seemed to chill considerably as Class A and Class B started to do more activities together to build a better rapport. Monoma no longer heckled them. Instead, he had become very quiet and reserved around their class. He still had an air of arrogance and superiority, but he didn’t engage maniacally like he did before. Out of Class 3B, Monoma was probably the person Eijirou knew the least. He even knew Reiko Yanagi, who was terribly shy, much better than Monoma. Monoma just didn’t engage with their class.
But now he couldn’t take his eyes off Eijirou. And Eijirou wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
Sero came downstairs and through the door. “Mina?! Why didn’t you tell me you guys were playing?”
“Oh, sorry Sero! You only missed the Pocky Game. Since I was so rude to not pull you away from whatever game you were playing,” she said sarcastically, “I’ll make it up to you by letting you pick the next game.”
Sero grinned. “Truth or Dare.”
Mina squealed, went to her bag, and pulled out a deck of index cards.
“Pffft. Are you guys in middle school? Truth or Dare? Seriously?” Monoma said in a languid drawl.
“I promise you won’t be disappointed,” Mina said brightly, not letting him deter her in the slightest. “It’s actually a combination of Truth or Dare and King’s Game.” Monoma raised an eyebrow at her. Mina grabbed a handful of chopsticks and a Sharpie and handed them to Sero. “Write ‘King’ on one of the chopsticks and then number the rest 1 through….” Mina turned towards the group. “Who’s playing this one?” Eijirou thought he would sit this one out and watch. He still felt a bit shaken up about the Pocky Game. Everyone else in the circle raised their hands except Monoma. “1,2,3…..8… Kiri, Monoma… you guys playing?”
Eijirou grinned and shook his head. He felt eyes on him and he knew it was Monoma before he looked at him.
“Monoma?” Mina asked, eyeing Monoma suspiciously.
Monoma was leaning back, both arms stretched behind him supporting his weight. He looked relaxed. “I’ll play if Kirishima plays.” Monoma tilted his head back and to the side and stared at him.
Eijirou couldn’t back down from a challenge to save his life and he couldn’t help but see Monoma’s ( was it a taunt? ) request as such.
“I’m in then,” Eijirou said without missing a beat. Monoma donned a predatory grin that looked too natural on his face.
Sero labeled the individual chopsticks, one with the word ‘King” and the other 9 with the numbers 1 through 9. Mina grabbed a velvet cinch sack, placed the chopsticks in the bag, and shook it. “Remember, only the King reveals themselves, the rest of you have to keep the number covered with your hand.” She then stood up and let everyone take a chopstick. Agoyamato pulled a chopstick, then Togeike, and Setsuna who got the ‘King’ chopstick.
“Bow to your King,” she said with a cackle. She brandished the chopstick wildly in the air like a wizard with a wand and Tsuburaba laughed. Tsuburaba pulled a chopstick, then Iwai, Eijirou, Tanaka, Monoma, Sero, and finally Mina took the last one left in the bag.
Mina handed the deck of index cards to the ‘King.’
Setsuna grinned a toothy grin as she shuffled the cards several times and then flipped over the card on the top.
“The numbers go one through 9, remember,” Mina told her. Setsuna nodded.
“Truth or Dare number….4,” Setsuna said, picking a number randomly. Sero raised his chopstick in the air and Mina clapped excitedly.
“Dare,” Sero said.
Setsuna grinned ear to ear. “Remove one article of clothing every time you get a notification on your phone. Dare lasts the whole night.” Iwai and Mina started to laugh and Sero looked dumbfounded.
“That’s so unfair!” Sero wailed even though he was grinning.
“Lemme see it!” Mina crawled over with her palm out in front of Sero. Sero sighed, took his cell phone out of his pocket, and handed it to Mina.
“I’m turning notifications off mute so you can’t cheat!”
Sero grumbled but still had a slight smile on his face. Eijirou was a bit envious. He had zero qualms about being nude, he would have been thrilled to get a dare like that. He worried about what the other dares were going to be like.
Mina gathered all the chopsticks, shook them in the bag again, and the bag was passed around. This time Iwai was the King who chose the number 6 which was Togeike. She chose truth and had to answer who her first crush was when she started at UA. No one was surprised when she said Todoroki. “You and half the school!” Mina laughed, but Togeike still turned bright red anyhow. The next round consisted of Agoyamato having to switch his shirt with Setsuna, which was hilarious because he was a pretty tall and built guy and she was lucky he didn’t rip her shirt when he pulled it on over his head. This was followed up with Sero’s phone giving a notification and Sero’s shirt coming off. Now it was Tanaka’s turn to be ‘King’. They chose the number 8 which was Eijirou’s number. Eijirou raised his hand.
“Truth or Dare?” Tanaka asked, their voice a quiet rumble. They were known to be very quiet and serious at school, but in this environment, they seemed to be enjoying the games which surprised Eijirou.
“Dare.” Eijirou couldn’t resist.
Tanaka read the card silently before they read it out loud, a small smile on their face. “Pick a number from the remaining players and go inside a dark closet with them for 7 minutes.”
And now Eijirou greatly regretted choosing dare. He had hoped it would be something typical like when they played truth or dare sometimes back at the dorm. Like ‘read the last text you sent out loud or send a flame emoji to the last posted pic of your first 5 contacts on your Instagram.’ But the closet thing…
“Spent 18 years in the closet, finally came out, and now we’re asking you to get back inside it, man,” Sero snickered.
“Dad joke!” Tsuburaba booed at Sero but was laughing.
“Pick a number, Kiri,” Mina asked. He met her eyes and she smiled at him reassuringly. Right. He was supposed to be having fun, getting his mind off of things.
As Eijirou decided on a number and said, ”4,” the only thing he could think suddenly was please don’t let it be Monoma, please don’t let it be Monoma, please don’t let it be Monoma.
No one said anything or moved for several seconds. Then Monoma stood up, took a couple of steps toward Eijirou, and offered Eijirou his hand to help him up off the floor, a smug smile on his face. Iwai laughed loudly and clapped his hands, a few of the others joining him. sh*t. Eijirou downed the rest of his beer in three large gulps, smashed the plastic cup with his right hand, and then grabbed Monoma’s hand with his left hand and stood up. Eijirou didn’t make eye contact with him, and Monoma didn’t let go of his hand.
“So…. no closets down here. The ‘closet’ will be the kitchen.” Mina walked a few steps over and opened the door to the kitchen. She peered inside the empty, dark room. “Yeah, this will work.” Monoma walked past her pulling Eijirou behind him. Mina met eyes with Eijirou and nodded at him with encouragement before shutting the door behind her.
Monoma walked over to a stainless steel island in the center of the large kitchen. Moonlight spilled in through the blinds so Eijirou could see him well enough in the dark. As he was being led by Monoma, Eijirou was surprised at how small Monoma looked to him. His personality made him seem so much bigger than he actually was. He was a couple of inches shorter than Eijirou and was smaller framed for his height. He was slight, but still lean-muscled due to the hero courses’ rigorous training. He was wearing khaki slacks and a white linen, short-sleeved button-down shirt. As he approached the island he let go of Eijirou’s hand and nimbly launched himself on top of the counter and sat. He patted the space next to him, the stainless steel counter rumbled a tinny sound. Eijirou dared to look him in the face now. In the moonlight, he did look very pretty. His light eyes seemed to glow and his face was relaxed and inviting. He was very attractive when he wasn’t being intensely maniacal. Yet his face still had a bit of a hungriness to it that alarmed Eijirou. It was strange to him that Monoma was being so open and obvious about it. But Monoma seldom hid his intentions about anything thought Eijirou.
“You look nervous. I won’t bite un-“
“’Unless you want me to.’ That’s my line,” Eijirou interrupted him as he sat on the counter next to Monoma, the stainless steel making a much louder rumble than Monoma had made when he had climbed up. He surprised himself with his own brazenness.
“Your catchphrase?”
“Well, I’m the one with the crazy teeth so it makes more sense I would say it.” Eijirou was nervous. He didn’t know if he should make the first move. He was staring at a floor tile in front of him trying to settle his nerves. Monoma obviously wanted to mess around with him the way he had been staring at him.
“When I walked in earlier and saw you sitting there…. I almost didn’t come tonight… now I’m glad I did.”
“You aren’t very subtle about it,” Eijirou said, sounding a bit annoyed.
“You don’t like the staring. I thought you’d be used to it by now the way a lot of the student body behaves around you.” Eijirou shrugged.
“You’ve never given me an ounce of attention before,” Eijirou said, an edge to his voice that surprised him.
“Well, you were never ‘out’ and available and at a Market Party before.”
“6 minutes!” Eijirou could hear Mina yell from the other room. Eijirou wondered where the anger was coming from. He was supposed to be having a good time. And then he remembered.
“Yeah. I’m ‘available,’” Eijirou said bitterly.
“It sucks, doesn’t it? I know how you feel.”
Eijirou turned toward Monoma now. “Really? I find that hard to believe.”
Monoma gave Eijirou an easy, lazy smile that didn’t fit the sentiment as he spoke. “Hitoshi Shinsou broke my heart second year. I’ve tried to move on and it’s impossible. I won’t get peace until I graduate and I don’t have to see his stupid face anymore. I’m beyond thrilled that’s less than a month away. So you and I can do one of two things now. We can spend the next 5 minutes getting each other off or we can talk about how much we hate Shinsou because we’re the two bastards stupid enough to fall for him. Honestly, I’m equally enthused about either at the moment.”
“sh*t. You really get to the point,” Eijirou breathed out in shock. Now it was Monoma’s turn to shrug. Eijirou swallowed and dared to ask him. “What happened second year?”
Monoma sighed and smiled at Eijirou. “So you have chosen…. Talking. Over making out. I’m that appealing, huh?”
Eijirou grinned sheepishly. “Um…. I ….” Eijirou had no idea how to answer the question. Monoma was definitely easy on the eyes but at the moment Eijirou was heartbroken and maybe talking it out would help him feel better. Maybe Monoma did understand how he felt.
“Fair enough, I did give you the choice.” Monoma leaned back now, arms stretched behind him, taking a relaxed posture. “Shinsou and I were both instrumental in the war against All For One and Shigaraki due to our quirks as I know you’re aware of. After the final battle, once Shinsou got his hero license, we interned at the same agency under Edgeshot second year due to the clout we earned during the war. We were both naturals at covert, undercover missions. Makes sense considering our quirks. We spent a lot of time alone, working together, it became so natural, to the point we could guess what the other was thinking. Perfect partners. I fell for him hard.”
“5 minutes!” Mina’s voice sounded from the next room. Monoma stopped talking with the interruption.
“Did you tell him how you felt?” Eijirou asked hoping he could keep Monoma going.
“Yes, in a way. We were both staking out this apartment one night. Just the two of us on this ledge in the cold huddled together trying to keep warm. I was shivering and he put his arm around me. I looked at his face then and leaned in to kiss him… he turned away…” Monoma shook his head. “I was mortified. He said he was sorry he gave me the wrong idea. That he only saw me as a friend.”
Eijirou couldn’t help but scrunch up his face in a grimace. “That must have been awful.”
“As if that wasn’t bad enough, a week later back at school I see him and Kendo holding hands in the dorm. MY dorm. How sh*tty is that? Not only was I rejected but now I get to see him and Kendo be this oh so cute couple in MY space. 3 months they went out. I hid in my room most of the time.”
“You kinda checked out from hanging out with Class A second year. It was because of Shinsou being in our class.” Monoma nodded at Eijirou.
“So that’s my sad sob story. Keep it private, not that I really care at this point. I’m not going to keep up with anyone from UA after graduation. Good riddance.” Eijirou felt very sorry for Monoma. Eijirou had made so many friendships at UA and he really hoped he would keep those ties going. But Monoma had let a bad situation make him bitter. No. He wasn’t going to let that happen to him.
“That sucks, Monoma, but why wallow in it all this time? You have a lot to offer. You’re an amazing hero and hard worker. You’ve always been so supportive of Class B. And you HAVE made friends in Class B. I always see you with Kamakiri and Kuroiro.”
“Those guys…. Well, misery loves company I guess. Yeah, I have gotten close to them, it’s true.” Monoma sat up and brought a hand up to Eijirou’s face. Eijirou swallowed not used to another guy being so touchy-feely, well except for…. he didn’t want to think about it. Monoma’s thumb lightly rubbed Eijirou’s cheekbone. “Damn, you’re just a ray of sunshine. So unbelievably hot, too. I can get why Shinsou was into you.” Monoma moved closer and his hand shifted to the back of Eijirou’s neck. Monoma leaned in, like he was going to kiss him, but didn’t. “The way he looks at you. He f*cking adores you. Or adored you.” Eijirou felt his breath on his face, the smell of a woodsy cologne wafting around him. “Now I have to know. What happened? Why are you here and not with Shinsou?”
Eijirou couldn’t help but let out a shaky breath. “He… got bored with me.” There. There was the truth. Cold and hard and right in Eijirou’s face. It was so difficult to see one's flaws and insecurities thrown back at them.
“4 minutes!” Mina’s voice traveled into their space again, but it was easy to ignore this time.
“Well, he’s a fool,” Monoma whispered as he leaned into Eijirou, wrapped an arm around his neck, and kissed him.
Hitoshi
He stood in his room unable to move for a few minutes. His mind raced, wondering how he could reverse the damage he had done. Maybe if he told Eijirou everything, how he discovered Brainwash: Mindreading with Bakugou, how he feared for his life due to the nature of this aspect of his quirk, and Edgeshot and the offer to work undercover for the CIHA. It was time to come clean with everything. Eijirou probably still wouldn’t take him back, but at least he was finally being honest about things. And if talking about the CIHA with Eijirou made the offer null, well then so be it.
Hitoshi pulled his shoes on and hurried out of his dorm, down the stairs, and out of the building. He went straight to 3A dorm. There were a few students hanging out on the couches, two of them were Bakugou and Momo, both sitting next to each other studying. He went straight to the stairway leading up to the bedrooms, ignoring the greetings he had received from his fellow classmates. That wasn’t too much out of the ordinary for him; he could be a dick at times. He ran up the stairs to the 4th floor and opened up Eijirou’s door. His room was empty. Out of breath but determined, Hitoshi turned away and went back downstairs. He went straight to the only person most likely to know where Eijirou was.
“Bakugou, have you seen Red?” Hitoshi kept his voice as even as possible.
Bakugou glanced at him looking slightly alarmed. Maybe his voice wasn’t as calm as he thought it had been. “I thought he was with you. Haven’t seen him since he left an hour ago to meet up with you.” Momo glanced at Hitoshi and nodded at him in greeting, but her brow turned up as if she was worried.
Hitoshi nodded at her. “Guess we keep missing each other. Gonna head back.” As he headed to the stairway he felt Bakugou’s eyes on him. He knew something was up. Hitoshi increased his speed with the hope if Bakugou decided to follow, he could lose him. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone or trying to explain, or lie, about what was going on. Yeah, Hitoshi, just keep the lies going he thought bitterly to himself.
Over the next hour, he checked the gym, the courtyard with the fountain, Lunch Rush, part of the Market that was closest to the school, including the ramen shop Bakugou and Eijirou frequented, and then repeated the search again. No sign of Eijirou. Hitoshi decided to text him.
Hitoshi: Red. Please. I need to talk to you.
He waited for a minute and didn’t receive a reply. Of course, he didn’t expect Eijirou would. Hitoshi sighed and thought he’d go back to 3A dorm. Eijirou had to return there eventually.
As he arrived back on campus he was intercepted by Aizawa-sensei who looked as if he was heading to the faculty dorms by the direction he was walking. “Where you headed?” his mentor asked him in his usual monotone.
“Um, just to 3A dorm,” Hitoshi replied.
“You okay?” They both walked in silence for about ten seconds, Hitoshi realizing he was so far from okay that he wanted to scream. And there was no way he could answer that question with a seemingly nonchalant “Yeah,” and then not get grilled by Aizawa afterward. He could see right through Hitoshi. Aizawa stopped walking, Hitoshi taking a few long strides before he stopped himself. He paused briefly and then turned towards his mentor but didn’t make eye contact and didn’t say anything.
Aizawa sighed. “Come with me back to my place. Eri is with Ahane for the evening. We can talk in private.” Hitoshi nodded silently and the two walked to the faculty dorm in absolute silence.
*
“And I’ve been looking for him the last couple of hours and then I ran into you,” Hitoshi had been pacing the small space in front of Aizawa’s couch. Aizawa had not said anything the last half hour as Hitoshi had unloaded every single tormenting thought he had had over the last month: The offer from the CIHA, their conditions to hire him, Brainwash: Mindreading, and his ugly break up with Eijirou. Walking past the threshold into Aizawa’s suite had been like breaking a dam that had been bursting at the seams.
Aizawa’s almost-black beetle eyes stared at him, his expression blank, his posture relaxed. It made Hitoshi want to scream. After several seconds, Aizawa finally spoke. “Sit down,” he said in a calm, low tone.
“I don’t want to sit down!” Hitoshi yelled back. Even though he had been upset earlier with his info dump on Aizawa, he had mostly kept his cool except for his voice being a bit more animated than normal. Of course, for Hitoshi, that was a lot. But now, with Aizawa’s lack of everything he had finally lost it. His chest was heaving, he felt his face in a hard grimace. Aizawa’s expression didn’t change. Hitoshi felt tears begin to sting the edges of his eyes and he turned away from his mentor, his fists gripped tightly.
“You don’t have to sit down, I thought it would make things easier. Very well.” Hitoshi kept his back to his mentor trying his best not to yell at him. How could he remain so calm when Hitoshi’s world was unraveling? Did he not care for him at all?
“If you really want to talk to Kirishima about the job offer, go ahead. Your gig with the CIHA is not off the table if you do. Don’t think for a second they will only take you if you bend to everything they ask. They want you, Hitoshi. They won’t deny you if you have a significant other or even talk to the people closest to you about your employment with them. I would keep it between me and Kirishima though. It’s just easier for them if you’re a lone wolf. Trust me though, you have more of a position to ask for things you want. Remember that.”
Hitoshi felt an immense weight lift off of him as he turned towards Aizawa, he felt his grimace unfurl and knew he made a pained expression when he spoke, but he didn’t care to show it. “Really? How do you know?”
Aizawa gave one of his rare smiles. “I just do, Hitoshi.” It took Hitoshi a few seconds to realize Aizawa had addressed him by his first name. He had never done that before. Hitoshi now moved to sit across from Aizawa on the ottoman.
“But you are right to worry about your quirk awakening. I wouldn’t tell anyone else at the moment. Keep it between just Bakugou and me. And don’t discuss it anywhere outside my dorm, do you understand?” Hitoshi nodded at him. “My place is secure.”
“Well then, how do I use it if I can’t let anyone know about it? If I suddenly have intel on someone, won’t I have to explain it?” Hitoshi asked.
“Intel is intel. Just say you have your sources and you can’t divulge them. But I wouldn’t be in such a hurry to use it on just anyone until you understand it better. Before you graduate, I will set up times for you and Bakugou to practice it here.” Hitoshi made a face. “I will talk to Bakugou. You need to practice and he will let you.” Aizawa smirked. “He has no choice. He owes me. You can also practice on me. I think those should be your short-term goals for it. Do not tell anyone else. You would be seen as a threat to the country.” Hitoshi tried to keep the alarm out of his eyes but failed. “It will be okay.” Hitoshi now sighed and ran his hand down his face feeling exhausted.
After several seconds, Aizawa spoke. “You good now?” Hitoshi’s mind drifted to Kirishima.
“Well… what about Kirishima?”
Aizawa stood up and walked over to the refrigerator and began to raid it. Leftovers for dinner. “That’s not so cut and dry, unfortunately.”
“Yeah,” Hitoshi said.
Aizawa began to dish food for himself to microwave. “Hungry?” Hitoshi shook his head. As the microwave whirred, Aizawa leaned against the countertop and stared at him.
Hitoshi stood up and then plopped himself on the couch. “Guess it’s time for me to reap what I sow or pay the piper or whatever.”
“You can start by stopping the pity party and feeling sorry for yourself about what you did to him. It was wrong to impede into his mind without his permission. Own what you did instead of trying to make excuses. Quit feeling bad for yourself. Feel bad for the person you hurt.”
“You’re right. I’m just a giant pile of sh*t, why even try to reconcile?”
Aizawa sighed. “Because you’re not a giant pile of sh*t. You’re just human. You’re still a kid, Hitoshi. You’re still learning. Don’t let the tragedy be that you’re still making the same mistakes 5 years from now. 10 years from now. Then, yeah. You’ll be a giant pile of sh*t.”
“Kirishima would never betray someone the way I did to him.”
“You’re right. But Kirishima has his own flaws, other areas he’s working on. You guys could learn things from each other. If you can fix this that is.”
“Do you really think I can fix it?”
“Do you think Kirishima is capable of staying away from you and not hearing you out?” The edge of Aizawa’s mouth twitched.
“Wow, you make it sound like he has no backbone.” Hitoshi’s voice had finally returned to his normal, dull drawl. He was feeling better. Aizawa always managed to make him feel better, even at the worst of times. “He doesn’t look kindly on those who hurt others.”
“But you didn’t hurt others. You hurt him. He’s a lot more forgiving when he’s the one that’s wronged. It’s a huge flaw of his in a way, but it’s a by-product of his kindness. Just talk to him.” Hitoshi groaned and buried his head in his hands. Aizawa chuckled. Actually chuckled, the sad*st. Hitoshi tried to remember a time he had ever heard his mentor chuckle, laugh, or chortle and realized this was the first time he had heard that noise from him. Aizawa a second later was back to his usual placidness, however. “Yeah, talking isn’t easy for you, but you’ll do it if you want it bad enough.” The microwave dinged.
Hitoshi sat up abruptly. “sh*t, I gotta find him and talk to him.” He sat up quickly and bounded for the door. He put his hand on the handle but stopped himself and looked over at Aizawa. Aizawa was watching him, his face passive but his eyes much more alert than they usually were.
“Sensei… I …. I’m sorry I got mad at you earlier…” Hitoshi thought about how he had assumed Aizawa didn’t care. He did care immensely, he just didn’t show it like normal people. Hitoshi thought that was pretty hypocritical of him to think that way since he was pretty similar to his sensei in his demonstrativeness.
“Go. Find Kirishima,” Aizawa said with a slight smile on his face.
“Yeah… thank you sensei. For everything.” Hitoshi ran out the door.
After he took several steps into the hall, Aizawa called out to him. “Wait Hitoshi, how did Kirishima find out about your quirk awakening? If Bakugou was the only one who knew about it, he would never tell anyone under any circ*mstances. Something doesn’t add up.”
He was right Hitoshi thought. Bakugou was a lot of things, but he would never break his word. Even as close as he was to Eijirou, he would have never told him about it. Hitoshi locked eyes with Aizawa and nodded in agreement. He had to find Eijirou immediately and get to the bottom of this.
Notes:
Sorry for the KiriShin cliffhanger! This update just got too long! I am a sucker for misunderstandings please don’t hate me. But I like resolved misunderstandings (with happy endings!) so don’t you worry 😉 There will be one more update for this story (1 to 2 chapters and an epilogue), we’re almost there!
Originally Three Orchids was going to have Four Parts, and Part Three would focus on Ahane and Aizawa. I decided I wanted to keep Three Orchids about just the students though as I finished up Part 2, so I dropped Part 3 which was titled “Slow up” and decided to make it its own story. If you are interested in reading about Ahane, Aizawa, and sweet Eri, check out Slow Up. This is originally where the “Three Orchids” title came into play. Each couple of the long fic would have a scene with a different kind of orchid which would be symbolic of their relationship. But I ended up dropping the scene with Kiri & Shin and since Aizawa and Ahane’s ended up in a completely different fic I had to think of how I was going to tie my title in because I didn’t want to change the title halfway through the fic. I will reveal it in the epilogue next update!
