The experience was still so new. To have not just a friend but...
Something more.
He'd never been the kind of person to let anyone get too close to him. Who would even want to? Whether they did or not, why should he give a damn either way? With his temper, and Quirk...Katsuki Bakugou inspired fear and little else. He was fine with that.
And yet...
Here he was, seated on the edge of his bed, Eijirou Kirishima stretched out next to him. Outside, it was a hot, cloudy day, the kind where the air felt heavy and made breathing a chore. They'd taken to shutting themselves in the dorm room, AC on maximum. The other teen was dozing off, head resting in Katsuki's lap. Somehow, the hot-tempered blond was fine with it. When had this become ok, having someone this close?
Shitty Hair was so relaxed.
Flame-red eyes lowered to gaze at his boyfriend. Eijirou was … kind of good looking. Or something. Damn. Katsuki had never looked at him this closely before. He'd never looked at anyone this closely, because he'd never cared. Yeah, he'd been face-to-face with an opponent in battle: Fire in his hands, blood rushing in his ears and heart pounding in his chest. It wasn't the same thing as this. There were no distractions here, no goals, no sense of urgency. Just...the two of them here together. A muggy, sleepy Sunday afternoon.
It was strange. Fuck. He wasn't sure how to feel about it.
Without his Quirk activated, Eijirou's pale skin was soft. And smooth. And warm. The only marking was the small scar above his right eye, jutting up from the edge of one short vermilion brow. What was up with those stubby eyebrows anyway? And the scar, had Eijirou said how he'd gotten it? He didn't remember. It was such a small, odd thing. Katsuki brushed a thumb lightly over the raised pink slash a few times before letting his fingers trail down over the redhead's cheek. Why was this suddenly so damn fascinating to him? What the hell was wrong with him?
Eijirou sighed, chest swelling up before slowly falling as garnet eyes fluttered open sleepily to meet Katsuki's gaze. He had dark, thick eyelashes that seemed to curve a little toward the back. The blond froze, not having meant to wake the other. Shit, and he'd looked so peaceful, too. Eijirou merely grinned lazily up at him. A brief flash of sharp fangs before his eyes slowly closed again and he turned to nuzzle Katsuki's palm with a soft hum.
So fucking strange. No one else would be this calm with Katsuki's hands so close to them. People drew away from him, flinching in fear, because he was Katsuki Bakugou. If he had his hands on someone, it was because he intended to blast their shitty ass into oblivion. And then there was this spiky-haired bastard. Eijirou's breath came in warm, soft bursts that brushed lightly against his skin.
Who knew there was another side to Bakugou Katsuki. Eijirou was used to the scale starting at 'firecracker' and ending at 'nuclear explosion'. Even calm, there was always something simmering just beneath the surface, ready to boil over at the slightest provocation. A sleepy Bakugou was something novel and new.
Something completely different.
Eijirou decided he could get used to it.
It was a balmy day, the kind that made you just want to kick back and relax. The two of them had been studying in a quiet corner of the school grounds, in the dappled shade beneath a stand of trees. It was becoming a more common occurrence, so different from that day when he'd had to drag an enraged Bakugou out of the library while apologizing profusely to the other patrons.
He didn't remember it happening, but the warmth and the shade and the dullness of the textbook that he'd been staring at for what felt like hours caused his eyelids to droop. The next thing he knew, he awoke to find himself lying back on the soft grass, the tree shadows stretching longer than before. Next to Bakugou. He lay still for a moment, sluggish brain trying to process the situation. One of the blond's arms was draped casually over him, textbooks lying abandoned by his side.
“Uh...” Eijirou shifted slightly, then froze. He was afraid if he did anything more than breathe, something would end up on fire. And that Bakugou would move. Not necessarily in that order.
“Damn it Shitty Hair...” A low growl emanated from Bakugou's throat. “Stop movin'...dumbass. I ws comfrble.” The slurred words faded off. “G’nna murder you...”
“S-sorry?” That was about all he could think to say. He moved his head ever so slightly, enough to gaze at the other boy by his side.
Regular Bakugou was dynamite and smoke and eyes that blazed like fire opals. Sleepy Bakugou was a mess of pale limbs and tousled hair, a stream of threats lacking fangs as they were mumbled into Eijirou's neck. Yeah, he could get used to this.
Shippy Bakushima Things™ I either wanna thread or fic eventually. Tossing ‘em under a cut.
Since it’s that time of year, the boys going to a Tanabata festival.
Everyone knowing that Kirishima and Bakugou are a thing except for Kirishima and Bakugou.
Bakugou meeting Kirishima’s family (based on this headcanon)
Post-Kamino arc comfort thing. You know Bakugou has nightmares.
Just Kirishima and Bakugou helping one another with their breakdowns in general.
Kirishima deciding it’s a good idea for him, Bakugou, and Tamaki to hang out together.
Bakugou finding out Kirishima was injured (current arc)/visiting him in the hospital. Also hearing that he earned the respect of everyone including the villain.
Bakugou commenting on Kirishima’s hair, since he hasn’t had time to redye it lately it’s starting to grow out in the hospital and the black roots are showing. Kiri freaking out over this fact.
Kirishima playing with Bakugou’s hands. And Bakugou secretly loving it because no one ever does that (for obvious reasons).
Bakugou discovering he gave Kirishima a scar (based on this headcanon).
Hiking/camping trip.
I swear I had other ideas earlier but work has erased them from my brain. If ya got an idea for something are up for threading any/all of these then COME AT ME BRO.
Uh...I didn’t sign up for this...but it happened...So I guess I’ll throw this up here. Have some Bakushima as my first fic contribution to this fandom.
Ao3: Here
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Katsuki Bakugou expected a lot of things when he entered UA. Difficult classes. Brutal training regimes. Long study hours. Hell, there was even a part of him that secretly knew that one way or another Deku-Midoriya- would be there. It didn't matter where Katsuki went. Deku was always there, ever since they were kids. Just one more thorn in his side. Still, he'd expected thorns. The road to becoming a hero would be strewn with them. The one thing he hadn't planned on, however, was Eijirou Kirishima.
How the hell had he ended up here? Looking back...
He was used to people being afraid of him, of his explosive power. Sure, he had always been able to pick up a few “followers”, kids who liked to act tough and show off. But they were hardly what you could call friends, and sure as hell not what you could call equals. What those guys had been looking for was someone to hide behind. The second things went wrong, they'd vanish like smoke in the wind. Who needed friends, anyway? Most people were like Deku, staring at him with wide eyes and fragile bravado. Below him. It hadn't bothered Katsuki one bit. Why should it? He was strong, and the world would know it one day. He didn't have an equal now, and if he had any say in it, he wouldn't ever.
The first day of school? No. He'd been too arrogant, too caught up in his own rage. He'd only barely taken notice.
Stepping through the gates of U.A. had forced him to change the lens that he'd been looking through his entire life. Katsuki suddenly found himself surrounded by people much stronger than he'd ever encountered in his little hometown. Yeah, he could still freeze Deku with a glare, but the others... That lighting brat got on his nerves, so did the half-and-half bastard, and that guy with the glasses. Out of all his new classmates, though...one had stood out in his mind that day, just a little. Red hair, red eyes, and a sharktooth grin. That guy.
It was probably the dumbass hairstyle that caught his eye. Trying to be flashy? Still, Katsuki had filed him away mentally under “Possibly not a Complete Wuss.” It was the shortest of his lists, unlike “Probably Even More Lame than Deku.” The rating was confirmed the first time he'd seen Kirishima in action, though the whole Battle Trial had been something of a blur thanks to his own humiliating (and admittedly self-inflicted) defeat. That day, the redhead was just another thorn, mocking him along with the others in front of the one damn guy that he looked up to. A thorn, but someone to keep an eye on.
Was it the day of the rescue training? Maybe. It had certainly forced Katsuki to take notice.
There was that time on the bus. Kirishima didn't think his own ability was flashy enough. Katsuki remembered overhearing him on the bus ride to their second trial. What the hell did it matter if your power was flashy or not? Someone who knew how to use a boring quirk to the best of their ability was way better than some moron with a flashy quirk who didn't know what to do with it. Not that Katsuki cared enough to voice his thoughts. Who would listen anyway? They were all too busy driving him up the damn wall. They didn't know a fucking thing about him, or his goals. Whatever. Busload of assholes.
He didn't need anyone to care, or to stand beside him. His own fists were strong enough.
Or so he'd always believed. That day, when the villains launched their sneak attack, he found himself side by side with Kirishima. That was the day he discovered there was at least one guy that could keep up with him. Time after time, enemy after enemy. With a Quirk that let him withstand Katsuki's blasts, the two of them had really cleaned up.
“I'm with you now!”
The words echoed in Katsuki's mind, delivered with that damned confident grin. When the hell had he asked for that? He didn't need Hair for Brains, or anyone else, to be with him, but no matter what he just couldn't shake the redhead. Insults and threats alike rolled off Kirishima's armored skin like water droplets. In this way, they continued to fight, watching each other's backs. He could trust Kirishima to pull his own weight. After a time it had almost...almost... been fun. At least until Hair-for-Brains opened his dumbass mouth.
In the end, if they hadn't worked together, then he might not have made it in time... to that battle, to All Might...
Yeah, that was the day he first truly took notice. Kirishima went from a thorn to...an equal? Yeah. They even trained together sometimes in the following days. Damn. And after that...
The Sports Festival. The day he'd got to face down that guy one on one.
He'd made a fucking fool of himself in the first round, again. Somehow, that didn't stop Kirishima from approaching him for the Calvary Battle (after trying to get on fucking Half-and-Half's team. What the hell?) The difference between Kirishima and the others that day...He hadn't begged. No, the bastard had an actual strategy that played to their individual Quirks. Once again, Katsuki found himself working in sync (mostly) with the other, and he'd felt fired up to do so.
They still fucking lost...but...shit...looking back, whose fault was that? Not Kirishima's...
Maybe if Katsuki had just listened...
He'd watched the battle between Kirishima and that...second rate copy from Class B. A tie? What the fuck. He should have done better than that, Katsuki knew he was stronger. If Hair-for-Brains didn't crush that moron in the tiebreaker, Katsuki was going to have to kick his ass.
Of course, he got to do that anyway, even though the redhead totally owned his opponent in the arm-wrestling contest.
They'd watched the next few battles together. He didn't really mind talking to Kirishima, going over the other battlers' strengths, weaknesses, and strategies. It was one of the few times he could remember holding a normal conversation with someone without being forced to. Weird. But not...bad. What the hell was this feeling?
The next battle had been between the two of them. For the first time, Katsuki faced head-on the force he'd been fighting alongside. There was no doubt in his mind. Kirishima was fucking strong. A shield and a spear. Even going all out, that armored skin was damn hard to crack, and he had to respect that. Finally, a fucking worthy opponent. This was fun.
He'd gone all-out that day, they both had. But in the end, Katsuki had been the one with more stamina. He knew Hair-for-Brains had been training that full-body armor, but it hadn't been enough. When the moron came to, Katsuki would have to chew him out for it, he should have been better. He was going to have to do something about that.
That bastard wasn't just an equal. He was...a friend. One of the only times Katsuki had ever found himself thinking that about someone. He didn't need any friends...and yet.... Goddamn it. He actually enjoyed having Kirishima around, even if there was something about the guy that made him feel...whatever the hell it was he was feeling.
They'd gone separate ways for a time, with the internships and training. Apparently they'd missed out on some crazy-ass villain action, and Katsuki had to suffer through the most traumatizing hair experience of his life, but soon enough they were all back in Class 1-A.
That brought him to today. He seated himself at his desk, the same as any normal morning.
Aizawa-Sensei had announced the end-of-term test. Two parts, written and practical. Written assessments were boring as hell, but he'd pass them, just like any other test. Whether a battle with fists or pens, if it was an obstacle in his path to becoming a hero, he'd overcome it. But damn, studying sucked. Katsuki listened to the others bitching, his face set in a scowl. Yaoyorozu had just agreed to help a bunch of the others study.
“Talk about a gap in virtue.” Kirishima smirked, glancing from her to Katsuki.
“I'm plenty virtuous too, fuckmunch. Why don't I tutor you until you're a puddle of blood?”
“Ooooh, I'll take you up on that.”
Damn that guy.
Katsuki hadn't expected Kirishima to take the words seriously, but when he stormed out of class at the end of the day, the redhead was close behind.
“So hey, about tutoring me...” He grinned sheepishly. “I placed 15th last time. If I don't get my act together soon it's gonna suck, and I know you're better at this stuff than you look.”
“The hell that supposed to mean? Buzz off,” Katsuki grumbled.
“Come on, man. Study buddies. We'll suffer together. A man keeps his word.”
Damn it. He should have kept walking. Should have said no. Instead...
That was how the hell he'd ended up here.
“I didn't give you my-You know what, fine, dumbass. I'll be your goddamned tutor if it means you'll stop blabbering.” God, what was he getting into? “The old farts'll be out tonight so I don't have to listen to their whining. Show up on time or I'll kick your ass.”
“You got it, Blasty.”
Katsuki clenched his fists, a wordless growl escaping his lips. Kirishima just laughed, heading off with a wave.
How did that guy manage to get under his skin this badly all of a sudden?
He spent the next few hours sulkily on his own. Maybe Kirishima would bail. Not likely. Bakugou pulled out his textbooks, laying them out on the table. Honestly, having someone to study with might not be so bad. He didn't hate Kirishima as much as everyone else. No, that wasn't right...he didn't hate Kirishima at all, actually. His fingers closed around the edge of one of the textbooks, nails digging into it. It wasn't just that...Damn. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he was kind of looking forward to this. What the hell?
“I brought KFC!” Katsuki glared as a red-and-white-striped bucket was thrust in his face. “Brain food!” There was that damn sharktooth grin. What was it about this guy...
“...” Katsuki rolled his eyes, allowing the other inside. “Just don't get grease anywhere, Hair-for-Brains.” His stomach growled, and it occurred to him he hadn't eaten in some time.
“Sounds like I made a good choice, even the great Blasty McSplode needs food now and then. I thought maybe you just devoured souls or something.” Kirishima plopped down next to him at the table.
For what seemed like the millionth time that day, Katsuki asked himself what the hell he was doing. Why he felt so different around Kirishima. Why he didn't shove the redhead to the other side of the table. Why..was he enjoying this?
“Alright, look. Most of this crap isn't as tough as it seems. You just have to focus your mind on it for a bit. Not everything is punching shit with your fists.”
“Not something I expected you to say.”
“Yeah, I'm just full of fucking surprises. Gimme a piece of that chicken, damn it. It smells good.”
The other boy was a surprisingly fast learner. He had a short attention span when it came to overly wordy readings, but was able to grab the gist of most information. If Katsuki could give him some kind of practical example of how a math or science fact could relate to battle strategy, the other's eyes would light up in understanding. Hell, this really wasn't as bad as he'd expected.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
“Uaaaah, we've been at this forever.” Kirishima banged his head against the table. “I mean, I got some of this junk now but how am I gonna remember it all until the test?” He raised his head, glancing at Katsuki. “It just seems like so much. I know you say I'm getting it but like, for how long? I get one thing in my head and then I feel like if I learn something else it's just gonna replace the first thing. Man, I suck at these kind of tests. I always did. I don't even know how I got this far, to be honest.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
He was rambling. Kirishima always seemed so full of confidence and bravado, it was strange to see him falter like this. Katsuki hadn't expected him to feel so negatively about it, especially since he'd been doing so well. Was he really that insecure? He was more exhausted than Katsuki had realized.
“Hair for Brains...”
“No, I mean it. Like, you don't know. You've always been at the top, or close to it, right? Strong and smart, damn. And here you are trying to help out a guy like me. I just-”
Katsuki grabbed the collar of Kirishima's tiger-print shirt, pulling him into a sudden kiss. He didn't even think about it, he just...moved. It was a quick thing, over almost as soon as it had begun. Katsuki pulled back, his heart pounding. What. The. Hell.
“...” Kirishima blinked, body rigid. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no sound came out as he stared at Katsuki.
“There, fuck. I thought you'd never shut up.” Katsuki managed to find his own voice, even if it was a bit breathless. “Stop saying stupid shit like that. It really pisses me off. You're goddamned smart, so just shut your face and realize it already.”
“Bakugou...”
“I swear, Kirishima,if you ever fucking tell anyone,” Katsuki grabbed a chicken leg from the bucket, holding it out in front of him and incinerating it with a small boom. “I will turn you into Kentucky Fried Fucking Dumbass. And just...call me Katsuki ok? But only when we're like...here. Fuck. Damn it.”
Kirishima blinked at him again, before sighing and running a hand through his spiked red hair. “Aww, man. Did you have to do that to a drumstick? I was gonna eat that. Why not a wing? Or that weird gristly bit that fell on the floor. Why didn't you make an example out of the floor gristle instead?”
Katsuki's facepalmed. How the fucking hell... He glared through his fingers, just in time to catch that damn sharktooth grin. Was there really a point in asking how, or why, or when? He couldn't deny it now. He had a goddamned boyfriend.
“Hey, Katsuki.”
“What. I swear, if you start putting yourself down again, I'm gonna murder you with that textbook.”
“Call me Eijirou. Or just Ei.”
“That's the dumbest fucking nickname. I'm calling you Hair-for-Brains because that's what you are, so deal with it.”
“Fine, fine. ...Blasty McSplode.”
No, this was most certainly not what he'd signed up for when he entered U.A.
