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For you, there was no greater annoyance than having to paint your nails using your non-dominant hand. You sighed in frustration, harshly dropping the brush back into the bottle on the coffee table.
You were currently in the dorm’s common area, trying to do your nails, but nothing seemed to be working out. Taking a look at the polish, you realized you didn’t even really like the color anyway, squeezing some remover onto a cotton ball and wiping at your fingernails. You inspected the bottles you had lined up on the table, trying to pick a better color for your second try.
A sudden clatter came from the kitchen, and you saw Todoroki there, having dropped one of the cans from the cupboard onto the counter. You waved at him, and he nodded at you in acknowledgment. Behind him, Bakugo was rummaging through the fridge, his back facing you.
Having a sudden idea, you called out to Todoroki, who looked up from the can in his hand.
“Hey, Todoroki, could you come here for a second?”
The boy walked over silently, sitting beside you as you felt the couch dip. With a smile, you gestured to the line of bottles on the table, explaining your predicament. “I’m trying to pick a nail color, and I would like your opinion,” you said. You picked up two bottles, holding them out to him. “Which one do you like better?”
The two colors in question were similar shades of pink, and Todoroki cocked his head.
“...Is this a trick question?” he asked, eyebrows slightly furrowed. You lowered the bottles, giving him an incredulous expression.
“No, why would I ask if it was a trick question?” There was a shuffle of movement from the kitchen, but you didn’t look up, assuming Bakugo was preparing some food. Todoroki’s eyes widened, and he pointed at the two bottles in your lap.
“Those are the same color.”
Your mouth fell open in shock, and you heard Bakugo snicker. You waved your hands around frantically. “These are not the same color! They’re obviously different!”
Todoroki looked doubtful. You shoved the two bottles into his hands, encouraging him to look closer. He peered at the bottles, clearly studying the colors, before handing them back to you, shaking his head.
“Definitely the same color.”
Your eyes widened to the max, and you nearly thought he was joking. Then, you realized this was Todoroki you were dealing with, and he rarely joked.
“Are you kidding? Why would I buy two bottles of the same color?! Look again, they’re clear-”
“You idiots are so damn annoying, give me that.” A gruff voice interrupted, and you and Todoroki looked up to see Bakugo leaning over the couch. He snatched the nail polish out of your hands, inspecting the bottles closely as you and Todoroki waited with bated breath. Finally, he decided.
“Yeah, Half and Half, you’re an idiot. These are obviously different colors.” You were about to cheer, glad someone understood, when Bakugo continued. “This one,” he said, holding up the left bottle, “obviously has more red undertones. The other one is more purple.”
Now, both you and Todoroki were in shock. The boy handed the bottles back to you without another word, turning to leave when you addressed him.
“Wait, Bakugo!” you said in disbelief. “You have good color recognition. How did you know that?”
He paused, glancing at you over his shoulder before he smirked.
“How would I not? I have eyes.”
Unlike Bakugo, you weren’t someone who particularly enjoyed training unless it involved your Quirk. Therefore, when Aizawa sent you all to do physical examinations, you knew you were in for a bad day. Testing things like endurance, strength, and flexibility got tiring quickly, and you just wanted to go home.
Jogging over to the water station, you reached down for a cup as you watched the rest of your peers train. You were shocked and proud of how much progress all of you had made in such a short time. Hero training was never easy, but everyone seemed to take it in stride.
A few feet away, Bakugo was stretching, preparing for his flexibility examination, and everything seemed normal to you.
That is, until he folded himself in half.
You choked on your water, spluttering out. The noise attracted some of your classmates, and Midoriya (bless his heart) began to jog over to you in concern. Embarrassed, you waved him off and he nodded at you before turning back to his task.
As you caught your breath, Bakugo was still staring at you with a raised eyebrow.
“Bakugo, how are you so flexible?!”
The boy scoffed, beginning to stretch again.
“I’m training to be a Pro-Hero, I should at least be able to do this much.”
You silently admired his determination and effort. Being that flexible must’ve required quite a bit of training.
“Hey, Bakugo, you’re kinda cool, ya know?”
Your words made Bakugo look up in shock, his face flushing just a bit.
“H-hey, what are you saying all of a sudden, dumbass?!” he yelled, a flustered expression on his face. You grinned at him, giving him a thumbs-up.
“Let’s keep doing our best!”
It was a Class 1-A tradition to prepare a big party together for special events, and today was Kirishima’s birthday.
Kaminari was in charge of distracting the birthday boy in his room by playing video games while the rest of you decorated the house and prepared the food.
Baking was something you enjoyed doing in your spare time, so you were working on some smaller treats while Sato prepared the main cake. Rushing through the kitchen to gather your ingredients, the cacophony of the rest of your class around you, you bumped into Bakugo who was leaning over the counter.
He scowled at you. “Be careful, idiot. Someone could get hurt.”
“Ah, sorry Bakugo, that was my fault.”
Rolling his eyes, he continued cutting the vegetables on the counter at rapid speed. Your mouth fell open in surprise as you leaned over to watch him work.
“Wow, Bakugo, you’re pretty good!”
He grunted in response, but you could see a slight smirk on his face from your praise. Suddenly, Sato addressed you, drawing your attention away from the boy at the cutting board.
“Hey, could you watch the oven? I left some of the decorative icing in my room.” he asked politely.
You nodded, smiling as you waved him off. The oven’s timer still had an ample amount of time anyway, and you doubted it would take him that long.
With Sato gone, though, it was just you and Bakugo in the kitchen as everyone else busied themselves with other party preparations. He was now sauteeing the vegetables in a pan, tossing them with a practiced and poised wrist. You whistled in respect of his skill.
“Who knew Bakugo Katsuki was an expert chef?”
He turned his head to you, still flicking the pan back and forth. “You can just assume I’m good at everything.” he said, and you laughed.
Flour was a necessary ingredient for your baked treats, but it was in one of the highest cupboards. Taking a quick glance at Bakugo, who was focused on the stove, you reached for the flour with an extended arm, but fell quite short. You tried to stretch even further to the best of your ability, but your short stature just wasn’t enough. On the tips of your toes, you just barely brushed the bag, until it started to tip over. You let out a small cry of surprise as it seemed to fall in slow motion.
“Idiot.”
Bakugo suddenly appeared behind you and you recoiled in surprise. Reaching over your head as you plastered yourself to the counter, he caught and retrieved the flour with relative ease, plopping it into your waiting hands. He rolled his eyes at you.
“Next time, just ask for help so you don’t do something stupid, dumbass.”
Later that night, Tokoyami tried some of the vegetables and looked around the table at your classmates in astonishment.
“These vegetables are quite good, who made them?”
Sitting across from you, Bakugo tapped your foot, making eye contact with you. He sent you a cocky smirk and a small wink.
Sunday mornings were spent doing chores, and this Sunday you and Bakugo were in charge of folding laundry. Bakugo seemed experienced, putting clothes away at about twice the speed that you were. Midoriya walked by the couch where the two of you sat with a trash bag in hand, a surprised look on his face.
“Kacchan, you’re pretty good at that.” he said in awe.
Bakugo snorted, not looking at the green haired boy. “Of course I am, I’m good at everything.”
“Wow Katsuki, that’s very domestic of you. How talented.” you teased, pulling another t-shirt out of the basket. Bakugo sent you a glare, his hands still folding quickly. You didn’t know how he did it at such breakneck speed, especially considering the neat and precise piles he was stacking the clothes in.
“Any idiot off the street could do this, are you kidding?!” he said aggressively.
Kaminari and Mineta, who had been passing through the room, paused at your conversation. They exchanged knowing looks, creeping up behind Bakugo’s back.
“Say, Bakugo,” Kaminari started, already holding back laughter, “I didn’t know you guys were that close.”
Bakugo froze, grimacing as he realized what they’d just heard. Your hands paused, head tilting in confusion. “What do you mean?” you asked innocently.
Kaminari turned to you as Mineta started snickering. “What’s your relationship with this guy?” he questioned, gesturing to Bakugo.
Bakugo threw the t-shirt he was holding back into the basket, standing up abruptly. He was about to beat Kaminari into the ground when you answered.
“Katsuki?”
The single word sent Kaminari and Mineta into fits of giggles as Bakugo grabbed them both by their collars.
“What are you idiots laughing at?” he spat through clenched teeth. For once, neither of the two boys seemed scared at Bakugo’s outburst as they continued to howl.
With an expression of confusion plastered on your face, you asked again.
“What is so funny?”
Finally regaining his senses, Kaminari wiped a tear from his eye, gasping for breath after a long laugh.
Bakugo yanked him over the couch, shoving Mineta into the wall as he clenched his fist over the blond boy’s face.
“We’ll see what’s funny after I smash your face in!”
Kaminari held his arms up in defense, calling out to you for help. Quickly, you grabbed Bakugo’s arm to prevent him from punching the other boy.
“Katsuki, wait!”
Biting back another giggle, Kaminari sighed in relief, craning his neck toward you from his awkward position on the cushion.
“You’re the only one who calls Bakugo by his first name.”
Your eyes widened in realization as Bakugo began to smother Kaminari with a pillow, his limbs flailing wildly.
“Katsuki, stop it!” you yelled, ripping the cushion off of Kaminari’s red face. Bakugo scowled, frustrated that you weren’t going to let him kill the annoying blond boy. He tossed him over the back of the couch toward Mineta.
“Get the hell out of here before I change my mind.” he threatened, and Kaminari nodded fearfully before yanking Mineta up and running down the hall.
Bakugo collapsed back onto the couch, groaning in exasperation. Giggling, you continued folding, and he raised an eyebrow at you.
“You, too? What’s so funny now?” he demanded.
You shook your head, smiling softly. “So, why am I the only one who calls you by your first name?”
His face flushed, the tips of his ears turning bright red as he looked away. He muttered something inaudible.
“Aw, c’mon, speak up! It’s just us now!” you teased, wiggling your fingers at him. He sighed, grabbing more laundry from the basket, the blush on his face now more apparent.
“It just sounds less stupid coming from you.”
“Hm, Bakugo, you have nice fashion sense.” you said, humming appreciatively. Currently, you were combing through his closet as he sat at his desk, working on homework. The t-shirts, jackets, and flannels felt soft under your fingertips, and he had a good variety.
He glanced up at you with his eyebrows furrowed. “Quit looking through my shit or I’ll blow you up.” he said shortly. You rolled your eyes at his empty threat but relented, flopping down onto his bed. The sheets smelled familiar, like the burning sugar scent Bakugo always carried with him.
“Why are you getting mad? It was a compliment!” you complained, curling around one of the pillows. He gave you a disgruntled sigh.
“Why are you complimenting me for such stupid stuff anyway?” he growled, but you sensed a hint of satisfaction in his voice. A pout fell on your lips as you stared at his back.
“I don’t know, everyone always praises you because you’re strong, so I feel like you must get tired of hearing that. And of course I think you’re strong too, but I just like the little things about you more.”
Your confession made the muscles in his back tense up as he suddenly sat up straight. With a loud squeak, he turned around in his chair to face you, the homework now abandoned behind him.
Your eyes widened in surprise. Usually, when you hung out in Bakugo’s room, he never let you distract him until he was completely done with his work. Now facing you, he stared at you on his bed with an unreadable expression.
You sat up, sitting cross legged on the bed while pulling the blanket over your legs.
“What’s up, Katsuki?”
The sound of you saying his name seemed to draw a reaction, as he clamped his eyes shut and grit his teeth. Now worried, you hopped off the bed, ambling over to the boy and inspecting his face. Up close, you did think he looked a little flushed.
Without warning, you pressed your forehead to his, and Bakugo’s eyes shot open as he backed up quickly, the chair colliding with his desk. The loud sound snapped you out of your thoughts.
“Why are you freaking out? I was checking your temperature.” you said nonchalantly, going back to sit on the bed. “It doesn’t seem like you’re sick though, so tell me what’s on your mind.”
The red hue had spread to his ears now. He opened his mouth, then closed it, and it looked like his brain had shut off. With a groan of frustration, he yanked on his ash blond hair.
“Agh, you’re not going to get it.” he said, speaking to the ground now. You rolled your eyes.
“I’m sure I will, so just tell me.” you encouraged. He bit his lip, seeming torn.
Now, you were really concerned. Bakugo was almost never outwardly nervous, seeming confident in everything he did. It was one of the things you admired about him.
His hands clutched the fabric of his pants, bunching it up between his fingers, before he sighed, turning back to his desk.
“Nevermind.” he muttered, but he sounded defeated.
Since that day, Bakugo had been avoiding you.
It had started subtly at first, a slight shift away when you sat next to him on the couch, but eventually became more bold. Now, he would immediately walk out of the room as you entered, or turn the other way when he saw you coming.
The entire class had noticed, because it was rare for him to not be by your side. Being devoid of his presence felt empty, and made you feel a little pathetic. Had he even been your friend this whole time?
You asked Kirishima about it, knowing he was close with Bakugo, and he merely shrugged nervously.
“Just give him some time,” he advised.
Unfortunately for Bakugo, you weren’t someone who was famous for their patience.
Marching up to his dorm room door, you pressed your ear to the wood, listening for any noise inside. You could hear the faint but distinctive clicks of a keyboard. Steeling yourself to face him, you rapped on the door three times confidently. There was a brief pause before you heard shuffling from inside the room, and then the door swung open.
Bakugo looked tired, having hollow bags under his eyes, face already contorted in irritation.
“Kirishima, I already told you I’m not telling he-“
At the sight of your face, he froze, eyes softening in recognition. Then, to your surprise, his expression hardened again as he tried to shut the door in your face. Reacting quickly, you shoved your foot in the doorway, your palm connecting with the wood as you pushed to keep it open.
“Katsuki!” you yelled, straining in exertion. You might’ve been determined, but Bakugo was worlds stronger than you were. You let out a small whimper, arms burning, and his eyes widened in concern as he loosened his grip on the door.
And, like that, both of you tumbled into Bakugo’s dorm room, a mess of tangled limbs on the carpet in front of the door. A small ‘oof’ forced its way from your throat as you landed on top of the spiky-haired teen.
Looking up, your eyes met Bakugo’s vermillion ones, and neither of you spoke. Realizing your compromising position, Bakugo shot up, scrambling backward on the floor. The carpet slid with his abrupt movement, and you wobbled on your hands and knees.
Standing up, Bakugo looked at you on the floor, trying to collect himself aas he turned his head away.
“You need to leave.”
A strong pang of hurt struck your heart at his cold words, and you felt tears beginning to sting the corners of your eyes. What had you done to him that made him hate you so much?
You rose to your feet unsteadily, brushing off your clothes.
“Katsuki, why won’t you talk to me? What did I do?”
Bakugo didn’t respond, not looking at you, and you advanced toward him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he flinched at your touch, quickly brushing you off.
You were growing frustrated at his lack of explanation, heart growing heavy at the loss of someone so close. The room looked messy, uncharacteristically so for someone like Bakugo who liked things so organized.
You stomped your foot on the ground in anger, trying to get him to even glance your way.
“Fine, if you don’t want to talk to me, then I’m leaving! I don’t even know why I try when you treat me like this, I just liked being with you. If that’s so wrong, if I was just a joke to you this whole time, then maybe this is for the best.”
He tensed up, feeling the impact of your words, but said nothing. You turned back to the door.
You and Bakugo were back to back now, not facing each other, something so rare in the time you’d known him. The two of you usually saw eye to eye, so much so that everyone trusted you to keep him in line when they couldn’t. It was a deep, mutual understanding. Unable to even look at him, like this, was more painful than anything.
Stepping slowly towards the door, you paused one last time, speaking softly over your shoulder.
“Goodbye, Bakugo.”
You hadn’t called him by his last name in so long, but things between you were different now. Tears streamed down your face now, the emotions too strong to be contained in your eyes.
When your hand reached the doorknob, you felt a sudden grip on your wrist, swinging you around. You were met with Bakugo’s face, a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.
“Bakugo, why-“
He caged you in, your body pressed against the door as he buried his head in the crook of his neck.
“Stay.” he whispered, and the heat of his breath made you shiver. You brought your hands up, resting them on his back hesitantly, feeling the soft lift of his breathing under his skin.
“You’re such an idiot.” he muttered, and you immediately moved to shove him off. With one hand, he stopped you, grasping your wrist tightly.
“You’re an idiot, but I love you.”
The words made your heart stop, made you feel like it was going to swell and burst. You’d waited so long, thinking someone like Bakugo would never feel the same way about you. You resigned yourself to a lifetime of friendship, deciding that you were okay with anything as long as he was happy.
“I don’t know how the hell it happened,” he said softly, “but I’m in love with you. And I hate it. I hate feeling weak in front of you, constantly wondering what you think of me, having to put up with all this gooey feeling shit.”
Bakugo sighed heavily.
“But I can’t stop. I won’t stop. I look like shit because I can’t do this without you. I don’t want anyone else to have you, not that they could because I would beat their ass.”
You giggled slightly at the threat as Bakugo raised his head from your neck. It was the gentlest, most vulnerable expression you had ever seen on his face.
“So please, stay with me. Don’t leave my side.”
In that moment, you were reminded that despite his bravado and confidence, Bakugo was still just a human. As much as he liked to pretend otherwise, he still had feelings just like you.
You stared into his eyes, looking past the mask he always wore, and you smiled.
“You couldn’t get rid of me even if you tried.”
When he kissed you, it felt like everything had been worth it.
Meeting Bakugo Katsuki was full of surprises, and he was full of talents, but perhaps the most impressive thing he had done was steal your heart.
fin.
“Hey, Katsuki, you know you’re pretty good at kis-“
“Enough with that already, idiot!”