Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

- blond hair, ear length
- pale skin
- semi-muscular form
- dresses casual, typically

Chapter Text

"damn.." he huffed, wiping his forehead with his forearm. "it's hot as hell today."

it was mid-summer, in the middle of the day. the sun was as bright as ever, boiling the skin of anyone underneath it. spraying yourself would only do you good for a fraction of a second, before it was evaporated off your skin.

hidaka had been working out in the garage-like building, fixing a car that had been brought in the day before. he didn't have much time before the client came to retrieve it. he was paid good money to finish it within, practically, one day. hidaka had to make sure he got everything right, even if he had to work through dehydration and starvation.

"fucking hell..." it seemed like he was there. tightening the last bolt, hidaka closed the hood of the car. he cleaned his oily hands off with the front of his shirt, giving a confident grin to the blond approaching him. "everything good?" he questioned the worker.

"yup! i also went ahead and checked the engine, tightened some things here and there. also– your tires weren't looking too good, so i switched them out.." he laughed nervously, rubbing the nape of his neck. "my boss'll kill me if he found out i did all of that."

"haa? i only asked for you to check my brakes," the blond man frowned. "shit– here, i think i brought some spare cash.."

"oh, no!! it's fine! i did it because i noticed and knew it wouldn't be too much work." hidaki turned away, focusing on putting his tools away. it did take him a few hours longer than it should have, but time went quickly when having fun, right? "plus, you're the bakugou katsuki. i know you help run this huge restaurant nearby– one i could only dream of going to. it wouldn't hurt to be known of helping out a hot-shot like you."

"'hot-shot,'" hidaki could hear the smirk in his voice. "i guess you aren't wrong about that.."

the worker faced bakugou once more. "right. anyways, it's free to go. come back any time."

bakugou hummed, nodding his head. before closing his wallet, he plucked out a card and handed it to hidaki. "come by sometime. i don't usually do this 'i owe you' shit, but.." he clicked his tongue, sliding into his repaired car.

looking into his hands, the card he held was for the restaurant the blond managed. a business card. for one of the most expensive restaurants in the city. hidaki couldn't pass this chance up. besides, it was offered by one of the most prestigious cooks out there. it would be stupid for him not to go.

'you're so.. you're really something, bakugou katsuki.'

Chapter Text

it was hot. the sun was out, just like any normal day, but it seemed to be shining brighter than a usual summer morning. if you squinted, you might be able to see the sun rays coming down to earth, and burning the skin of several civilians.

it was a typical summer morning at the restaurant.

today, bakugou had made sure to arrive early to help open up the shop today. though many didn't come during hot days like such, people were much more impatient if they did come in. so, they needed everything prepared beforehand.

"katsu-boss, heyyy!" the pink haired female waved to the blond. she was currently cleaning the seating area, with the help of kirishima and kaminari. that idiot wasn't allowed in the kitchen until opening time.

bakugou disregarded the greeting, making his way to the back. "almost done?"

"mhm!" the red-head grinned. "just gotta vacuum the back section then we're ready!"

"get to it, then." bakugou walked through the kitchen doors, seeing sero leading the other chefs to prepare for the day. "we won't need to prepare a lot beforehand."

the ravenette looked over to the blond. "huh? why, we always make this much. it'll be best if we make more now–"

"no, it's hot as shit outside. nobody goes to restaurants in this kind of weather, not this early at least. if we make so much now, it'll all go to shit and we'll waste it," bakugou rolled his eyes. this was obvious stuff, sero should know by now.

"i guess you aren't wrong.." sero stroked his chin.

"of course i'm right, fucker. go open up for me," he shoved the ravenette out the kitchen with a huff. there was no need to hold up the shop any longer than it had been.

"wow, are you some kind of psychic genius?"

the blond jumped from the voice, glaring to the male beside him. "the fuck are you doing back here!?" hidaka was the last person he expected to see, no less in the kitchen.

"mina let me in a while ago— anyways, you sure seem confident today." he leaned against one of the counters, giving a short smile to the worker beside him before turning back to bakugou.

the blond clicked his tongue. "i'm always this confident. now get the fuck outta here, you reek of oil."

"no way? i took a shower before i got here!"

"obviously not a good one.."

hidaka huffed, but couldn't hide the small smile on his lips. he didn't mind the small banter between them. that was just a normal conversation anyone would have with that angry blond. he might be unpredictable because of his wild mood-swings, but they were simple to manage for the most part.

hidaka wished he had those sort of clairvoyance-like abilities like bakugou.

Chapter Text

today was a slow day at DYNAMITE (the restaurant bakugou partially owned), which gave the workers plenty of time to themselves in between certain meals and customers. they relished times like this. since they were really up there in the food business, sometimes they wouldn't have much time to themselves, especially considering the fact of how minuscule their staff was.

since they all had plenty time to spare, bakugou was preparing pastries in his pass time. they weren't well known for their sweets, but the blond head chef made sure everything on their menu was at its top-notch quality.

like usual, hidaka was attached to bakugou's side as he cooked. he watched with curious eyes as the blond kneaded the large amount of dough with ease. he also couldn't help but notice how his muscles would flex as he pressed down, or how his hands handled the mixture well, his large fingers curling into the softness of the dough...

bakugou was very well built.

"if all i had to do was make some bread to look like you, i would've worked with food instead of cars," hidaka lightly teased.

bakugou glanced to him. "whatd'ya mean? i don't look like this because of easy shit like making bread."

"i was joking, bakugou..."

said blond scoffed. "if you worked out more, you might come close to this physique."

hidaka faked hurt. "what? my job is basically a work out..! lifting tires all by myself, tightening bolts to their limit!"

red eyes looked over to the shorter male, then back to the dough. "if i understood cars, i could easily do any of that shit."

hidaka only shrugged. bakugou wasn't wrong. it seemed to be this guy could do anything if he put his mind to it. the smaller of the two lightly rubbing his hands over his own arms.

"i still think i look decent after getting this job..."

bakugou gave a quiet shrug. he wasn't exactly sure how to respond. was hidaka upset or something?no, that can't be true, he hadn't even said anything wrong. it shouldn't really concern bakugou, anyways.

".. if it really works you up, you can just go on runs with me or s'mthing. you don't even look half bad in the first fuckin' place."

hidaka blinked owlishly. "huh?"

"'m not repeating myself, you fucker!" the blond half shouted. hidaka hadn't realized before, but the blond had already entirely finished with the dough he was working with before. he was now cleaning his mess.

he appreciated bakugou's offer (despite not wanting to take it at all). he didn't mind the way he personally looked, he just thought bakugou was eye-candy of some sort...

Chapter Text

since hidaka was such a kind soul, he made himself visit DYNAMITE every day for at least thirty minutes. it was the least he could do, to bless those hard-working, sweet people that were for ed to surround themselves in bakugou's presence every day. that, and he enjoyed spending time with them as well. their schedules were sort of iffy, so he didn't see them outside of work often.

similar to any other day, hidaka had packed up the shop for the day and ventured to the expensive restaurant nearby. the vehicles he worked on today took much more time than normal, so if he were lucky, he would catch the group of workers before it was entirely closed.

quietly, hidaka walked into the shop. there wasn't anyone in the dining area, seeing as it was closing time by now. he went to the back, seeing familiar faces around a specific oven.

"you piece of shit, how could you fuck up the oven so bad!!" a muffled shout was heard.

"i was being rushed, so i just pressed random buttons and shoved it in and—"

"just give up, denki," sero sighed, massaging his temples.

hidaka approached them from behind, taking a closer look at the situation. seems like kaminari fried one of the ovens. again. and it looked rather bad this time...

"i should really kill you..." hidaka smiled at the mutters he heard from bakugou. and it looked like the hotheaded blond was trying to fix it himself this time.

"oh," mina was the first to notice the other male. "hidaka, babes. could you help us, pretty please? bakugou has no idea what he's doing.."

"yes i fuckin'– shit! fuck, holy fuck—" the blond moved away from the oven, massaging his hand. "... i got it."

"c'mon, you already got hurt. i can fix it for you, then we can all go home," hidaka sighed, taking the tools from the blond. he rather not see bakugou get hurt any more if he could easily do it himself.

"but—!!"

"be quiet, and watch," he silence the blond, taking his spot by the oven. he began to explain what was wrong with it, and how they could easily fix it themselves while he demonstrated. it wasn't that difficult, but for a group that knew little to nothing about mechanical work and such, it might've been a bit confusing.

"umm..." kaminari's eyes stayed on the nearly fixed oven as he leaned to sero. "did you understand any of that?"

"yeah, you're just stupid, denki."

"hey!!"

when hidaka was done, he cleaned his hands on his already dirtied clothes, pushing the oven back to its original positioning. "i don't mind fixing things if you need help. don't go getting yourself into things you don't understand."

bakugou scoffed, his arms crossed. "whatever..."

after some idle talk and thanking between them all, they made their way out the doors and to their respective homes.

"hey, fuckface," hidaka heard bakugou call out. "... thanks. for fixing the oven and shit. but don't think i owe you— you already eat here for free!"

hidaka smiled kindly to the blond. "yeah, yeah, i know. it was the least i could do for you all... goodnight."

bakugou grunted in response, turning to head home. hidaka couldn't help but watch his figure leave his line of sight. he thought it was endearing, seeing bakugou act so coy. it was a sign, in hidaka's eyes, that he cared.

Chapter Text

it was quite early in the morning. hidaka had the day off, and would've liked to spend the day at home. working as a car mechanic was a lot of work and very draining, after all. however, his plans were disrupted by an abrupt call from his older sister. now he was stuck helping his niece with her homework, while his sister was out at work. what an inconvenience. he loved the small girl, but he would've liked to stay in bed today.

since it was still early, and DYNAMITE wouldn't be opening for another hour or so, he decided to make his way to the restaurant with his niece so they could do her studies there. bakugou was an early bird, so it was definite at least one person would be there.

surprisingly, they were let in by mina and sero, who seemed to be accompanied by bakugou and one other worker. hidaka and naoi, his niece, took a seat and began working. in the beginning, it was fairly easy. they started with japanese history, which was the one class hidaka did decently well in. then science, which was basic seeing she was only in junior high.

however, when they got to math, they had some trouble. which is surprising, really! how could he be an engineering major and struggle with teaching simple math..?

"ahh.." hidaka lightly frowned at the paper. "don't you just multiply these two... no.. naoi, how about we just take a break?"

"uncle akiara! we just finished a break ten minutes ago!!"

"another break wouldn't hurt..."

hidaka could hear a snicker behind them. he turned and glared at mina. "what? i wouldn't think you would struggle so much with basic math."

"why don't you come over here and help, then." he rolled his eyes as the tan female rose her hands in surrender, slowly backing away.

"the fuck are you doing out here, huh? go help sero in the back," bakugou looked to mina, who immediately scampered off. he was extremely strict when it came to their job. the blond's attention was moved to hidaka and his niece. "what're you doin'?"

hidaka only glanced at the blond before staring back down at the paper. "i'm trying to help my niece-y with her very easy, very simple math. like, it's so basic—"

"uncle, you have no idea what you're doing," the small girl deadpanned.

"wha– yes i do! look, we solved that one!" he pointed to one of the first questions.

bakugou snorted. "that's wrong."

hidaka opened his mouth to defend himself, but immediately shut it. he turned his burning face away in embarrassment, which got a small chuckle out of the blond. was it getting warm in here?

"look, kid," he pushed hidaka's seat aside, bending over so he could see the paper better. "you gotta subtract ten from both sides first, just because it's the easiest step, yeah? then you divide this number from both sides, because that's the opposite operation... see, you got it. just do it like that, and it's smooth sailing."

despite practically failing his niece, he couldn't help but watch bakugou in admiration as he assisted naoi. it brought a happy feeling in his chest as he watched her eyes light up in realization, and grin happily to the blond.

"thank you, sir!!" she spoke happily.

"yeah, yeah. and it's 'bakugou,' not 'sir,'" he scoffed, muttering how he wasn't some old man as he walked away.

hidaka walked after him, grabbing his forearm lightly. "hey. thanks for helping, i was clearly struggling back there."

"yeah, fucker, you were."

"c'mon, i'm trying to be nice," hidaka huffed.

bakugou shrugged off hidaka's hand. "whatever. just bring the brat over in my free time if she needs more help. i guess i don't mind." with that, he retreated back to the kitchen.

bakugou could be a good friend when he wanted to be.

Chapter Text

despite hidaka spending most of his recent days with the workers at DYNAMITE, he did have friends outside of the establishment. most of them were his co-workers, but he enjoyed them nonetheless. he felt bad for the recent neglect he had been giving them, and took the day to spend time with them. it had been a while, after all.

he knows what it feels like to be abandoned by friends. and while he may be exaggerating in this case, he doesn't want people he worked closely with to feel like that, especially not because of him.

today was supposed to be a good day. he would go out, lightly drinking with a few friends, then stop by DYNAMITE for dinner before going home. they would all have to pitch in for the expensive dinner, but hidaka would have been sure the prices were cut because bakugou had a soft spot for him. they were buds, at the end of the day.

the day was planned out perfectly. nothing could have been gone wrong. but hidaka had thought too soon. while they were out, his friends had gotten a tad too tipsy and said some hurtful things. normally, hidaka wouldn't mind them. however, they had a certain edge to them that felt real. the digs at his personal life, and experiences he hadn't wanted to share with them in the first place... the entire experience had been unfortunate, and overall uncomfortable.

he couldn't stay any longer. he was upset, and he had to leave.

being alone was the last thing he needed at the moment, though. so, the next best thought was heading over to DYNAMITE. yeah, they might be working right now, but he felt as if he were going to self-destruct. it was a long walk from the bar he was at to the restaurant, which gave him a decent amount of time to clear his head from the depressive, slightly drunk state it was in.

he entered the building from the back door, not wanting to bring attention to himself from a bunch of strangers around. he was immediately noticed by mina. it was like the female had some sort of radar for when he was nearby. she spotted him as she came out of the staff bathroom.

"hidaka? oh, babe, you look horrible.."

"thanks, i couldn't tell," he spoke sarcastically, a small crack to his voice. it seemed like everything was getting to him at this point.

she grimaced, lightly stroking his cheek. "i'm sorry, babe. go wash your face in the bathroom, i'll try and get bakugou to you."

he shook his head, "no, no. don't bother him, it's fine..."

mina sighed. "wait in the staff room when your done." she said nothing more as she went off into the kitchen. hidaka listened to mina's words, rinsing his reddened face with cold water before resting himself in the staff room. his mind was blank. maybe he was still a little fuzzy because of the drinks he had prior.

"oi, fucker," bakugou barged into the room, basically slamming the door shut behind him. "what's your problem? i'm still working."

hidaka was silent, his eyes gazing up to the ceiling. it was a little worrying– it looked as if he might be dead. bakugou approached him, flicking his forehead. that got a reaction out of him.

"has your brain finally gone to shit? what's your deal?"

bakugou wasn't expecting to hear small sniffles from his words. looking at hidaka, he had silently began to cry to himself, quickly wiping his eyes from the stray tears.

"i- i'm so stupid. they were right, i am just some good-for-nothing child. i'm barely passing by with the help of my sister... it's so hard just getting by and nobody understands, i– i just feel like a burden..." the male cried, placing his hands over his face. he was so embarrassed. he's known bakugou for a while, but not once has he ever cried in front of him. he's never let his happy exterior crack in front of these people. he didn't want to become another burden for them too.

bakugou huffed out a sigh. he pulled out a chair besides hidaka and sat down, roughly pulling the boy towards him. hidaka's foreheads laid against bakugou's shoulder comfortably, while the blond did his best to comfort him with subtle strokes to his hair. bakugou was never the best with comforting others. he tried his hardest to remember how he would be comforted by his shit friends all those years ago.

"you aren't a fucking burden, idiot," hidaka heard the other mumble. "you're one of us now. you're apart of DYNAMITE. so, if you have any kinda problem, you come to us and we'll fuckin' help you." a silence passed through. "besides, if someone has an issue about helping you out, it's their fault for keeping quiet about it."

his words reassured hidaka more than he thought it would. sure, the speech wasn't perfect and it was definitely odd coming from bakugou, but it gave him a sense of relief. when he felt comfortable, he backed away from the blond.

"you look ugly when you cry. stop it," bakugou muttered, harshly using the back of his hand to wipe the wetness from hidaka's face.

"sorry—"

"don't apologize either."

hidaka shut his mouth. they sat in silence for a moment, before bakugou sat up.

"stay here until we close. i'll drive you home."

he left before hidaka could object. he was glad. very glad. he appreciated them all in more ways they could imagine. especially bakugou. he was too kind to hidaka.

Chapter Text

"quit your job."

"what?"

"sorry, but i agree. you should quit."

"huh??"

hidaka was sitting at a table with sero, mina, and bakugou. kirishima and kaminari had went to the back to bring food out. the three others had been sitting with hidaka, and listening to him complain about his job. ever since the recent incident, he's been having a hard time getting along with his coworkers, which makes his job ten times harder.

"listen here, you fucker," bakugou jabbed him in the middle of his chest. "unless you want me to strangle every asshole at that ran-down auto-shop, i suggest you quit."

"but where am i supposed to work!? you all know i'm running extremely low on cash! i can't waste a second hunting for a new place to work!"

"well, we could arrange a few things.." sero rubbed his chin in thought.

"you're working here. end of discussion."

"wha— but, bakugou–!!" hidaka was cut off by the blond.

"you're here almost all the time, anyway! if you're gonna feed off of us, you might as well make yourself useful," bakugou abruptly stood from his chair. "i'll get the papers ready. call your job. now."

hidaka was dumbstruck as he watched bakugou walk into the kitchen. they could all hear the muffled yells of the blond, probably questioning why kaminari and kirishima were taking so long. mina bumped shoulders with hidaka happily.

"looks like we'll be spending much more time with each other," she cheered happily.

sero hummed with his own grin. not only were they getting a new staff member, but one of his friends would be joining them. it was a double win. "i think bakugou has a huge soft spot for you. like... abnormally large."

"you think?" hidaka asked curiously. "i just thought he considered me a close friend. it's normal to help friends out, yeah?"

"well," mina pondered on the topic as well. "we've known him since high school, and i don't think he'd ever do this much for us..."

"heyyy, maybe bakugou likes hidaka!"

the three flinched, turning to the the two that suddenly arrived in the room. kaminari and kirishima were bringing out small, simple sandwiches and cups of water for them to fill their stomachs on. kirishima pulled a chair over, and the two sat down.

"bakugou isn't one for dating and all, but he makes his love life so apparent," kirishima sighed, taking a bite out of the cold-cut in his hand.

hidaka shook his head. "i don't think so. bakugou is just.. a cool dude. i'm sure he would've done the same for you all. we're just friends."

"riiight. and i'm the biggest idiot in the world," kaminari rolled his eyes.

"well, you aren't too far off..."

"hey! fuck you!"

hidaka snickered. he was glad their small bickering diverted the topic. for some reason, thinking about dating bakugou brought an uneasy feeling to his chest. he didn't enjoy it. besides, bakugou was his friend. what more was their to even think on?

Chapter Text

hidaka had quit his job as a car mechanic about a week ago. he was very reluctant, seeing as his memories of meeting these amazing people lied there, but this was for the best. being there was mentally draining, and he would earn much better money at the restaurant with bakugou. hidaka could cook decently well, but it wasn't necessarily DYNAMITE level cooking.

so, he was put as a junior chef with kaminari and they helped each other out. he also decided he would help out with serving from time to time, since he doesn't do too well in the kitchen for a long period of time.

since they were juniors, bakugou decided to do cooking sessions ever so often, just to teach them a few tricks. kaminari needed all the help he could get, and since hidaka was junior, he probably could too. today was one of those days that they would be practicing, and it would be the first time hidaka would be attending. he only thought of it as a normal hang out session, though. it was only bakugou and kaminari, after all.

when everything was ready and prepared, bakugou began guiding them through the meal. it wasn't anything special, just a steak with their sides. it should've been fairly easy to perfect.

"you fucking dunce!" bakugou was practically hovering over kaminari. "you're just shoveling it over the meat, not flinging the shit everywhere!"

"stop yelling, and i might be able to do it!"

"i wouldn't have to yell if you did shit right!"

hidaka was tense as he tried his hardest to cook his own slab of meat. he definitely did not want to be yelled at like that. his eyes quickly moved away from the two blonds as red eyes looked over to him. he shuffled in his spot as bakugou approached, silently watching his technique.

"go faster," hidaka almost jumped from bakugou's voice. it was much softer than it had been before. "we work on the clock. we have to finish quickly, and efficient as fuck."

hidaka only nodded, speeding up his movements as directed. it looked like bakugou was pleased, seeing as he backed away from the stove. kaminari and hidaka were able to finish their plates on their own, letting bakugou taste both of them. why was this so nerve-wracking? he felt like he was on one of those cooking competitions.

"kaminari, yours is greasy as shit. you don't need a whole stick of butter to cook it. also, these potatoes are too luquidy. can't believe you can't even make a good fuckin' mash," bqkugou clicked his tongue, ignoring kaminari's cries of defense.

bakugou tasted hidaka's once more. "everything is very fucking salty. god, when i say season i don't mean dump the entire fucking container on it."

hidaka's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he watched bakugou gulp down a water bottle. it wasn't his fault! he wanted to serve bakugou the absolute best, but those burning eyes lingering on his figure made him nervous! it was bakugou's fault, not his.

"fuck.." bakugou groaned. "whatever. the meat and potatoes are cooked well. don't just dump shit on without tasting it. any normal person would die from eating this.."

"right. sorry."

"whatever. clean up, then get out."

kaminari and hidaka didn't want to piss him off any more, so they scrubbed down the kitchen, as well as the dishes, before preparing to leave. though, bakugou kept hidaka back and sent kaminari off by himself. hidaka felt bad, but he could always spend more time with him another day.

"did i do something wrong?" hidaka asked, a tone of playfulness in his voice.

bakugou scoffed, grabbing his jacket and his wallet off of the counter. "is it not normal to spend time with people you like?"

"huh?" hidaka followed behind bakugou, growing a cheeky grin. "heyyyy, are you finally admitting that we're friends?"

"what– fucking idiot," bakugou rolled his eyes. "whatever. lets go."

"where are we going?"

"i need to go shopping, and i feel like having company."

hidaka didn't question bakugou any further. he knew the blond didn't like to be interrogated, so it would be best not to tease him with prying questions. he liked bakugou's presence, anyways, even if he could be a little intimidating. he enjoyed bakugou.

Chapter Text

hidaka didn't realize how much he appreciated summer until it was gone.

the days got cooler as the seasons went by, and hidaka's body reacted along with the change. he always forgot how sensitive he would be to colder weather. he could hardly function in the winter, so he best prepare for that. for now, he wore long sleeves and beanies to warm himself in the cold autumn days.

it was clearly bothering bakugou as well. as soon as the temperature dropped below 70° F, he would lose his shit. he would make the restaurant's inside temperature warmer, and he would constantly rub his hands together. he was very sensitive.

walked into the restaurant to get ready for his shit, letting out a small huff as he stripped from his sweater to his cooking jacket. apparently bakugou had business back there as well, since he came to the back as well.

"it's cold as fuck today.." the blond muttered, grabbing some sort of cream and lathering his hands with it.

hidaka nodded in agreement. "yeah. it feels like winter is coming sooner than normal. we might even get snow."

"god, hopefully not," bakugou rolled his eyes.

"aww, well i never would've guessed you're so sensitive to a slight breeze."

"fuck you." bakugou flipped him off. "you were complaining about it too."

"i was agreeing out of curtesy."

bakugou scoffed, disagreeing with hidaka's words. though, the male didn't miss the small smirk on the blond's lips as he left the room once more. he didn't think much on it, leaving to start his work.

normally, the outside weather didn't tamper with the feeling of the inside of DYNAMITE. however, today people kept going in and out of the building, making the feel waver ever-so-often. the cooks and waiters/waitresses constantly busied themself the keep their bodies heated.

by the end of the day, people were quickly put of the door so they could hurry and be in te comfort of their homes. such could be said for the staff of the establishment. as soon as it was closing time, they hurriedly cleaned and said their goodbyes before going on their way. bakugou and hidaka were the last two to leave the building, locking up the restaurant together.

"today was a busy day.. it's so late..." hidaka sighed quietly to himself, rubbing his hands together. "see you tomorrow, bakugou."

"let me walk you home."

hidaka raised an eyebrow to the sudden proposition. "why? you were complaining about how cold it was all day."

"don't need you freezing to death on your way home." bakugou began to walk off in the direction of hidaka's home. they've known each ofher long enough to know the addresses of one another's home. hidaka followed closely, leaving little space in between them as they moved.

"you're too kind to me, bakugou."

the blond rolled his eyes. "we're already short on staff. don't need anybody going missing."

"and out of everyone to protect, you chose me," hidaka cooed.

"only because you're a weak fuck! don't get ideas!"

hidaka laughed at bakugou's brashness, surrendering with a small raise of his hands. they walked in silence for a while. bakugou seemed to stubborn to start up another conversation, while hidaka was focusing on the small amount of warmth he received from the layers of clothes he wore.

bakugou noticed the other's shivering and clicked his tongue before taking a step closer to him. their shoulders were now pressed against one another as bakugou wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"and i'm the sensitive one.." hidaka heard the taller male mutter under his breath. being closer to bakugou brought an unfamiliar warmth to the smaller's body. he enjoyed it quietly.

when they approached the front of hidaka's house, bakugou quickly pulled himself away. he turned himself, ready to walk in the direction of his own home. "see you tomorrow, shithead."

"right. see you later, bakugou."

the blond scoffed through his teeth. "just call me katsuki or whatever..."

they both stood there for a moment, no words uttered. then, bakugou continued walking again, hidaka watching him until he turned a corner. bakugou was gone from his sight.

bakugou left a long-lasting wamrth in his body, despite not being there.

Chapter Text

it was a chilly, sunday morning. not the nicest way to begin the week, but bearable. many didn't look forward to the beginning of the week, seeing as it was the start of another chain of dreadful days. however, one blond individual didn't see it that way.

bakugou saw every day the same. another day to prove how badass he was. so, what was their to mope about? if anything, there was a possibility today was going to be an amazing day. bakugou did his normal morning routine, going for a short jog fairly early and taking a long shower before heading off to work.

it was normal for him to arrive a bit later than the rest of the workers. despite the abrasive attitude he gave to them, he trusted them enough to prepare everything in the mornings. he only gave curt nods and small greetings as he walked in, going to the back to change into his chef's jacket.

"hey, babes," mina approached morikawa, who had just walked into the building. "do you mind serving today? all cooks are on duty, so it'd be nice to have some help out here."

"oh, sure. katsuki won't mind, right?"

"when it comes to you, he never minds," mina rolled her eyes, passing morikawa.

kirishima appeared from behind morikawa, laying his chin on the smaller male's head. "since when were you on first name basis with bakugou?"

"huh? well, i've been saying it for a while now..."

"somebody's jealous.." mina teased from afar.

kirishima whipped his head to her. "i am not jealous!" he huffed.

"yeah, there's nothing to be jealous of, anyways." morikawa shook his head, going to the back to place his coat aside. he wanted to be able to help clean the dining area and whatnot before they opened.

as he walked back to the front area, he was brought to hear several different voices. many were unfamiliar, as far as he knew. he cautiously walked into the room, silently listening.

"you know you guys shouldn't be here.." mina sighed, a hand placed on her hip.

"is it that much a problem? we're adults now, he should just get over it—"

"todoroki.." a short, green haired male cut off the dual haired male. he then turned to mina. "we haven't seen each other in a while. i just wanted to pay a visit to some old friends, ashido."

mina's lips pressed into a thin line. kirishima had been nervously listening a few feet away. whoever they were didn't seem to be on good terms with the rest of them. "fine. don't blame me if you leave with your asses handed to you."

"hey guys, bakugou said we're gonna open soon–? um. heyyyy guysss," kaminari approached the small group of people.

"denki. its been a while," the green haired male gave a kind grin to the blond, to which was returned to him. his eyes then pinpointed morikawa, who immediately froze up under the sudden attention. "hey there!"

"oh.. hi," he quickly made his way beside mina, eyeing the people that stood in front of him.

"midoriya, is such idle talk really necessary? we could've been in the shop already, opening for business—."

"we have the day off today, iida. lets enjoy our day," midoriya smiled to the speckled male. "anyways. what's your name?"

"morikawa akiara. nice to meet you, midoriya."

they shook hands. "likewise. bakugou has never been one to get close with with people, but seeing as your here... that must mean something."

"oh yeah!" denki wrapped an arm around morikawa's shoulders. "they're totally dating."

"w- what!?" morikawa's cheeks flushed red. "i'm not dating bakugou, don't just go around and say that.."

"oh, wow," the brunette female beside the greenette chuckled. "i never would've thought bakugou would ever be interested. hopefully he's been good to you."

morikawa sighed. "we aren't dating... but anyone could tell that bakugou's tough exterior is just to hide his soft side. once you get past it, you could even say he's... cute?"

"bakugou? cute?" the dual haired male scoffed. "i don't think we're talking about the same person."

"it's true! it's rare, but when we're together, there'll be these moments where he lets his guard down and just– enjoys himself. it's nice."

"i don't think friends talk about other friends like that.." the small child from behind said. or, she looked like a child. maybe it was because of how small she was. maybe she was midoriya's younger relative...

"what the hell're you doing here?" all of their attention was turned to bakugou, who had his arms crossed over his chest. "if you're here for idle chat, go somewhere else."

morikawa gave an uneasy smile to the blond. "well, your friends said they wanted to pay you a visit–"

"they are not my friends," bakugou seethed. "get the fuck out. now."

"i told you this was a bad idea, midoriya.." the dual haired male sighed, shaking his head lightly.

"kacchan, i just wanted to talk to you about–"

"stop with that shitty nickname. i don't wanna fuckin' hear anything you got to say."

"but toshinori—"

"what about him, huh!?" bakugou threw his hands up in the air. "you don't think i know what's wrong with him!? are you trying to fuck with me!? hell, the whole world knows he's on his last limb, deku!"

"well-"

"i don't need your shitty excuses, advice– nothing. it has nothing to do with you. get the fuck out."

"kacchan, this is serious! i'm sorry, but toshinori means a lot to me, and you really aren't helping!!"

morikawa has seen bakugou get angry. he's seen him go red in the face, and his hands slightly clenched in frustration. he's heard bakugou yell plenty of times. but this– this was different. very different. it didn't feel like bakugou was yelling out of mere angry. it was a mixture of different feelings, ready to explode this very second.

morikawa didn't have the reflexes bakugou had. he could only watch as the blond practically pounced on midoriya, shouts being thrown in between them. it took four people (two for bakugou, two for midoriya) to pull them apart.

"you guys need to go," sero spoke firmly. kirishima was leading the angry blond to the back.

"right. i'm sorry, i didn't mean for it to end this way.." midoriya bowed to them. "hopefully we'll meet again, morikawa."

"right..." morikawa was hesitant when it came to that group. if bakugou didn't like them, then should he?

mina escorted morikawa to bakugou, saying how he should be the one to comfort the blond. it didn't make much sense, in his opinion. kirishima and the rest seemed much closer than he was to him. but, he was willing to help out.

"i swear, i hate that son of a bitch..." morikawa heard bakugou mumble.

he carefully approached, pulling a chair over to sit directly in front of bakugou. "katsuki. can you tell me what's wrong?"

bakugou didn't acknowledge his presence. his face was in his hands, which kept curling and uncurling every few seconds. he was acting better than expected, if morikawa were to be honest.

"katsuki. i know it's a lot to unpack right now, but at least telling me why you feel angry will probably lift a huge load off of your shoulders."

the blond's face scrunched. "... 'm not even angry. i'm fucking frustrated– i feel disrespected. who the fuck does he think he is, coming into my place to talk about toshi as if it's some fuckin' casual conversation. fuck— everyone knows why he's in that hospital! he got hurt because of me, for fucks sake!! is that a conversation i would like to have!? hell no!"

bakugou stood to his feet, his hands clawing at the sleeves of his jacket. "ever since we were young, he always thought he could do whatever the hell he wanted. it doesn't help that toshi obviously favors him. it makes no sense, i'm better in every way!! why...?"

"katsuki." he approached the blond, placing a soft hand on his shoulder. "my best het is that you're overthinking. even if toshinori favored midoriya– who cares? you're so amazing, he obviously must be blind. i cannot begin to describe how great you are; which means you shouldn't let someone who's below you step on your pride. ever."

bakugou took a staggering breath inward. it looked like he was reflecting on the words given to him. after what felt like a plethora of minutes, bakugou scoffed.

"and for a while i thought you were as braindead as kami," the blond huffed, rubbing his hands over his face. "whatever. i knew that shit already.. but thanks. i guess. lets just hurry our asses out there."

morikawa smiled as bakugou walked out. he was glad he was able to improve the bigger male's mood, even if it seemed like he wasn't much help. he enjoyed helping bakugou. he enjoyed bakugou.

Chapter Text

after the small fight at DYNAMITE, morikawa could feel how tense bakugou had been. that encounter had really thrown them all off, especially bakugou. he had talked with the main staff, aside bakugou, and he found out some information. apparently, he knew midoriya since kindergarten, and they had never really gotten along. they both know toshinori personally, but the old man has a clear favoring towards midoriya.

it goes further than that, but morikawa thought that was the most useful information he got. it made sense as to why the blond was spiteful. hell, morikawa would probably feel the same if he were in bakugou's shoes. it was a fucked situation, that was for sure.

morikawa couldn't bare the awkward feeling in the kitchen during the days he worked, so he decided to relieve the blond by inviting him to his house. maybe a drink or two, and a long, casual talk would ease a few muscles of his. it was a very sudden meet-up, so morikawa had been cleaning up quickly while waiting for bakugou to arrive.

"is it really safe to intoxicate bakugou..?" morikawa pondered while staring into his mini fridge. "... eh, what's the harm," he grabbed a pack of beers out, setting them on the coffee table. the sun had already began to set, so now all he had to do was wait for—

"the doorbell," morikawa sprung up from the couch when he heard the soft ring hun throughout his home. it must've been bakugou. he went and opened the door with a small smile. "katsuki, hey."

"'sup, fuckface. what's for dinner?" bakugou didn't wait to be invited in, sidestepping morikawa to walk into the house. he's been there plenty of times, so was there any need?

"oh, right. i was gonna let you choose." morikawa shut the door, plopping himself down in his original position on the couch

bakugou stood behind the couch, an eyebrow raised. "what do you mean?"

"ahhh.." morikawa let out a nervous chuckle. "i was just gonna order in.."

"are you shitting me? why the hell would you do that when you can cook—"

"i don't feel like cooking on my breaks too, man," the smaller groaned, stretching his body across the couch. "i just want to relax."

"so you brought me here to cook, huh?" bakugou scoffed, ruffling his hair. "god fuckin' damn.."

"no, no! sit down, it's both of our time off. you are not cooking." morikawa lifted his legs. "sit down."

"i am not—"

"sit. down."

the two glared at each other for a few passing seconds, before bakugou caved. he clicked his tongue, maneuvering around the hovering legs to sit down comfortably. he didn't even complain when they laid comfortably in his lap. morikawa had felt like he was going to shit himself under bakugou's glare, so this was... shocking. had he tamed a wild beast? possibly.

"i want wings," bakugou grumbled. he looked like a child with the way he pouted with his arms crossed over his chest.

"of course, of course." morikawa already had his phone in hand, ready to put their food in. "also, beer's on the table. feel free to have some."

"you have beer?"

"well, i'm legally able to now so.. i don't see the harm," morikawa shrugged, not bothering to look up from his phone.

"you don't seem like a beer type of guy," bakugou muttered, reaching forward to grab a can. "would've preferred a glass of wine..."

"how so?"

"well, you use shit like 'fiddlesticks' instead of 'fuck', so i didn't think you would be into alcohol."

morikawa scoffed. "well, i wouldn't take you as a guy for wine, seeing how unclassy you are."

bakugou merely flipped morikawa off with his free hand, using the other to down the can of beer.

"don't die from alcohol poisoning yet, i just ordered the food."

"like i would die from a drink or two..."

the two of them continued to banter and tease one another casually while waiting for their food. the box of cans slowly diminished while they waited, most of them being downed by the blond. he was such a heavyweight, which didn't come as a surprise to morikawa.

however, by the time the food did arrive, bakugou had slowly lost his head to the booze. morikawa had placed the boxes of wings on the table, along with plates for both of them and napkins. he then made himself comfortable beside bakugou, facing normally this time.

"i don't care how drunk you are, you better help me eat this," morikawa shook his head, seeing bakugou stare at the food while the other made their plate. "i made sure to get what you like, too."

when he saw bakugou was too lost in his own mind, he sighed. "whatever.." morikawa huffed, grabbing the remote to have some sort of idle noise in the background while he ate. he assumed bakugou would just fall asleep soon, with how abnormally quiet he was being.

so, naturally morikawa had almost jumped out of his seat when the blond laid his head on the smaller's shoulder. "katsuki–?"

"d'you know..." the blond drawled, staring at the tv. "that... that fuckin' nerd and i are, like.. childhood friends?"

"well, i was told, yeah."

"yeah.. and that fuckin' nerd stole almost everything i wanted from me. sucks ass."

morikawa raised an eyebrow. "almost?"

the blond nodded. "i still.. i still have the restaurant.. and kiri.. and kami, mina, sero... and..."

"and what?"

"and then your.. 'ur car-lovin', shitty-cooking ass came into the picture," bakugou sat up so he could move his face in front of morikawa's. he had a small glare, but it wasn't as intimidating because of the small flush on his face. this guy was drunk. "and you might've fixed my car! but then.. you came into my restaurant, and made friends with my friends and now i can't fucking get rid of you."

"why can't you?" morikawa couldn't help but be amused from the situation. it was funny, but refreshing, to see bakugou act so truth.

bakugou made a face that looked like he was thinking. "because... 'cause i can't get rid of strays."

"strays?"

"yeah, a black fur, green eyed cat that brings nothin' but bad luck."

morikawa's smile wavered. "i'm bad luck..?"

"no, dumbass! you just– attract bad things."

"... so you're a bad thing?"

bakugou dramatically scoffed, "clueless."

"whatever.." morikawa chuckled. "you're funny."

"fuck you. 'm tired.." bakugou finished off his drink, placing it along thr others he dusted before standing to his feet. "lets sleep."

"what?"

"i'm tired." bakugou pulled morikawa up to his feet, clumsily tugging him along the halls to the bedroom. it wasn't too difficult to find. morikawa couldn't help but fluster as bakugou stripped down to his underwear.

"what're you doing!?"

"so loud.." the blond flopped down onto the bed. "get your ass over here and sleep."

"but the food—"

"sleep..."

morikawa shouldn't. he didn't want the blond to wake up and feel uncomfortable. he also wanted to clean the living room before he lied down, and possibly take a shower. he really shouldn't... but bakugou was being so cute. was that possible? for someone as scary and intimidating as him to be cute? was it normal to think someone your so close to is cute..!?

"stop staring, fuckface."

morikawa flushed. hurriedly, he tugged off his shirt snd climbed into bed beside the blond. he wasn't able to protest as an arm was thrown over his body. if he were to be honest, he always enjoyed the warmth that radiated off of bakugou, and that definitely applied now. any coolness he felt before was blocked off by the blond's body.

"small piece of shit... g'night.." bakugou yawned noisily, stuffing his face into the pillow he laid on. the liquor in his system quickly lulled him to sleep.

morikawa didn't detain himself from observing the other's sleeping face. he looked so at peace. it was nice, compared to how stressed and worked up he had been recently. he liked this side of bakugou. the liked every side of bakugou. he liked...

he liked bakugou. a lot.

Chapter Text

in the mornings, morikawa's room was standardly cold. it was dark, and quiet, and he was the only one there. the floors were littered with things here and there, and was freezing to the touch. his door would be wide open, for him to easily navigate through it as his mind began to fully turn on.

it would be rather dark theoughout the house. all of the curtains would be shut, to block out the sun and unnecessary heat it gave. as much as the cold may bother him, he would rather wake up cool than a sweaty mess.

that's how he woke up. that's how he normally woke up.

but this morning, when he opened his eyes, there was a blurred figure perfectly shown in front of him. as his eyes began to adjust, he realized the figure was the male he let into his house last night. his red eyes were already open and laid upon morikawa, a blank stare on his face.

"morning, sleeping beauty." bakugou's gruff voice ran throughout the quiet room, almost making morikawa shiver. or was it the cold blanket that laid across his body? there was also a small tinge of alcohol still lingering in bakugou's breath. "was wondering when you'd get up."

morikawa glanced towards his window, which was wide open. it looked like bakugou had been up for quite some time. the sun had gleamed through the glass, brightening the room significantly. morikawa lightly rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes. "how long have you been awake..?"

"about an hour. got back in bed a few minutes ago," the blond cut himself off with a yawn, shutting his eyelids with his head resting against the pillow.

morikawa only then noticed the arm that laid at his hips. had they been cuddling this entire time? "did you get yourself medicine?"

"huh?"

"i thought you'd have a hangover after yesterday.."

"hangover?" bakugou scoffed. "i was only a little tipsy. who gets drunk after a can of beer...?"

it was way more than a can of beer. morikawa shrugged it off. "if you say so." he sighed, ruffling his own hair with his hand. he carefully moved to scoot off the bed, only to be held back by the blond in his bed.

"hey, i..." morikawa turned back to look at bakugou, the two staring silently for a passing second. the bigger male then turned away, releasing morikawa. "give me a spare toothbrush and some clothes."

"huuh..?" it looked like the blond was prepared to say something else, but morikawa had never been good at reading expressions, so he rubbed it off. he was probably wrong, and he didn't want to question bakugou and make him upset. "...alright."

as told, he grabbed some spare clothes and a toothbrush for the blond to use. the two of them got read together in the same bathroom, brushing their teeth and taking turns washing their face under the sink. for some reason, it was comforting having someone beside morikawa in the morning. it usually felt so lonely, but he enjoyed another's presence more than he expected.

since they were already together, the two decided eat a light lunch and then go somewhere. of course, because of last night, they had some cleaning to do, but within two or so hours, they were walking out. it was very unplanned and sudden, so they just began with a casual stroll. morikawa didn't mind, he needed some fresh air. staying in bakugou's presence for almost twenty-four hours was... more nerve-wracking than he expected it to be.

since bakugou was much more outgoing and adventurous than morikawa, he was able to point out and mumble about certain areas as they walked by. it was funny, seeing bakugou talk about certain things. it was clear which subjects he favored and which he didn't- he made it very obvious for morikawa. it was cute.

they ended up resting at a park that bakugou grew up near. it was run-down, yeah, but it clearly held a lot of memories for the blond.

"you fell into a river?" morikawa gaped, his eyebrows furled.

the blond nodded proudly. "and even after that fall, i'm still the smartest guy you'll ever meet. can't knock my brain out with one tumble."

morikawa snickered. "well, i get it. you are hard-headed–"

"hardy-har, asshole." morikawa's laughter grew as bakugou flipped him off. though, he couldn't ignore the small smirk on the blond's lips.

"yeah, yeah..."

they fell into silence as morikawa's laughter silenced. despite the anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach, there was a comforting aura around them that balanced it out. something about bakugou made him anxiously comfortable, if that made sense. he wasn't sure if he enjoyed it or not.

"hey." morikawa turned his head to the blond. "wanna know somethin'?"

"yeah? what's up?"

bakugou shifted in the swing he sat in, sitting further back on it. "i've known kiri and mina and them for a while.. since high school. and, i could barely call them my friends, no less acquaintances–"

"that sounds like something you'd do." morikawa muffled a laugh at the glare he got.

bakugou scoffed. "anyways. when i took over part of the old man's business, i thought i could do it on my own. and... that was pretty fuckin' stupid of me. who the hell can run an entire restaurant on their own? and, those guys knew almost immediately and offered their help. anyways– moral is, i don't fucking deserve those shit heads and i definitely don't deserve you and it's really shitty to admit—"

"don't deserve me?" morikawa look genuinely confused. "you found me at an auto shop. i can barely keep up with your cooking skills. the best i do for you is fix the ovens kami constantly break."

bakugou practically snarled, shaking his head furiously. "you know i don't take shit half-assed. if you weren't good at what you do, you would've been gone long ago. besides, you're.. different."

"different? is that a compliment?"

"i.. guess?" bakugou's cheeks were pink. pink? he was blushing? he's embarrassed!? are they flirting right now!? "i mean, it's weird how i've known you way less than those dipshits, but i feel the most comfortable around you. and.. i dunno. it's just different. way different."

"way different, huh?" morikawa repeated, a blush making its way onto his own face. "i feel special."

"yeah, you should," bakugou scoffed.

"call me akiara, by the way," morikawa suddenly said. "since.. yknow. you're special to me too. then, you should also call me by my name."

"akiara?"

morikawa made a weird, grumbling noise, grabbing his face weirdly. "yeah. akiara."

bakugou released a scoff-like laugh. "what's with you?"

"nothing. i'm just embarrassed.. nobody really says my given name anymore besides my sister and her daughter," the other laughed nervously.

bakugou hummed in thought. he couldn't exactly understand that, but whatever. morikawa would have to get over it, seeing as he would be saying his name much more often now.

"anyways," bakugou cleared his throat, standing from the swing. "i'm going home."

"not gonna walk me home?"

"tch. its midday, you'll be fine."

morikawa chuckled. he stood to his feet. "sure. see you at work, katsuki."

"right.. thanks for letting me come over 'n shit." bakugou didn't bother waiting for a response, his hands comfortably in his pockets as he walked away.

what an interesting guy. morikawa never knew what to expect from him.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

"lets go ice skating."

bakugou uninterestedly look from the tv to morikawa's face. "what?"

"lets go ice skating," he repeated. he shifted so he was facing more towards the blond. "'tis the season to let out our inner elsa. besides, i'm tired of watching tv."

"'inner elsa?'" bakugou snorted. "i don't wanna go skating."

"why? do you not know how–?"

"i know how to fuckin' skate!" he glared at morikawa. "just not in the mood.."

"ohh... so you aren't in the mood to see me completely dominate you on the ice floor–!!"

"fuck you. get your shit, we leave in ten."

it was so easy to push bakugou's buttons. they were quick to grab their things and drive to the nearest skating rink. bakugou had to borrow a beanie from the smaller male, knowing he wouldn't enjoy being in such a cold room for a long time. it still came to a shock that the blond even agreed, even if morikawa knew that certain little 'secret' about him.

bakugou made it obvious he hated the cold. but even with that fact, he was still going ice skating. bakugou was a weird guy. whatever, it didn't matter. all he cared about now was getting on the ice.

"have you been skating before, katsuki?" the two of them sat on a bench, tying the laces of their ice skates.

"when i was younger, i went roller skating once or twice. i'll manage."

"well, they're sorta different, but i'm sure the over-confident porcupine will do just fine."

"haa?" the blond glared down to morikawa as he stood. "don't make fun of my hair. it's sexy."

"sure, sure.." morikawa chuckled, watching the blond make his way to the ice. it took everything in him not to outwardly laugh as he shakily slid near the edge. morikawa stood as well, sliding into the ice. "need help?"

"no, i got it," bakugou scoffed. morikawa watched as the blond struggled to get away from the wall. he inched forward, placing his hands in the taller's back as he almost fell backwards. "... just rusty."

morikawa hummed. he slid himself backwards with ease, staying out of the way of others. "c'mere. try skating towards me, then we'll go around the rink."

"tch..! don't talk to me like a newborn just learning to walk!" he gave himself a small push away from the wall, slowly sliding himself towards morikawa.

morikawa ignored bakugou's comment, holding his hands out and moving them in a welcoming motion. "come on, you're almost there.."

"fuck.. you.." though it was wobbly, he moved his foot and pushed himself forward, eventually tumbling into morikawa's arms. "i fuckin' hate this."

"too late to go back now!" he steady the both of them, grabbing onto one of bakugou's hands tightly.  "just like rollerskating, push yourself in an outward motion. the faster we go, the easier it'll be."

morikawa grinned at the small grumbles bakugou released. they started off slowly, edging around the corners of the rink so the blond could get comfortable. morikawa was a good teacher, and bakugou was soon able to stray away from the wall and pick up the pace. soon, the two were in the middle of the rink, doing small spins with one another.

"you're such a fast learner, katsuki."

"of course! i'm the best of the best," bakugou boasted, his chest puffed.

after what felt like hours, they got off of the rink. they were ready to fill their stomach with food and go home. maybe a nice, warm shower when the day was over.

"we should come here again," morikawa spoke as they left the building. bakugou shrugged. "yeah, and we can bring those losers along. then i can show off my badass spins."

"sure, you do that." morikawa released bakugou's hand, moving up to scratch his cheek. "you'll truly be like elsa then–" morikawa flinched as the blond quickly grabbed his hand once more. they paused their steps, looking at each other.

".. sorry. my hands're cold." he murmured under his breath. it didn't take much for morikawa to realize it was a excuse to hold his hand. both of their cheeks were colored a hue of pink. "'nd i'm not that ice queen bitch! stop saying that!"

morikawa snickered. "i can't help it. the blond hair, the ice cold attitude you give everyone– your amazing skills on ice. the evidence is there."

morikawa continued to laugh as bakugou yelled at him about the very similar comparison. he couldn't help but tease the blond a little, it was fun seeing him get worked up. though he was mainly focused on their conversation, in the back of morikawa's mind, he was thinking about the warmth he received from their intertwined hands.

despite being compared to the queen of ice, whenever he was around bakugou, he felt so warm. actually– just the thought of the blond made him feel warm. it was strange, but nice. he enjoyed the inviting comfort that mysteriously surrounded bakugou. being able to embrace the blond, even in this small way, made him feel as if it were summer.

Chapter Text

morikawa liked spending time alone with bakugou on the days he didn't have to work. the more time they had to themselves, the more he got to learn about the blond. there was something to unlock about him every day, and morikawa never got tired of it. he wanted to become familiar with every nook and cranny of bakugou...

despite loving this personal time with bakugou, he also enjoyed spending time with his friends. today was one of those days. he invited everyone over to his house for the first time, though, only kirishima, mina, and bakugou could make it. that was fine with morikawa. the less he had to cook for, the better.

morikawa was very paranoid about first impressions, so he cleaned the house thoroughly and bought candles to freshen up the rooms for their arrival. he had just finished lighting the last candle when there was a knock at the door. he quickly answered the door, a small grin on his face. "hey, guys. welcome."

"what's up with the formality?" bakugou scoffed, making his way around the shorter male and into the house. "candles? are you trying to seduce us?"

"... is it working?"

"not a chance in hell."

the group laughed, getting situated inside of the house. "i just wanted to make sure it wasn't stuffy," morikawa awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"it smells just as nice as it looks! totally suits you, babe," mina grinned, eyeing the walls of the house.

kirishima nodded in agreement. "yeah, it's super manly-- totally suits you!"

"thank you.."

after talking for a while, the group decided to play a few games before eating. surprisingly, morikawa didn't know how to play most of the games he owned. you couldn't blame the guy. most of them were given from his sister, and he just never had anyone to play with. it was rather sad, but morikawa kept them there, knowing he couldn't be alone forever.

they started off with easy games. goldfish, war, blackjack. though, when they replaced the deck with uno... things got interesting, to say the least.

"what!? that isn't fair, i didn't know we could do that!!"

"the rule is called 'stacks,' we said it in the beginning!"

"cheaters!"

"stop being a bitch and pull!"

in the end, bakugou won and morikawa had the most cards in his hand. that wasn't his fault, they didn't fully explain the game...

"whatever.." morikawa scoffed, dropping the cards on the table. "i'm throwing this game out."

"no way! don't be a sore loser," kirishima teased as he helped mina clean the cards.

"yeah! now that you know, you'll get closer to winning the next time we play."

bakugou laughed evilly, "not while i'm around, princess." it felt as if the room froze at bakugou's words. princess.. princess? princess?? why- when- princess!? "um," kirishima tried his hardest to hold back a laugh. "princess, huh?"

"wha- i didn't mean it in a weird way, asshole!"

morikawa brought a hand to his face, trying his best to cover the redness of his cheeks. "right.. uh- anyways, i'm gonna make– er, food."

"of course, princess," mina cooed, her and the red-head snickering as he shuffled out of the room. he could hear as clear as day as the blond yelled and practically scolded the duo.

the short male was on auto-pilot as he moved in the kitchen, pulling things out of drawers and cabinets. he was too lost in his mind to think hard on his movements. he's been cooking for so long professionally anyways, so he should be fine.

bakugou called him princess. a pet name? well, it was most likely meant as an insult– but it felt like a pet name!! just thinking of that possibility made morikawa's insides jumble together weirdly. it made him feel sick, but in a good way. it was hard to describe, but he was sure it wasn't entirely bad. just hard to deal with.

he wants to hear more things like that from bakugou. would he be comfortable with that? he also wants to call the blond cute things. he wants to call him his love, his darling, his boyfriend-- boyfriend? did he even really like bakugou like that..?

he knew he definitely liked the attention he got from the blond. after feeling alone for so long, you can't help but crave attention. but he wanted to hug bakugou, and call him cute nicknames, and compliment each other, and kiss each other... kiss? that sounded.. pleasant. if only.

and did that guy even have any sort of feelings for morikawa? actually, did it even matter? he wasn't even sure he had romantic feelings for the blond himself, so he shouldn't speculate so much. (which also didn't make much sense seeing as he just got butterflies over kissing the guy but—) however, he couldn't help but feel sick about the possibility of unreciprocated love.

"oi, shit face."

morikawa flinched, his hands jumbling. he hissed as he felt a stinging sensation across his middle finger. "i didn't mean to say that back there. sorta slipped.. i guess? sorry if i made you uncomfortable, or s'mething.." bakugou huffed, shuffling on his feet.

"wha..?" morikawa watched uneasily as a crimson liquid dripped from the cut on his hand. "uh- what? what did you-- oh god."

"what? what's wrong?" bakugou stepped closer, noticing how morikawa's finger was slightly bleeding. "dumbass, be more careful."

"i.. i..." morikawa dropped the knife, clumsily making his way towards the sink. "i'm gonna puke..."

"what? hey, what's your deal??" he came off very aggressive, but bakugou's face said how worried he was for morikawa at the moment. "hurry and rinse it off. you're good, akiara."

"right... you're okay, aki..." he murmured to himself, watching as the water lightly tinted red and drained down the sink. it was like he was in some sort of daze, waiting for all the red to disappear before he could feel calm again.

when he came back to his sense, he realized bakugou was right behind him, his chest pressed against the smaller's back and his significantly bigger hand on his shoulder. "all good now?"

morikawa slowly nodded his head. "yeah.. sorry about that."

"yeah, it's whatever." morikawa almost felt disappointed when bakugou stepped away. "fear of blood, huh?"

"oh, yeah.." the smaller male pulled out a small first-aid from one of the cabinets, wrapping a band aid around his finger. "i watched a ton of scary movies with my sister when i was younger. it's just not my thing, especially the bloody ones. it makes me feel sick."

"makes sense.." bakugou hummed, leaning back against one of the counters, his arms crossed. "it looked like a small cut, so you should be fine."

"yeah.. i'm rarely in a situation where i bleed, so it's really scary when it does happen."

"hmm.. don't worry. a small cut can't beat your ass."

morikawa smiled lightly at bakugou's words.

"at least not before i do," the blond scoffed. "anyways, let me know if you need help. i'm gonna make sure those fuckers don't ransack your house."

"oh, thank you, kind sir. truly a knight in shining armor," morikawa teased, making sure he paid attention to the knife in his hands as he got back to cooking.

"yeah, yeah. a knight's job is to protect the princess."

it took everything within morikawa not to scream like a banshee. bakugou made him feel like a highschooler all over again.

Chapter Text

just like almost any other day for morikawa, he was helping out in the kitchen of DYNAMITE late at night. it got exhausting, but he needed to get money somehow. besides, the people he worked with made it a little more enjoyable, unlike his previous job. the yells of the angry blond was weirdly soothing. in one way or another.

morikawa, along with several others, left after closing time. bakugou had left earlier, and the two usually walked with one another, so morikawa was by himself as he was excused out the door. he didn't like it, but he was used to plenty walks home at night. another time wouldn't make much of a difference.

the small male puffed out a sigh, eyeing the visible air that left his mouth. it was getting colder and colder by the day. maybe he'd have a cup of hot chocolate when he got home...

'if only he were here beside me,' morikawa hummed in disappointment, casually leading himself home. bakugou's presence always seemed to block out any cool air that surrounded them. he must've got too comfortable. the cold air bothered him tonight much more than it had before he met bakugou.

'whatever.' he scratched his head in frustration. 'i can't expect for him to be beside me all the time. he's his own person..'

"morikawa!!" said male paused his footsteps. "ahh, he's really here. morikawa!"

he turned to the source of the voice, eyeing to individuals crossing the road in his direction. his mouth gaped slightly, his eyebrows lightly pinched together. "what..?"

the ravenette female beamed at him. "its been ages. it's so good to see you again, akiara.."

"... don't call me that," morikawa clicked his tongue, turning away. "i just got off of work. i'll be off."

"w.. wait!" she grabbed on his sleeve. there was a brief silence. "i know you're probably angry at us... but please, give us a chance to explain..!"

"explain how you both just- disappeared? there's no explanation for that!.." his hands were balled to the side of his body. he hated confrontation. especially with people he cared so dearly for. he was uncomfortable. he wanted to die, right in his spot. "not one i can forgive."

morikawa flinched as he felt something flick his face. as he looked up, another ravenette stood in front of him, pressing a piece of paper to his cheek. "think about it. our numbers are right here. give us your address if you change your mind."

the tall male took the smaller's hand, placing the paper in his hand. morikawa stayed silent as the other backed away. "lets go, ai."

"but--!"

"aina. drop it."

the female warily glanced to morikawa before releasing him. the two black haired people walked away, leaving morikawa on the curb. he... definitely hadn't expected to see them. it's been years since he's seen them. years.

'why are they back now? after all this time?' morikawa hadn't noticed the scowl etched onto his face as he powerwalked the rest of his way home. 'i'm so pissed.. they leave with no notice, and come back expecting my forgiveness. do they think i'm that weak-willed!?'

he clicked his tongue, tossing his keys on the counter as he stepped into his home. the warm air felt refreshing against his cool skin. today was such a cold day. 'they're idiots for showing their face there. if bakugou were there, he probably would've yelled at them.' that put a small smile on his face. imagining the blond yapping at the two like an angry puppy.

"so cute.." he muttered, rubbing his chin. "oh! snap out of it..! there's no way i'm calling those two. not over my dead body- i am not giving in."

he gave in. he was disappointed in himself for entering the numbers into his phone and messaging them, but he was very curious as to the poor explanation they would give him. morikawa just wanted to know why they abandoned him. a simple explanation, then they could be on their way. out of his life for good..

the two sat across an uncomfortable-looking male, the three of them quietly sipping on the drinks prepared for them. morikawa couldn't help but prep the house beforehand. it was practically sparkling under the minimal sunlight that came into the house.

"when did you become a neat-freak?" the black haired male questioned as he looked around the room. "you used to be a mess."

"well, when you have tons of time in your hands, you have to find some way to occupy yourself," morikawa grumbled.

"hey now, i don't appreciate the attitude, mister."

"yeah? well i don't appreciate being left alone for, what, 6 years?"

".. its actually been 5 between us--"

"hayate!" the female scolded, elbowing him harshly. that got him to shut up, but didn't stop him from recieving a glare from morikawa. "akiara, i cannot begin to explain how horrible i feel for leaving you. it.. it was really selfish of me. and i feel embarrassed that i even have to apologize for this, but you truly do deserve an explanation."

morikawa crossed his arms. "what could justify completely shutting out your friend? one of your closest friends..?"

she sighed. "i.. my mom into an accident not too long before i left. remember that?"

"as clear as day. i still remember how heartbroken you looked.." morikawa's voice was low. 

"yeah.. then, my dad had gotten fallen sick, and my brother caught whatever he had soon after. and- i got really paranoid. i felt like i was somehow bringing bad luck. how come my family was being misfortuned, but i wasn't. y'know?" she sighed heavily, rubbing her forehead roughly. "my head was far too deep in paranormal shit. and i didn't want anything to happen to you guys next, so i left. i did classes online, and took care of my family."

morikawa rose an eyebrow. "you left because you thought you were.. i dunno, cursed??"

"ah.. basically, yeah. it's so embarrassing to think about.." she cupped her face with her hands, her small sniffles being muffled. "it was so stupid.. i'm so sorry, akiara. i'm sorry..."

he sighed. "you always believed in those stupid things..." he then boredly looked to the other male, who looked like he didn't have a care in the world about what was happening. "then what about you?"

imai looked to morikawa, pointing to himself. "me?"

"who do you think?"

hayate shrugged. "family problems, too. i guess."

"you guess?" morikawa couldn't hold back an aggressive frown. "are you being serious? well then, i guess our years of friendship meant nothing to you. i guess after you disappeared to god knows where, you didn't give the slightest shit about how worried i'd been. how i could hardly sleep at night without wondering where my two closest friends could've went off to, what could've possibly happened to them. and i guess you won't care when i throw you out after deciding to give me bullshit answers as if i'm just gonna let you walk into my life after what you've done!"

"i-" imai pursed his lips, scowling at the floor. "it's not that fuckin' simple, aki. calm your ass."

"well what am i supposed to assume when—!"

"maybe i can tell you if you'd shut the fuck up for one second!!" the two glared at each other. morikawa was hesitant but backed down, scoffing as he settled further into his spot. "fuck... you know how much my parents.. 'stick to the books,' aki. and they were already saying some weird shit about you. i love my folks, and i really cared for you, but i didn't think it through much. i just thought leaving would be best."

"huh? i don't get what your saying?"

"because.." imai drawled on, intertwining his fingers. "y'know. my parents aren't really supportive about being gay, or trans, and all that shit. and i didn't want to burden you with that crap. especially when.. well, y'know.."

"'burden me?' how'd they even know, i thought we agreed to keep that to ourselves.."

imai's angered face sharpened. "they blamed it on small, stupid things. it was fucking annoying, and then they accused me of being gay and... yeah, things... i dunno. i felt fuckin hopeless n' stupid, so i just- yeah. i'm such a dumbass for disappearing, knowing it... wouldn't have the best impact on you. but i was scared. not just for you, but for me, aki. i.. i'm sorry."

the room fell silent. hasegawa's cries had silenced minutes ago. now, all that could be heard was the harsh wind blowing outside. morikawa dropped his head onto the back of the couch, groaning in frustration. he was angry. he was so mad at them for leaving him for such stupid reasons. 'not stupid,' he'd mentally admit. he just wished they would've told him. he would've been there to helped them both. they were best friends, for fuck's sake! he had never been closer with someone than he had been with them.

but... if he were in their shoes, what would he have done? he didn't want to be a burden on either of them.. it was possible he already had been. god, these two made morikawa so weak. he shouldn't forgive them. he should be mad. he should kick them out of his house right now...

but he couldn't. it's been years, and he was still the same. he could never stay mad at them. it was so pathetic. he was so..

"god.." he brought the backs of his hands to his eyes. "i hate you both so much..."

"i'm so sorry," hasegawa apologized again.

"just," his voice quivered, "please don't leave me again. i won't be able to handle it for a second time.. please..." his voice thinned to a whisper, letting hot tears slide down to his earlobes. so pathetic. he was so embarrassed. but he loved the two too much to let them go. not again. never again.

the two moved to his side, hasegawa wrapping her arms around his body and hugging him tight while imai stood behind him. he lightly pat morikawa's hair, occasionally running his fingers through his hair.

"it won't happen again. i promise, we'll never leave you again. i'm sorry, aki..."

he let the two hold them until he calmed his nerves. all the emotions he felt from 5 years ago flooded back to him, and overwhelmed him. he hasn't cried so hard since then. getting (practically) all the tension out of his system felt so relieving. honestly, he almost fell asleep with how soothing the aura felt at the moment.

"ahem," the two jumped when he cleared his throat. "so.. how long have you two been in contact?"

"oh," morikawa could hear the irritation in imai's voice. "the dumbass ran into me a few months ago. i recently moved back to musutafu. unfortunately, she lives a block down from my apartment."

hasegawa chuckled. "oh, yeah..! i wanted to check out this haunted area i heard of!!"

morikawa gave a weak laugh. "yeah... right. also, how did you find me?"

"we asked around," hasegawa scratched her cheek nimbly. "first a few acquaintances from school, and then we were lead to a car shop-- which total suits you! mr. fixer upper!" she pulled at his cheek.

"ainaaa, stooopp.."

"anyways," imai rolled his eyes. "surprising to find you at that big-shot restaurant. you never cooked for yourself. what's the deal?"

morikawa hummed. "some people i know that work there got me the job. i actually know the head honcho."

"oh, is that right?"

"mhm!" morikawa smiled proudly. "i'm pretty close with all of them. especially katsuki. i want you guys to meet him-- them soon."

"aww, i'd love to meet them, aki." hasegawa grinned. "i'm so glad to see you again.. love you tons, akiara. i promise not to bail on you like that, ever again."

"yeah, you better not," the two smiled to each other. 

"okay, shortstacks. we better get out of your hair, aki." imai ruffled both of their heads. 

"so soon?" morikawa looked up to imai in disappointment. "we have all day..."

"unfortunately, we don't. i got shit to take care of, and i drove here."

"he's right.." hasegawa sighed, standing to her feet. "we'll see each other again soon."

morikawa nervously watched them get ready to leave. did they really have to go? they just made up. why were they leaving so soon? he wasn't ready for them to leave. he nervously stood from his seat, watching hasegawa leave the house and imai ready to follow.

"wait..!" he grabbed imai's wrist. "you promise you'll come back? please come back..."

imai looked down to morikawa, his lips tightened. "don't look at me like that, aki... i swear. we will be back. i'll call you when i get home."

slowly, morikawa nodded his head as he released the other's wrist. ".. okay. i'll hear from you then."

imai smirked softly. "still the same worrywart from 5 years ago.. we'll be fine, pinhead." he poked the middle of morikawa's forehead, turning and walking down to his car. 

morikawa watched from his door as the pulled away from the front of his house, and drove down the road before shutting himself in. he was scared. terrified. they were back in his life, which was very exciting. he was happy to see them again. but what if they don't keep their promise? what if they actually leave again? he genuinely had no clue how he would be able to live through that once more.

maybe.. he shouldn't think about it. even if he shouldn't have forgave them, or if they might leave him again- he doesn't care. as long as he's okay right now, then it didn't matter. he's okay. everything will be fine. they're together again. he shouldn't have to worry about ever being alone again.

Chapter Text

- black hair, shoulder length
- three ear piercings per side
- pale skin, soft features
- heterochromatic eyes, one dark brown, one light brown
- slight eyebags

- black hair, ear length
- sharp eyes, sharp features (goes w his arrogance)
- pale skin
- lean build

Chapter Text

morikawa lapped his house for the third time in the past 5 minutes as he thought. he's been doing a lot of thinking as of recently. ever since hasegawa and imai came back into his life, he's been stuck in his mind. though he was very cautious, the three caught up and became comfortable fairly quickly. it's been a little over a week and it almost feels as if they never left. however, there's still that nagging feeling in the back of his head, telling him he made the wrong choice.

no matter that. disregarding his situation with them, he's been thinking about bakugou quite often. it was a coincidence how as soon as bakugou got busy, these two showed up. or, maybe the blond just needed a break from him. hopefully that wasn't the case. he hoped he didn't ware bakugou out. it hasn't even been that long since they became closer.

morikawa sighed, placing himself on the couch beside imai, stretching his legs across his lap.

"what's got your panties jumbled, aki?" imai questioned, keeping his eyes on the tv. he didn't mind the feet that laid in his lap. it was morikawa, after all.

he sighed once more. "i haven't seen him in ages.. i'm worried."

"oh, that bakugou guy?" hasegawa questioned as she walked into the room. she had a steaming cup in her hand. "i still can't believe you met such a popular man while we were gone."

"me neither. he was such a social outcast--"

"not an outcast!" hasegawa glared at imai. "he just preferred not to involve in a lot of social interaction, which is quite understandable."

"no need to stick up for me, aina. he isn't wrong." he gave imai a small kick for payback, though. "i can't believe i met him, either. i must be a lucky guy.."

"'lucky,' huh? hey, why're you thinking so much about him? already forgetting about us?" imai crossed his arms over his chest. "we just got here.."

"come on, it isn't like that. i just miss spending my free time with him, too."

"whatever.."

hasegawa chuckled at the older male's behavior. "somebody's jealous."

"am not!"

"yeah you are!"

"why the hell would i be jealous—!?"

their conversation was sharply cut the sound of a knock at his door. the three looked at each other.

"are you expecting company?" hasegawa asked morikawa.

he shook his head. "no.. i'll get the door."

morikawa usually didn't get any unexpected visits to his house.. but it could possibly be his sister. he opened the door, "hello-- katsuki?"

"yeah, i'm here. got time?"

"oh," morikawa grinned. "i do. come in."

the blond made his way in, going to the kitchen to place a plastic bag down. "i was in the area. i've been busy with the old man recently, but i brought some sweets over."

"oh, thank you.. but why? i understand that you're a busy man." morikawa took a peak into the bag, salivating over the wide variety of treats that lied in it.

"he's been baking, and he gave me a few things. i don't eat sweet things a lot, and i didn't want to throw the shit away.." he rubbed the back of his head with an agitated face.

morikawa offered a small smile. "well, i appreciate it. thanks."

"surprise visit from mister bigshot, huh?" they both turned, seeing imai leaning against the wall near the entrance. hasegawa stood near him, cautiously eyeing bakugou.

"who're they?"

morikawa quickly looked between the two. "oh-! katsuki, these are old friends of mine. hasegawa aina and imai hayate."

bakugou looked at them warily. "i thought you didn't have friends."

"no need to be a douche about it," hayate scoffed. bakugou glared to the male.

"not like that."

"ahhh..." morikawa laughed anxiously. "it's a long story. but, they recently came back."

bakugou hummed. "right... i'm leaving now." the blond looked away from the two, making his way to the front door. morikawa was quick on his tail.

"wait- you don't have to go so soon, you just got here!" he called after bakugou.

"yeah, well, i don't know those fuckers so i'd rather leave."

morikawa huffed, "you won't be able to know someone unless you spend time with them." he could hear the blond scoff at his statement. "i.. won't force you to stay. but i was hoping to spend some time together."

bakugou groaned. "i know. whatever.. maybe i can make some time tomorrow or something."

"really!?"

"maybe. don't get so excited just yet," the blond glanced to morikawa. "i'll let you know. see ya', princess."

"oh--! yeah, later." the smaller male shut bakugou out of the house, pressing his forehead against the cool wood of the door. "he should really stop calling me that..."

"'princess?' you two secretly dating?"

"what!?" morikawa yelled. his face was covered red. "no way! he just- it's just something he says sometimes! nothing weird, i swear."

imai rolles his eyes to mask, trying to mask his annoyance with a small smirk. "oh yeah, i totally believe you."

"akiara got himself a boyfriend," hasegawa sang from the living room.

"yeah, they're even on first name basis. there's definitely something going on," imai shrugged, walking back to the couches to sit with hasegawa.

"you two are so annoying!!"

Chapter Text

today was another day off for morikawa, so he spent his time at home. he's been at home much more often than he had been a year ago. it made him notice small things in his house he didn't see before. like the dust build-up in small corners, or the creaking noise certain parts of the floor made. it was weird how he hadn't seen it sooner.

he wasn't one for procrastination when it came to things like that, so he would be cleaning his house at the moment. however, there was something stopping him from doing that. or, someone.

"aki, you're outta beer," imai walked into the living room, mouth half full with his sandwich. "... and bread."

morikawa groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "don't you have a job? or your own house?"

"oh, i moved out a while ago."

"why would you do that!?"

"i'm staying with ai now, it's bit more economical. been there for a few months. but, i like it here better," he rested himself on the couch, stretching his limbs out. "and i do have a job. i'm clocking in tomorrow."

morikawa sighed heavily. "whatever. if you're going to be here everyday, you at least have to help with groceries."

"sure, sure.."

'such a pain.' morikawa shook his head. he was hoping to get some shut-eye since he couldn't clean just yet, but that plan was cut short by the sound of the doorbell. with another long sigh, morikawa walked to the front door to open it.

"what is it?" his eyes held disinterest. that was until he saw who stood in front of him. "katsuki? oh- uh. hi?"

"hey?"

"... um, need something?"

"oh, right," the blond shoved his hands into his pockets. "you got time? i wanted to go see this shit movie and everyone else was busy."

morikawa grinned diminutively, "sure. come in for a minute, let me get ready."

"don't take your sweet-ass time, we only got half an hour," bakugou rolled his eyes, watching him head back to his room. "the fuck do i do now...?"

"wait, obviously, dumbass." bakugou quickly threw a glare to imai. "woah, no need to be so hostile, buddy."

"fuck off. what're you doing here, huh?"

"i should be asking you that, pal," imai smirked, his head tilting to the side. "taking aki out on a date?"

"date!?... so what if i am? as far as i know, you're a nobody who randomly reappeared in his life. i don't have to tell you shit." bakugou snarled.

imai's smirk fell to replicate bakugou's expression. "you don't know jackshit about aki and i. i suggest you butt out before your nose ends up where it doesn't belong."

"you motherfucker--"

"alright, i'm finished-- oh, yeah," morikawa came stumbling out of his room, slipping his shoes on. "hayate, i'll be out for a while. go shopping for me, then get out."

"come on, aki.. i know you kept my room clean for me, at least let me use it," imai had a small pout on his face, all his attention on the smaller male.

morikawa stayed quiet for a moment. ".. i'm serious. don't be here by the time i'm back." grabbing his keys off the counter, he walked out of the house.

"see ya', fucker," bakugou deviously smirked to imai, flipping him as he exited the house. he slid into his car, where morikawa waited patiently. "you good?"

"hm?" morikawa shrugged lightly, pressing his head against the window. "i forgot how irritating that guy could be. i mean, i love him, but he eats all my food and walks around likes he owns the place.. it gets exhausting."

bakugou scoffed, his eyes focused ahead of him as he pulled away from the house. "d'you need me to kick him out for you? kiri and sero will help you out, too."

"ehh, it's fine. he probably got the message. he may seem like a hardhead, but he's actually really sensitive," morikawa snickered. "anyways, are you okay?"

"whaddya mean?"

"don't act stupid. you looked like a feral dog when i walked back in."

"i did not, asshole!!" bakugou seethed, the tips of his ears reddening. "i hate that bitch. he thinks he can talk to me however the hell he pleases. i'll kill him--"

"woah, what!?" morikawa snorted, bringing a hand to his face to muffle his laughter. "i can see you guys aren't compatible, but he's still my friend!"

bakugou went quiet, besides the occasional mutters he let out, for the rest of the way to their destination. it was a quick process of parking and receiving their tickets, as well as buying snacks before heading to the room they would be in. morikawa had no idea what the movies was, or what it was about, but he trusted the blond had good judgement so he went along with it.

it was a funny realization that bakugou had picked a romance movie. such a soft genre for a rough man. it was cute. in the end, morikawa couldn't deny his eyes watered a few times. but the film was only a small portion that captivated his mind. sitting next to bakugou in the back row of the seats, in a dark room... it was nice. exciting, almost. and the way they would occasionally whisper to each other, or graze against one another... it felt like a dream.

he had came out of his haze-like state as they walked out of the building. the sun was slowly beginning to set as they made their way to the car. morikawa couldn't help but tease at the fact that they watched a romance movie. he would never forget it. they talked about it the entire ride home, the car filled with laughter and playful banter.

"already home.." morikawa sighed as he looked out the window to his house. "thanks for bringing me along with you, katsuki."

"i had an extra ticket, so i had to take someone.." he grumbled. ".. no problem. but you owe me."

"i owe you?"

"yeah! i gave you a free ticket, and paid for all the snacks! and gas prices are through the fucking roof this year!.."

morikawa laughed lightly, "right.. then next time, i'll pay for your meal or something."

"you better.."

"it's a date, then." the smaller male's cheeks flared at the realization of his words. "oh- i mean-- it's planned. sorta. it's a deal..!"

"get out of my car," bakugou gave a short laugh, his iconic smirk laid on his face. "lets talk about our date later. see ya', morikawa."

"yeah.. later." morikawa got out of the car, getting into his house quickly. it was safe to say imai wasn't there, seeing he didn't hear the tv playing.

he grumbled to himself, kicking his shoes off. "so embarrassing.. but at least it's a confirmed date next time. i'm gonna go on a date with katsuki..!"

Chapter Text

it's been a little over a month now since morikawa has gotten into contact with his old friends, and he has yet to see their house. so, today he made plans with hasegawa to spend some time at her house. he was hoping to have more time with imai as well, but the guy actually did have a job. he would be working the day they made plans.

strangely, he felt a little awkward walking up to the house. or, more of nervous rather than awkward. he hasn't been to another's house in quite some time. usually, people would come visit his abode rather than the other way around. morikawa made sure to bring a glass of wine as a small show of gratitude.

"aki, welcome," hasegawa gave a kind smile, letting the male walk into the house. "wine? are we going to drink so early in the day..?"

morikawa shrugged, "i just brought it if we did plan on drinking later on.. even if we don't, i know hayate will enjoy it for us."

she hummed out a small giggle. she led them to the kitchen, "you aren't wrong there. he's such a heavy-weight; drinking must be no fun for him."

"well, he's only heavy-weight when he's drinking for fun." morikawa placed the bottle onto the counter. "remember the first time he got broken up with?"

"ahh, you're not wrong," she laughed. "anywho, i'm getting hungry. feeling up to go out?"

morikawa took a second to think. "but i'm here to look at your house—"

"no worries," she waved her hand. "we can come back after the meal and i'll give you a tour."

"mm.. fine," he sighed. "why don't we head to DYNAMITE? i know kat is probably there by now.."

"'kat,' huh?" hasegawa teased. "that's cute."

"what're you talking about??" he scoffed, turning away from the female. "i just– i mean... don't tell him i called him that--"

she snickered, lightly patting his shoulder. "sure, sure. let me grab my bag, then we can go."

morikawa glowered, patiently waiting where his friend left him. "just a nickname..."

with a minimal amount of time, they left the building and headed out the restaurant. it takes quite some time to walk from hasegawa's house to DYNAMITE, so they decided to shorten the trip by hoping on the bus. within no time, they were walking into the large establishment. it was a monday morning, so there weren't many people found inside of the place.

"it looks quite empty.." hasegawa pointed out.

morikawa nodded. "yeah, many people don't come around on sundays and mondays."

"hey now," a cheery voice was heard. "look who it is: my favorite co-worker!"

morikawa rolled his eyes. "you're such a liar, kiri."

"c'mon! i would never lie to you," the red head beamed. he took a glance at hasegawa. "oh- hey there! i'm kirishima, i'll be your waiter today. follow me to your table."

morikawa let the other male lead the way, walking to a table for two. he thanked kirishima before he walked away, eyeing hasegawa. "what's with the look?"

"i've always found it funny how you lured attractive people.."

he rose an eyebrow. "why is that funny? and what do you mean!? you think kirishima is hot--!?"

"ahhh, there's so many good choices!!" she interrupted his questioning. what a strange lady.

with consultation with morikawa, the two of them ordered their meal by the time kirishima came back to their table. morikawa was quick to notice the swift glances hasegawa and kirishima gave each other. the red head had even thrown in a remark or two. who knew this guy was smooth with the ladies!?

"you're totally into him," morikawa stated. "just ask for his number. or, i can give it to you."

she sighed. "i guess he's cute... but i'm not sure if i have time for a lover..."

"you research about fictional things. i'm sure you can fit a boyfriend into your schedule."

"c'mon.. ghosts are real!" she whined as morikawa laughed at her.

"right, right.." he sighed softly. "anyways.. i'm sure love is always worth making some time for, don't you agree?"

she shrugged. "eh... you only feel that way because you're actually in a relationship."

"not true..!" morikawa half-shouted. "we aren't together."

"well, there's clearly something going on between you two, right?"

the male looked out the window beside them, "it's complicated."

"oh?" she hummed. "then you wouldn't mind sparing his number, would you?"

"aina--"

"whose number?" the two of them flinched at the new voice. "if you're asking for red bitch, he'll probably come around and ask for yours first."

"katsuki?" morikawa looked up to the blond. "what're you doing out here? shouldn't you be in the back..?"

"nahh, takin' a break right now. scoot over." he nudged the female lightly, slipping into the booth beside hasegawa. "eat up."

they did as he said, bakugou had brought himself a plate of food as well, though it was significantly smaller than theirs. maybe he just couldn't work on a full stomach?

"what're you two doing around here, huh?" the blond question.

"aki suggested coming here. and i agreed because i actually have business to take care of in this area."

"business?" morikawa deadpanned. he wasn't here to run errands with her. this was supposed to be a day off for them both. "what business?"

"i heard there was paranormal sightings in the next neighborhood over. i've gotta see it," she smiled happily.

"aina, come on.." morikawa groaned.

"hold on," the blond male spoke with his mouth full. "you work with ghost shit?"

hasegawa nodded. "pretty much. anything that seems out of this world, i try to research and find reasoning behind it."

"damn," bakugou smirked. "that's pretty fuckin' cool. you seen something wild before?"

that was something you should never ask her. she was normally collected when she was with unfamiliar people, but when it came to her line of work, she wouldn't stop talking. she very much enjoyed her job, and would like to talk about it any time she could.

so now, all morikawa could do was watch as she gladly talked in an engaging conversation with bakugou. he's never seen the blond so content within a conversation before. was it because of the topic at hand? or the person he spoke with? hasegawa was very nice to talk to, especially with her calming tone and levelheaded aura.

'wow,' morikawa lightly huffed at his half-finished plate. 'i suppose her cool is cooler than my old one; he was never interested when i talked about cars.'

"that's fucking cool," bakugou snickered. "damn. gotta take me with you one time."

"oh, sure! the more the merrier," hasegawa beamed.

the blond swiftly took their plates. "it's a date then." he quirked his eyebrows, offering a small smirk of his. that one that easily wooed morikawa over and over again. "don't worry about the bill. it's on me."

"ahh, thank you so much, bakugou," she intertwined her hands together. "i'll repay you when i get the chance..!"

"i already told you what i wanted," he shrugged. "see ya. call me when you're free, akiara," he glanced to the shorter male before walking away with the dirty plates.

together, the two stood and left the restaurant.

"bakugou's such a good guy. he looked really scary at first, but he isn't too bad," the black haired female smiled. "he even gave me kirishima's number for him."

"aina," morikawa's face scrunched up. "i think i'm gonna go home. don't feel too well."

her face morphed into shock. "oh? are you okay?"

"yeah.. something came up. lets reschedule the tour for another time."

though hasegawa was uneasy, she backed off. "oh, well.. okay. call me when you get home, or if you need anything."

morikawa nodded. "alright. see you."

'god, i'm so dramatic,' he scolded himself mentally while walking off, subconsciously fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. 'what kind of terrible person do i have to be to not want my closest friends to talk to each other?'

morikawa went home that day feeling defeated. for what, he was unsure of. it's not like anything had went down between his friends, and he was still debating what his true intentions towards bakugou even were. the bundle of confusing emotions tugged at his mind throughout the rest of the night until the few days to come.

he found it hard to focus on more than one thing, intensely tuning into one thing or another. while at work, he hardly spoke a word as he worked over a counter, or handed out food to customers. while at home, he shared few half-hearted messages with his friends, and kept his door open to no one but himself.

a few of them shared their worries for him, but he did regarded them with whatever poor excuse he could think of in the moment. honestly, he was being ridiculous, and he knew that. aina wasn't as sleezy as his mind was portraying him. but the paranoia that was planted in him since the day two certain people disappeared from his life, well... it was hard not to imagine the worst. for all he knows, the two of them came back to him to make his life a living hell for god knows why.

morikawa decided to set these thoughts aside. they were tearing him apart, and he'd much prefer to bottle them up as he usually did than to wear his heart on his sleeve. he began inviting aina and hayate over as he did before, speaking with his peers (fleetingly) while working, laughing more, engaging more, ignoring those nasty feelings he felt more and more as aina came around the shop often and mingled with bakugou from time to time.

but it was okay, because he was good at ignoring the nasty bits of himself. he liked to keep the peace.

"oh, aki," said male resurfaced from his thoughts as aina came around the corner. "your biting your fingers raw. are you sure you're okay?"

morikawa hadn't even noticed the throbbing of his hands until it was pointed out. he wiped his hands onto his pants, standing from where he was curled up on his sofa. "positive. er," he looked for an opening out of the conversation, "are you going somewhere?"

"don't you remember?" morikawa tilted his head, clearly unaware. "last night when i came to pick you up, i offered to bring bakugou down to a ghost sighting. i did offer for you to come, but you refused. change your mind yet?"

"oh." that sinking feeling tugged at his heart, that one sensation that's become way too familiar these past few days. "no, i think i just want to lay in today."

the female shrugged her shoulders, a small sigh of disappointment following her as she stepped out of the living room. he could hear her shuffling into the bathroom as their was a knock at the front door. what impeccable timing...

he rose groggily, swift to attempt to wipe away any negative emotion off of his face before answer the door. "hey katsuki, aina just popped into the bathroom for a moment if you wanna wait inside."

it took a moment before bakugou responded, curtly nodding his head and stepping into the house. morikawa didn't have to look at the other to notice his burning gaze towards him. before he could try and escape, bakugou spoke. "did something happen?"

"hm?"

"or did.. i do something?" both of them looked equally confused from the questioning. "you're shit at hiding your feelings, and something's telling me you're trying to avoid me. i don't like to repeat myself, akiara."

"neither do i; i've told you all a thousand times— i'm fine."

hasegawa skipped out of the bathroom before bakugou could respond. "bakugou! ready to go?"

"actually," the blond's eyes never left akiara's face, his eyes squinting in a scrutinizing manner. "i think i should stay. this shithead has a few things to tell me."

aina was confused, glancing back and forth between her two friends before coming to her own realization. "oh..! well, that's too bad. maybe next time. take it easy you too, maybe i'll see you both tomorrow." sparing them one last glance, she waved and dismissed herself out of the house.

the two awkwardly (on akiara's part) found themselves on the sofa, gathering their thoughts beneath the ambiance of the television. "did i say something wrong?" it startled morikawa when bakugou spoke, the quiet stretching for so long. "fuck, i mean.. you have to tell me when i do something wrong, akiara. i know i can be shitty at expressing what i really mean, and i guess i'm a little hot headed, but that doesn't mean i won't hear you out when i piss you off—"

"that's not it, kat." the spiky blond looked to him, ready to listen. akiara has never seen him so attentive and that's what made this so much harder. "god, that's not it at all. my brain is just being really stupid and i know it's being stupid but i can't help do anything about it and—"

"instead of being evasive, and you just spit it out then?"

that's the bakugou he knew. that familiar heat in his attempt at comfort somewhat soothed his nerves. "i just.. watching you and aina talk just reminds me of how uninteresting i tend to be. i mean, she writes about ghosts and surprisingly gets paid well, she has an amazing personality that clicks with damn-near anyone, and she's fucking gorgeous, no wonder kirishima seems to likes her, and you guys are getting awfully close to one another—"

"wait, wait," a smirk pulled at bakugou's lips, "don't tell me you're jealous of aina. you?"

"wha..?" his cheeks grew a soft pink as the other struggled to contain laughs of disbelief. "why's that so unbelievable?"

"well first off, i never would've spoken to what's-her-face in the first place if not for the fact that you made it clear that you wanted all of your friends to get along. and sure she's.. fuckin' okay? but i mean, you're–!" he waved his hands around morikawa frantically as if that made his point. "i'm just confused on how any of that translate to why you're upset. no way some scifi loving chick can replace my— our princess."

both of them grew ever so slightly flustered from the mix up of words, both of them deciding to disregard it. morikawa truly had been worrying over nothing, but to be reassured by bakugou had been more than enough to settle his mind. "aina's gorgeous, but i guess i appreciate the sentiment."

"oh, stop with the pity party. you know i'd choose you over her any day." bakugou glared at him at the doubtful look. "i mean it. any. day. don't you remember? i told you you mean more to me than ordinary shit."

right, that day at the park. morikawa let himself ease up at the memory. bakugou must've noticed, and he decided to lazily stretch himself out on morikawa's lap, arms crossed over his chest. "now if your done crying, let's put on a movie. might as well enjoy my stay since you kept me here."

"of course, because i forced you to stay here against your will, my apologies," he let out a dramatic sigh, reaching for the remote and trying not to let the heavy beating of his heart, or the intense gaze of red eyes, distract him from the tv screen. neither of them spoke as morikawa 'subconsciously' began to card his fingers through spiky hair. and flustering as it may be, it felt comforting to have him in his lap, looking directly at him, and nowhere else.

a thanks wasn't needed, not between the two of them. actions were more than enough to let them know their gratitude towards one another.

Chapter Text

it's been well over a year now since akiara has met bakugou. the two of them have spent these thousands of hours with one another, whether it be at DYNAMITE or in the comfort of one of their homes, with friends or just the two of them. they've had plenty of time to learn little things about one another. bakugou dreamed of being a superhero all the way until middle school. morikawa was severely afraid of doctor visits. bakugou had a secret rock collection in the back of his closet. morikawa slept with a stuffed animal on his bed at all times.

it was the little details about one another that they mentally stored about one another that made them inseparable. there wasn't a week they could go without seeing each other at least once, not including the hours they worked together in DYNAMITE. they were surprising duo, one that balanced each other out.

over this past time, there was another thing morikawa had noticed, something that he hadn't dared point out to anyone. honestly, he hadn't been too sure if his hypothesis were even correct. sometimes he would run experiments to see if it were true.

one dark night, bakugou had came over after running a late shift at DYNAMITE. morikawa had the day off, and had been waiting the day away for bakugou to come over as promised. by the time he arrived, he was dead tired, yet still insisted to prepare dinner as he said he would. 'a man of his word,' bakugou said he was.

and after a few slip ups on the kitchen, and disgruntled curses from bakugou, a simple pasta dish was in the lap of the two of them as they got cozy on the couch.

"thanks kat, it smells amazing."

"of course you think so, even after all this time you can't tell the shrimp was brought dragged through hell and back."

"don't be like that," morikawa bumped shoulders with him. "you worked so hard today, and yet here you are making dinner for a guy who hardly did anything today. i don't think you let yourself realize how good you are to me." he happily basked in the silence, taking a bite of the food. "plus," he spoke with his mouth full, "it really is delicious."

"hmm.." morikawa took a glance at the blond, both eyebrows raising for a split second. was it his imagination or did bakugou look.. flustered? "whatever." he did speak of it further, digging in to his food as well.

the reaction was out of bakugou's normal behavior, and morikawa would be lying if he said he wasn't loving it. was it because the man had been tired from the long day, or because of something else? possibly because of the appraisal he received from morikawa? he'd sleep on the inquiry for now.

a few days later, bakugou had been preparing for a meeting he had to attend. it wasn't something he did frequently, but toshinori had requested the presence of the head and sous chefs of both restaurants preciously owned by him. this meant that DYNAMITE would be closed for the, giving bakugou plenty of time to ready himself for his departure.

"are you sure you'll be fine?" akiara questioned, watching as bakugou wandered around his flat in a hurry, clearly looking more disgruntled than he preferred to present himself as. "i'm sure you could postpone the meeting for another day—"

"'m fuckin' fine! i just.. can't find my keys..."

"right here, remember?" morikawa swiped them off the counter where bakugou laid them not too long ago. "your clothes are all crumpled now. c'mere."

bakugou begrudgingly walked over, only wanting to grab his keys and not be pat down like a child looked over by his mother. that's what it felt like to him, at least.

"kat, look at me." they looked at one another, morikawa allowing his hands to rest one bakugou's forearms as he spoke. "i don't know why you're so frazzled but you'll be fine. you look—"

so sexy..

"—handsome.. and smell spectacular, by the way. i'm sure the meeting will be as brief as you allow it, and then you'll be on your way back. besides, you'll have sero with you; he'll have your back."

bakugou's eyebrow cocked at the awkward compliments, his ears the slightest hint of pink. "did you smell me?"

"that is not the point."

bakugou huffed out a laugh, patting morikawa side before stepping back. "right. thanks, shithead. dunno what i'd do without you."

that sent a fluttering feeling throughout morikawa's body.

morikawa waited around bakugou's flat bored out of his mind. he could've went home, or maybe went out with aina and hayate while he waited. kayate has finally gotten his shit together and actually stayed in the house he lived in, only occasionally visiting morikawa now. the blond admittedly missed seeing that guy around his house more often. but, he wanted to be there when bakugou got home to ask how his day went. maybe that was a bit odd for their friendship, but something kept him from walking out.

he popped up from the plushness of bakugou's sheet as he heard the door unlock, rushing to the front of the flat. "you're back! how'd it go?"

"the fuck!? why are you still here?"

"to see how everything went, duh." he grabbed bakugou's keys from his hand, discarding them for him and tugging them along to sit down at the dining table. "so, everything okay?"

"yes?" bakugou didn't look at him but wore a confused expression, bent over to tug off his shoes. "i mean, it was like sitting at the table with your dad and his father son. deku had a shit ton to say, and toshi ate it up. just wanted to check in and see if we needed renovations or whatever the fuck. god, i almost lost my shit as soon as deku started rambling on about the unnecessary statistics he's been jotting down about his customers— talk about an invasion of privacy. had to keep my mouth shut so i could get the fuck outta there."

"well that's great. i'm proud of you." morikawa jumped as bakugou straightened his spine, hitting his head on the edge of the table on his way up. "oh my— are you okay?!"

"what'd you say?"

"huh?" the shorter blond furrowed his brows. "err.. i'm proud of you?"

"why?"

"well, what do you mean 'why'? i understand that midoriya can be a bit much for you to handle, and i know you have a hard time dealing with your anger, but you got through it rather smoothly. of course i'm proud of you, you did good by getting through the day." his words got slower until he stopped speaking, watching the strange way bakugou's face contorted, from confusion to an unfamiliar softness.

and there it was. that pink morikawa had been noticing these past few days, blooming proudly on bakugou's cheeks. he looked down at the table in embarrassment, clearly unsure of what to say, before standing to his feet. "'m tired. go home."

"what! you won't even let me sleep over?"

"maybe another night. get home safe, akiara."

morikawa chuckled to himself behind his hand as bakugou left to his room, not even glancing back to say goodbye properly. god, he knew the man was bashful, but never to his extent. it was cute to see how easily he melted just from some kind words.