Work Text:
“I told you to bring a sweater! Or at least a jacket, you’re gonna freeze to death and it’s only your fault!”, the pink haired girl said dramatically.
“I promise, I’m fine, no need to worry, Mina.”
“You’re shaking more than Deku when I threaten him Shitty-Hair.”, the aggressive blond said. “My apartment’s basically around the corner, guess you can borrow something or whatever.”
And suddenly Eijirou actually wasn’t cold anymore. It was such a small thing, especially when any outsider would think that Katsuki had been indifferent, but everyone who knew him knew that this was him caring. It wasn’t even an offer. It was a demand. This was him saying “I’m giving you something to wear and you better wear it”.
Thanks to the temperature, hiding his very red face wasn’t necessary at all. What could’ve used some form of hiding were the knowing grins coming off of Mina and Sero. They were an adorable couple but an insufferable team. And as soon as Mina had found out that Eijirou had liked Katsuki in a very different way, the two of them had tried to get them together.
“We’ll just wait outside real quick.”, Sero said as Katsuki fished out the keys to his apartment. “No use in dragging all five of us with you, right?”
Mina, the pink devil, immediately nodded and flashed a smile. “I agree!”
Jirou and Denki just shared a look of utter confusion and shrugged.
Eijrou wasn’t having it, but couldn’t say anything when Katsuki was with them. And even if he wanted to, he hadn’t had the time as he was shoved into the apartment and the door was pulled closed by either Sero or Mina, he didn’t actually know who.
“Are you coming with me or not?”, Katsuki asked, already heading for his bedroom.
Eijirou gulped, nodded and quickly followed the boy. “Yeah, of course, sorry.”
Right as he arrived at the door frame of the room and wanted to glance around it, a soft but slightly heavy thing hit in the face.
“Nice catch, shitty-hair.”, the taller one of the two commented. “Now hurry up, I don’t wanna be late for that movie.”
Pulling on the sweater possibly a little too fast, he looked up at his best friend. And crush. God, he was so screwed. “And you’re really okay with me borrowing it?”
“Keep it for all I care, it looks better on you than me anyway.”
Eijirou could have died in that moment. That was a genuine compliment. He could feel his face growing hotter again, and he turned around. “Let’s go, we don’t wanna be late.”, he said quickly and took quick steps out of the apartment.
The sweater still smelled like him.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Now that Denki also knew of Eijirou’s feelings for their mutual friend, things mostly got worse. Way worse. Because, as smart as the boy secretly was, he was an absolute idiot. And terrible with keeping secrets.
But the last game of truth and dare actually helped the boy a lot.
He still remembered it clearly:
“So, everyone’s curious, Bakubro; Are you actually as straight as you seem?”
“Do I actually seem straight?”, Katsuki questioned. “Maybe your gaydar’s broken, dunce-face. I’m pansexual.”
“My BI-FI works perfectly fine, thank you very much!”, Denki had complained while the other blond already reached for the bottle to get his next victim.
Pansexual.
Eijirou almost fainted on the spot. Those were great news. So maybe he did have a chance!
And the way Katsuki had talked to him, he actually thought that maybe, just maybe, he actually liked him back. There was an increase of hidden compliments, more casual touches and the occasional exchange of ‘shitty-hair’ for ‘Kirishima’.
And Denki, Sero and Mina actually had him convinced to confess to him that day. He was nervous, really nervous. Anxious, really. But he was hopeful and sure this was gonna work out.
They were walking across the campus in silence when Eijirou finally found the courage to do it.
“Katsuki I-”, he started but cut himself off as he saw the way his friends’ gaze had changed direction and softened.
Trying to follow his gaze, his eyes landed on Midoriya, Uraraka, Iida and Todoroki, the first two laughing hysterically while Iida was apparently lecturing them about something.
The redhead expected hell to be set loose but when he couldn’t even hear a growled ‘Deku’, he looked back at his crush. He had looked different. Just a little off.
And then he saw it.
His face was soft, eyes filled with adoration and maybe a bit pained, the side of his mouth turned up in a half smile.
It was that dopey look Jirou had when she watched Denki do something stupid and thought no one was looking.
It was genuine feelings.
“She’s cute.”
It was barely there, someone else might’ve thought they imagined it, but to Eijirou it was louder than their English teacher.
“She’s cute.”
It echoed in his mind, taunting him.
Why, of all people, her?
The only girl his ‘rival’ hung out with daily.
‘Deku’’s best friend.
“She’s cute.”
Uraraka Ochako.
“Cute.”
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
“Just take my jacket!”, Asui had demanded.
“I’m fine, really!”, the brunette girl said loudly. “It’s not that cold!”
“Actually, it’s thirty-one degrees out, Uraraka-San.”, Yaoyorozu countered.
“Which is very cold!”
It was annoying to say the least. Eijirou didn’t need this today. At least Katsuki had vanished basically as soon as the girls had stepped into the Café, presumably to warm up. He really preferred his crush leaving him alone to be the fifth wheel instead of him staring at the brunette girl.
“Oi, Roundface.”
Why was he talking to her? That was not what usually happened! What was he going to do?
The rest of the Bakusquad turned to look at Katsuki who looked just a little uncomfortable in this situation — a rare occasion.
The brunette rolled her eyes. She would’ve appreciated the distraction that her friends got from being talked to, but she’d rather it wasn’t Katsuki.
“Do you need something, Bakugou?”, she asked, rather sharply.
“You’re gonna freeze to death out there and I can’t have that fucking nerd crying in all our lectures because his little girlfriend died. I’m trying to learn.”, he said and handed her a sweater.
One Eijirou knew he was originally wearing underneath his bomber jacket.
Ouch.
Of course, he had known that there wasn’t a chance for him anyway, Uraraka was basically perfect. She was so pretty, she was confident, she never took Katsuki’s shit.
She was the kind of girlfriend that fit Katsuki perfectly.
Why would he spend his time on him if he could use it better?
Why would Katsuki kiss someone who wasn’t even half as pretty as the brunette girl that stole his heart?
“I’m not his girlfriend!”, Uraraka squealed, immediately turning red. “Not my type.”, she mumbled under her breath.
“Whatever, fucking Deku would be crying anyway, just take the damn thing and shut up.”, he said and turned around and went back to the table with his friends.
“And what was that?”, Jirou asked, her interest piqued and a teasing grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Awfully nice of you, ‘King Explosion Murder’.”
“Oh fuck off, Fall Out Boy.”
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
“Hey, guys.”, the purple haired girl had said as she walked into the room. “Mina, you’re the love guru, you think we could set Bakugou up with Ochako? Momo just texted me, telling me that she had a small breakdown because she was crushing on our ball of aggression. What do you think?”
Jirou had been the last of his friends to find out that Eijirou had romantic feelings for his best friend. It wasn’t planned, but the way the redhead’s face dropped and everyone just got silenced was pretty telling, so Mina told her the whole story.
After Jirou had apologized about a bazillion times, Denki shut her up with a small peck to her lips.
“It’s not like I didn’t know.”, Eijirou whispered after a while. “I was gonna confess to him that one day, about two weeks ago. And... He looked so... Soft? I don’t know, just like someone who had actually been in love for years. And after that day in the Café I noticed the way Todoroki and Midoriya always said things to her when we walked by, causing her to blush. And it was always Katsuki who it was about. At least I thought so. And apparently I was right.”
It was half of December and the whole month of January that Uraraka and Katsuki danced around each other.
Valentine’s Day was creeping ever so close and...
Kats <3:
Shitty-Hair I need your help.
Shitty-Hair:
Sure, what’s up?
Kats <3:
How could I ask Roundface out for Valentine’s?
Fuck this. Fuck all of this.
Why couldn’t he have asked literally anybody else?
Shitty-Hair:
you ask the only gay friend you have for advice on girls
Shitty-Hair:
seems counterproductive, dont’cha think?
Kats <3:
I don’t need anybody else’s suspicions confirmed, Idiot.
Kats <3:
Just help me goddammit.
And for some goddamn reason, Eijirou did help him. Genuinely. And he hated himself for that.
At least he didn’t have to witness it, the fourteenth was a Saturday this year.
It was ironic, though. Bad luck. Friday the thirteenth.
All of his friends had partners and his crush chased after a girl.
He didn’t want to ask Katsuki if it went well. And Katsuki didn’t tell him either, so he figured he would find out on Monday.
And oh, did he find out.
Katsuki stood there, next to Ochako, smiling softly as he had his arm around her shoulder, while she was talking to Asui.
Eijirou shivered and remembered the sweater he had with him that day, stuffed into his backpack because he hadn’t been that cold in the morning. He turned around and started walking into just any direction, shivering but refusing to wear that specific article of clothing now.
It was the one Katsuki gave him, after all.
Eijirou couldn’t hate Ochako, he would never be able to.
She was an angel after all.
She’s never done him wrong, she had been so kind to him and even noticed how he’d been out of it lately. She had even given him a cupcake that one day instead of eating it herself or giving it to one of her friends.
But right now? He wouldn’t have minded if she vanished from earth’s surface.
Rather the opposite, he would’ve liked that. A lot.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
And yet another day started on which Eijirou couldn’t avoid the newest couple, creatively dubbed ‘kacchako’ by Mina.
Another day on which he couldn’t deny how good they looked together.
Another day he couldn’t oversee the way he looked at her just like the day the redhead had realized he didn’t have a chance.
Another day on which it was obvious that she was so good for Katsuki’s temper.
Another day that he saw they already knew that they loved each other, although they had been together for just two months, despite saying it.
Another day no one cared about how he was feeling awful.
Another day on which he had the choice between being a seventh wheel or being alone.
Another day that he died inside just a bit.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Every night he asked himself how it came to this.
Why would Katsuki even consider kissing him, when he obviously didn’t stand a chance against Uraraka.
And while Eijirou never thought of himself as anything beneath average in looks, he knew he wasn’t even half as pretty as the brunette.
He got a sweater, which secretly remained in the redhead’s possession, but he got it only because they were near Katsuki’s apartment and it didn’t make a difference in that moment.
When she got his sweater though, he went out of his way, changing out of it in a Café bathroom and giving it to her completely unprompted.
And while Katsuki never really liked that particular sweater — it was just polyester, and he always complained over the feel of that material — he still did it without thinking.
She caught his gaze.
He wished he were Roundface.