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Kirishima takes a seat by the fire pit, raking a hand through his salt tousled hair. The sun beats down on the crowd of moving bodies surrounding him, a manic display of laughter and voices talking over one another. He'd been invited by Mina, a former classmate of his, to the week-long beach excursion along with 20 other people, all of them staying in a girl named Momo's beach side mansion. The trip was promised to be a week filled with drinking, partying, and fun while they all took a load off to celebrate the end of the summer before classes started once again.
Kirishima was deep in his thoughts when a pop and a squeal snapped him out of it. His head whipped around to see Mina holding a freshly opened bottle of champagne, her white sundress billowing around her, a picture of youthful grace and excitement. He grinned and got up to approach the group, moving his sunglasses to the top of his head. Just past Mina's group, he spotted a head of white blonde hair and craned his neck to see its owner. He felt himself suck in a breath, eyes dancing over bronzed skin and toned legs. Finally reaching Mina's group, the pink-haired girl squeals and jumps into his arms.
"Kiri! Are you having fun?"
"Uh, yeah Mina, the party's awesome," he responds, unable to break away from the handsome stranger a few yards away.
Mina grins and follows his line of sight, smirking back at him. "I can introduce you two if you'd like. His name is... Well, he goes by Bakugou. No one really knows his first name because he'd never let anyone address him by it. He was in my OChem class last year. Super smart, stupid sexy."
Kirishima nods dumbly and allows himself to be led by Mina through the swarm of bodies, finally stopping a few feet from Bakugou.
"Bakugou!" she calls, pulling him into a friendly hug. "How are you liking the party?" He turns and Kirishima sees his face for the first time. Long dark lashes over wine colored eyes, burning with an intensity that told you he could tear you apart before you knew what hit you. A perfect, pointed nose over full, dusky pink lips, and a smile like a knife.
"There are worse shitshows," he replies, sipping from the beer in his hand. "Who's this?" he asks, gesturing toward Kirishima.
His eyes look bored. Kirishima briefly wonders if this is a mistake.
"Uh, I'm Kirishima."
Bakugou's eyes light up in vague amusement. "That your first name?" he quips, smirking at him.
Kirishima laughs out of embarrassment and shakes his head. "Uh, my name is Eijirou."
Bakugou rolls his eyes and shoots him a wicked grin. "Should have said that then."
Mina smiles knowingly and steps off to the side.
“Well boys, I’d love to stay and chat but I think I heard Sero calling for me. See ya!”
She’s gone before Kirishima can protest, now left alone with Bakugou. The blond in question still has his eyes locked on Kirishima, analyzing, processing him.
“So, what’s your major?”
Bakugou snorts and raises an eyebrow. “My major?”
He shifts his weight onto his other foot and sets his beer down on the table by the food area where Sato is grilling.
“I double majored in chemistry. Graduated last year.”
Shit, Mina wasn’t kidding about him being smart.
“Oh shit, wow! That must have been a lot to handle.” He offers, trying desperately to keep this conversation afloat. It’s then that he becomes aware that Bakugou is moving closer to him, his line of sight now consumed by a tanned throat, leading up to a sharp jaw. He looks up, having to crane his neck a bit now, until he reaches Bakugou’s gaze. His red eyes bore down in Kirishima’s, like they’re seeing right through him. The red head holds still as Bakugou leans down and grazes the shell of his ear with his lips before whispering, “I’d be careful if I were you, Kirishima.. You’re playing with fire.”
Bakugou picks up his beer and moves around him, through the crowd of people, disappearing. Kirishima stands there for a moment, a little shell shocked, not entirely sure what just happened. He feels a dark curl of want swell deep between his hips, beckoning him to go after him.
He doesn’t.
------
He doesn’t see Bakugou again until later that night when all of them are finished packing up everything from the beach. The sun is setting over the horizon, a furious red mirrored over the surface of the water. The sky is hazy— lavender and fuchsia smattering the clouds like a renaissance painting. Everyone is sunburnt and sleepy, turned soft from being out all day. Some are drunker than others. Some are still going a mile a minute (see: Mina).
Kirishima stretches the soreness out of his muscles and heads off to shower in one of the many bathrooms upstairs, hoping to rinse off the sand and sweat that sticks to every crevice of his body. A sleepy haze sets over him, clouding his mind. He feels like a cat right now— warm and happy from napping in the sun all day. One of the bathroom doors is cracked open down the hall. He steps in and starts to undress, setting his phone on the counter and pulling the tie out of his hair. He almost laughs at what a mess he is, hair sticking out in every direction, his freckles for visible that normal. He just shakes his head with a grin. He can’t wait for an entire week of this. Tomorrow they’d all be going out on the jet skis, having lunch at Momo’s parents’ private island. He goes to turn the shower on when a knock at the door snaps him out of his thoughts.
“Someone’s in here!” He calls.
Another knock.
Frowning, Kirishima wraps a towel around his waist and opens it just slightly.
“Hey man, I— Bakugou? Why are you here? You’re staying at Momo’s?”
The blonde on the other side smirks down at him, his eyes tracing the length of Kirishima’s body.
“M’stayin’ at my own place, I just know a few fuckers here. I need a shower.” He purrs.
“I mean, I’m using this one, dude. There’s at least four other showers on this floor.”
“I like this one though.” He grins, dark and taunting.
Kirishima glares half heartedly, annoyance twinging. “I told you, I’m using this one right now.”
Bakugou’s next response sends him reeling as the blonde pushes the door open just a little more. “Did I say that was an issue, Kirishima?”
Oh.
------
The shower is short, but eventful. Kirishima finds Katsuki’s hands on him immediately, slamming him up into the wall and pinning his wrists above his head. A tongue is in his mouth, teeth clacking together roughly. Katsuki grins against him, wedging a leg between his thighs and grinding upwards, relishing the moan that Kirishima let's fall from his lips.
“I know what you want, Eijirou.. you better know who you’re messing with or I’ll tear you to shreds.”
He moans when Bakugou says his name, the threat falling on deaf ears as he fights his way out of his grasp and drags his nails down Bakugou’s back. The next thing he knows, he’s face down, ass up in his bed, Bakugou slamming into him at a brutal pace. He’d be screaming if it weren’t for Bakugou’s fingers in his mouth, gagging him, keeping his voice reduced to moans and whimpers.
“You like it like this, don’t you? God, I knew you were a slut the moment I noticed you staring at me.”
Kirishima is nodding and whimpering as Bakugou grips his hips, fucking him as hard as he can. They both come a short while later, collapsing on the bed in a panting heap. Kirishima’s face grows hot with blush as he rolls over getting up to go clean himself off.
He’s surprised that Katsuki stays with him that night, arm loosely wrapped over his waist. He’s less surprised when he wakes up to an empty bed the next morning, just barely catching a glimpse of Bakugou leaving the room.
He spends that morning morning with Mina, laid out on her bed and gushing about the previous night and of course, Mina being Mina, she wanted the dirty details.
She is all over the situation, listening intently and interjecting every once in a while with a "YES KIRI GET IT" or "You did NOT! Oh my god, Kirishima Eijirou, what would your mother say?!"
Kirishima laughs and lets Mina apply a little highlighter on his sharp cheekbones, a whisper of liner just along his lashes.
"God, Kiri, you're so gorgeous! It isn't faaaair,” she whines.
Kirishima rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
"Not gorgeous enough for him to stay, apparently." he sighs, rolling onto his stomach.
"Pfft, honey, you're fucking stunning. Bakugou is just a playboy." she quips back.
The next day, after Kirishima and his friends eat lunch at some beachside open air cafe, they head to the beach where the parties are just starting again. It takes maybe an hour, but he sees his blond boy again, and his breath leaves him.
He approaches Bakugou himself this time, bringing him a beer. Bakugou’s eyes meet him with an air of amusement, taking up over Kirishima’s body and taking note of the hickies smeared over his neck. He doesn’t even mention their activities before, Kirishima chalking that up to probably Bakugou’s.... familiarity with the smash and dash game. He probably came to this beach looking for a toy, and he got what he wanted. No need to get all committed.
“Here, a drink”
“I can see that. And, you know, I’m sure you know that this place is littered with alcohol that I could get at any point, whenever I wanted, so I’m assuming you didn’t come all this way just to bring me a drink.” He looked down at Kirishima, face warped with ego. Kirishima thought on a response, but Bakugou beat him to it.
“You came here with Pinky, right? Uh, Mina. Just her, or you got other shitheads here?” Bakugou took the drink stepping an inch closer to Kirishima before gesturing the way Kirishima came. “I don’t have shit to do, the guys I came with are fucking around at some bullshit event, trying to ‘network’ with a buncha rich assholes. I’m bored.” He didn’t further explain himself, but Kirishima took Bakugou’s expectant stare as a sign for Kirishima to lead him back to the group. There, they found Mina, Sero, and Denki waving bye to Momo and Jirou, who had brought a cooler but were likely heading out to their own daily plans.
“Oh, Kiri-- Bakugou?” Mina questioned, looking between the two, clearly not understanding why Bakugou had returned. “Uh, Momo brought us booze! Good shit too, so, basically, I’ve decided THIS spot,” she emphasized the word by working her foot into the sand, “is where I’m gonna spend my night shit faced!” She cheered then, and Sero joined, opening a beer bottle.
“They seem just as shitty as you,” Bakugou smirked, plopping himself down in one of the three empty fold-out chairs surrounding the cooler, like the belonged here all along.
They end up spending the evening together, Kirishima begins seeing Bakugou in a different, less-romanticized light than he did this morning, the image of who Bakugou is as a person, who he was before he appeared in Kirishima’s world as a hot fling, becoming clearer. And Kirishima finds himself realizing that, more than anything, he wouldn’t mind being good bros with this guy. He clicks with the squad well, and his bitter, dry humor and snarky attitude compliment his obvious intelligence and natural charm, making him a weird kind of magnetic, like you can’t help but want to find the little good parts scattered amongst his prickliness.
Kirishima is addicted.
“And what, exactly, are you supposed to be getting out of that?” Bakugou jabs, holding the half-emptied bottle of whiskey that Denki had been sharing with Sero away from the two.
“It’s-” Denki slurs, cut off by giggles. “It’s a good degree! There are lots of jobs for computer engineering, it’s sort of like that!”
“Stage lighting isn’t anything CLOSE to computer engineering, let alone something to get a degree in.” Bakugou replied haughty, screwing the cap back onto the bottle and tossing it a few feet away into the soft sand. Kirishima laughed, feeling the warmth of the rum work it’s way into his system, trying not to focus on the few inches between Bakugou’s and his own thigh. The sun had nearly set, the air cooling almost uncomfortably, but Kirishima sat contentedly in this small circle of friends (and Bakugou). It was odd, Kirishima thought, to see Bakugou like this. His colors muted by the dusk, laughing and teasing comfortably. Kirishima had always had a thing for the unattainable, the popular boys in high school, the ones on Instagram that were hardly real people at all, just an image of perfection in Kirishima’s mind. Bakugou had been like that, just the day before. And yet now, when Bakugou looked at him with a questioning stare, clearly expecting a response to something Kirishima had not heard, he felt the tangibility of this man.
“What?” Kirishima blanked, Bakugou responding with a slight ‘tch’.
“You that drunk already? Can’t even listen to what I’m saying? I can’t believe I’m being ignored by the one asshole that I know, of this group.” It was a small thing, but being the one Bakugou ‘knows’ made Kirishima’s stomach feel funny. Bakugou was starting to get tipsy too. It was cute.
“I’m not ignoring you. I’m just, feeling kinda hungry. I haven’t eaten all day. Is all.” Bakugou looked at him appraisingly, as if he were about to protest, but quickly Mina interrupted.
“YES! Kiri, baby, you’re a literal, fucking, genius! Food! I love food we’re going now!” She yelled, grabbing onto and shaking Bakugou’s bicep for emphasis. Too drunk for her own good, she wobbled as she stood, but stomped stubbornly through the sand until the rest began to follow.
Bakugou joined the squad that night, going out to another local restaurant. He made a point of cutting the tap for Denki and Mina, the drunkest of the group, and sat, once again, as close to Kirishima as he could in the rounded booth. They ate slowly, spending more time talking than eating. Kirishima hadn’t actually been all that hungry, just making excuses, but Bakugou hadn’t said anything about it. Instead, he sat turned slightly turned more towards Kirishima and away from the rest, teasing and quipping at Kirishima until Kirishima was laughing and teasing back, unable to get over the natural wit to the man. Just as Kirishima began to forget about the Bakugou of the night before, just as he begins to convince himself that he doesn’t have a chance with this boy, Bakugou is leaning close, reaching his hand past Kirishima, towards the server, and paying for Kirishima’s dinner before he can protest.
When the waiter leaves, Kirishima is about to say something when Katsuki simply explains, “S’fine. It’s , my apology for leavin’ you all alone this morning.” with a small smirk, leaving Kirishima’s heart shaking his chest like the bars of a jail cell, threatening to escape.
Bakugou had punctuated the end of the night by walking next to Kirishima to the exit of the buzzing restaurant, into the cold night, several feet behind the cheery, drunken group of Kirishima’s friends. Making a few jabbing comments about the state of the three, wishing Kirishima good luck in getting them home, Bakugou paused for a moment before bringing a broad hand to Kirishima’s arm. There, he ran it up and down a few times, a sudden display of affection, and wished Kirishima a quiet good night. Kirishima goes home with a chicken-scratch phone number on a crumpled napkin in his wallet, a slight buzz, and a smitten grin.
------
Kirishima texts Bakugou, listed as “sparks ✨” (no heart emojis yet, Mina says that’s too much commitment), the next morning, and the days following, but mostly receives empty, dry replies.
Lots of single word responses, no reaction to any jokes. Kirishima is starting to feel not only hopeless, but stupid for spending all this time listening to love songs and gushing to his friends about this intense summer love that he was going to experience. Imagining scenes from books and movies, imagining Bakugou being this perfect charming spontaneous boy that makes Kirishima blush and does everything right, finding himself zoning out picturing perfect scenes between the two of them... only to check his messages and find a “Read ✔️ 1:09 PM”, under his most recent text. That, and a dialogue of “Yeah”s And “Okay”s filling up the left side of his messages.
Disappointing.
It's just like himself to fuck around and fall all over a boy like this, and spend the rest of his trip feeling miserable and annoying while he whines to friends about it. All over someone who hasn’t even thought twice about him. Some boy he barely knows, likely laughing at him amongst friends for getting all clingy over a dick appointment. Mina had once told him he fell too fast and too hard into love for the hoe life, and she was probably right.
“Hey.”
Kirishima whips around from where he sat on the metal handrails of the concrete wheelchair ramp leading down to the beach, taking a moment to relax while Mina, Sero, Denki, and a few others had run off the grab supplies and snacks at a nearby konbini.
There stood Kirishima’s not-so summer lover dream boy, in front of a still-purring top-off convertible, in a loose low-buttoned shirt, khaki shorts, gold watch, and sandals. Exuding pure rich playboy energy. Mina was definitely right.
Kirishima was fucked.
Kirishima stands slowly, trying to discreetly pick his jaw up off the ground as he feels his heart tug him toward the blonde in front of him.
“Hey... You’re here..” he manages to get out.
Bakugou scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Really great with words, aren’t ya?”
Kirishima blushes and looks off to side. God, why was he so AWKWARD around him?
“That’s okay, we won’t be doing too much of that tonight,” Bakugou purrs, sauntering toward him, the rumble of his voice keeping Kirishima dancing on a razor’s edge. He felt so stupid, immediately smitten as soon as he was in Bakugou’s near vicinity. This one was going to hurt.
He tries his best to front, though.
“And what makes you so sure I’ll be spending the night with you?” Kirishima counters, trying his best to seem uninterested. Bakugou bites back a laugh, throwing his head back, as if that was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard.
“Oh, you’ll come with me, alright... in more ways than one, Eijirou.” Kirishima’s name was honey on Bakugou’s lips; promising passion and pleasure and ending with Eijirou sore and sweaty and asleep in Bakugou’s arms.
“Fine, on one condition.” Bakugou looks at him pointedly.
“You have to tell me your first name.”
Bakugou’s grin drops to an appraising smirk, not quite reaching his eyes.
“My first name?”
“Yeah. You think you’re slick, right, going around not letting anyone close like that. You think that you’re so irresistible that I can’t help but want to do whatever you say,” maybe Katsuki was right about that. “Well, I’m gonna learn it. Your name. I’m gonna show you that you’re not the only pretty boy around here that has any game.” Kirishima’s voice conveyed a confidence that Kirishima did not feel. But Bakugou still stood here, glancing at him heavily, so Kirishima stuck to his guns.
“Is that a fucking challenge?”
Kirishima’s breath hitches at the tone.
Bakugou’s grin widens. “Fine then. I’m gonna take you out. You’re gonna get in my nice ass car, I’m gonna give you the best night you’ve ever had, and if you’re not madly fucking in love with me by tonight, then I don’t have to give you my name.”
Kirishima was gonna lose.
“That sound a bit biased in your favor, right?”
“I don’t care.”
“Fine, then. Let’s get in your car, rich boy. Do your worst.”
Kirishima is gonna be ruined.
------
Kirishima finds himself living out all those music video romances again, except this time it’s real music, coming from the real radio playing soft rock, and he’s looking out from a real orange Mustang, top down, with real wind whipping through his hair. There’s a real setting sun turns everything it touches gold, and a view of a real ocean spotted with party goers and families. And there’s a real boy, real pretty, driving with one hand, looking like threaded gold while Kirishima catches glimpses at stop lights. The wind managing to make Bakugou sexily tussled, rather that disastrously messy. The low dive of his half-buttoned shirt reveals a toned chest and a thin gold chain that drives Kirishima insane.
But not in love. Not yet.
Bakugou’s free hand is on his thigh, possessive, thumb rubbing back and forth over the skin just above the hem of his shorts. They drive in silence, save for the radio softly crooning an old love song. The sun is setting, tucking the beach in for a cool, star studded night. They reach the restaurant— a fancy place, way too expensive for Kirishima to frequent. The waiters are dressed in pastel polos and khakis, deceptively casual, yet oozing money. Their conversation is light at first— what did you do today? Nice weather, huh? What are the plans for the rest of the week? Do you have siblings? What do your parents do?
Kirishima finds out that Bakugou’s parents are Mitsuki and Masaru. Mitsuki is a high end fashion designer who owns the brand Incendiary. Masaru is a chemical engineer and the reason Bakugou got into chemistry in the first place. He has two cats, Ember and Blaze.
Kirishima listens intently, all too focused on the way Bakugou’s lips form around each of the words. It’s almost sensual, and it kills him, stirring the desire in his loins. All he can think about is what it would be like to ride them.
“Oi, Kirishima, you there? You zoned out on me, idiot.”
His eyes refocus and find Bakugou’s again, acutely aware of the flush on his cheeks. He’s way too obvious.
Bakugou grins again and takes Kirishima’s hand, pressing a kiss to his wrist. “Falling for me already, Red? Didn’t think you’d give up the game so quickly.”
Maybe, Kirishima thinks, maybe just a little.
“You wish. I’ll die first before I let you woo me.”
“Damn, not quite good enough, huh?” Bakugou grins, like he’s calling Kirishima’s bluff..
The food is good, but the kind of good that Kirishima feels awkward enjoying without a suit and a fancy occasion. Some sort of beach side diner for black-card high life’s, the kind that a kid like Bakugou could only get into with connections that his parents hold, Kirishima assumes. The more Bakugou talks about it, the more disdain Kirishima reads in his voice, and the more Kirishima understands why Bakugou seems to hate the people around so much.
He explains that many are profiting off of under-the-table-businesses, and that many have no true skill or value as a person, but thrive off of Daddy’s money, which Bakugou hates more than anything. He has worked hard, from day one, accepting no handouts, and paid for everything he owned. Kirishima feels surprised, almost, at the way Bakugou seems to suddenly let down his flirtatious walls to rant for a moment about the injustice behind this facade.
Kirishima is kinda into that.
As they finish their food, and Katsuki exchanges a few words with the waiter that seems to waive any need for a bill, Katsuki leans across.
“You wanna get outta here, Red?”
Kirishima’s stomach flips. He nods, as nonchalantly as he can manage.
“Then follow me.”
Bakugou smirks.
“Oh, that’s harsh, Eijirou. You wound me. In fact, that was very hurtful, and I’m feelin’ pretty upset.” Bakugou’s voice raises, bordering on a little too loud for such a well-mannered restaurant. If Kirishima didn’t already feel painfully out of place in neon green-and-red swim trunks and a tourist T-shirt, Bakugou nearly yelling sure as hell didn’t help.
“Bro—“
“Don’t ‘babe’ me, asshat. You fucking know what? We’re fucking OVER! First you lie about who you were with last night, and now you accuse me of embezzling?! HOW DO YOU THINK I AFFORDED ALL YOUR FANCY SHIT? HUH? YOU WANNA LOSE ALL OF THAT?!”
Bakugou stands up, harshly, knocking his chair over. People are staring.
What the fuck is going on? Did he miss something?
“Ba-Bakugou what, hey stop, seriously,” Kirishima placates, casting a nervous smile to the onlookers.
A wild grin spread across Bakugou’s face, hair in his eyes, poorly concealing the wild gleam of adrenaline. Kirishima feels something.
“In fact, FUCK YOU! We’re over. Good luck finding someone who’s willing to put up with your weird kinks. I’M FUCKING OUT OF HERE.”
Kirishima cannot react before Bakugou is grabbing the white ironed tablecloth, and yanking. Wine-glass water casts across the fancy dresses of a few wealthy women sitting nearby, and Kirishima isn’t far off of Bakugou’s tail as Bakugou cinematically storms away. He leads them out of the restaurant and down the sidewalk towards the valet parking before words find Kirishima again.
“Bakugou— hey, what- what the FU—“
The crisp sound of a pure unbridled pour of laughter cuts off anything Kirishima might’ve thought.
Oh.
“FUCK those dickheads, Red.” Bakugou half-yells, face full of mirth, as he slows his run to a stop, a safe distance from the restaurant. His breathing slows, and quickly approaches Kirishima. He breathes for a moment, simply staring at Kirishima.
“So how was that? You in love with me yet?”
Kirishima breathes, mind still reeling, slowly coming to understand what just occurred.
Fuck, fuck yeah he was.
“Nope.”
“Fuck. Gotta up my game, then, right.” Kirishima knows this isn’t gonna end well for him. ‘Up his game’? Kirishima feels shaky in the knees already.
Bakugou fishes for the keys to his car for a second, before clicking it unlocked, and opening the door for Kirishima again with a certain glare-grin combo. One that says more “is this what you want, asshole?” than it says “I’m a gentleman.” As the ignition purrs to life, Kirishima taking in, not for the first time, the high quality of this bright orange Mustang, the soft rock music begins again, and Kirishima feels himself floating. Adrenaline courses through him at the thought of the shock of those people’s’ faces, with their now-ruined perfect dining scene. He thinks then of the wildness in Bakugou’s eyes, the spark, as he looked Kirishima in the eye and made a scene.
“Where are we going? Was that all?” Kirishima isn’t focusing on the hand slowly rubbing up and down his thigh. He’s not.
“You said you’re not drooling over me yet, so no. I’m not giving up till you are.”
“You could have anyone on that beach.” Even in the dusk, the tall buildings that creep out from the city cast long shadows within the moonlight. “So why me.”
Bakugou does not answer for a moment, as if he’s not sure himself. The round a few corners, the city slowly adjusting to the new darkness, lighting up left and right.
“Cause you’re so stupid.”
Kirishima scoffs, opening his mouth to reply.
“Stupid enough to come up to me, of all people, when you don’t even know my name, when I left you high and dry, and say some bullshit like ‘do your worst’. How am I supposed to look away from you, Red?”
------
In a booming city known for its generous accommodation for drunk-ass college students looking to party, it strikes Kirishima as weird that Bakugou would choose here of all places. A small glass storefront that would look closed, if not for the small blue and red “OPEN” sign hanging lopsided from the door. Not the place Kirishima would expect, at least, from a star like Bakugou, if Bakugou were trying to woo him.
As they enter, there’s a soft thrum of music, slow and beautiful. It’s a small, office-like room, with no one in it, lit only by a desk lamp in a far corner, but Bakugou waltz in like he lives here and pushes past a back door, the music suddenly becoming clearer.
“Where is this?”
Bakugou is quiet. “Just wait.”
They walk down a dark hallway, a soft purple light washing in from a door at the end. Bakugou looks strange, usually all warm reds and amber eyes and golden hair, but now a dark lilac.
“My friend owns this place. You can’t see it from outside but, back here, there’s an open lot, so he put some stuff back here. It doesn’t get a lot of business though, obviously.”
Kirishima realizes that this is, strangely, a business, some sort of place meant to draw attention for money, and yet so inconspicuous. They reach the end of the hall and find a room drowned in violet, steady strobe lights painting the room that way. In the corners there are duffel bags and scattered gear, maybe camera parts, and random posters all around for different events that Kirishima does not recognize.
He follows Bakugou, though, and is led through the room into yet another door, into a small stairwell, that climbs for what feels like forever.
Eventually, they reach the top, Bakugou ever silent and Kirishima ever confused, into an open space. There, there’s a simple mat on the ground with a few blankets, a telescope pointed down, dwarfed under a much larger, more dramatic telescope riddled with wires running around the room to different locations. But that is not what makes Kirishima gasp.
Seemingly a homemade planetarium, Kirishima is suddenly surrounded in stars. Live stars, in a level of detail he’s never seen before.
“Bakugou-“ he starts, but he’s at a loss for words. “Wow.”
Kirishima turns around to face the way they came, then back again, surrounded by seamless screens, displaying the view of the telescope that looks through a small open gap in the ceiling, a stargazing room. He looks at Bakugou, dimmed immensely in the darkness of the room, but Bakugou does not meet his eyes.
“This- this isn’t where I was going to take you.” He starts.
“It’s stupid, but you seem like the kind of idiot who might, like this sort of thing.” His eyes meet Kirishima’s, and sees a blinding smile. Fuck.
“It’s— Bakugou it’s stunning, wow, I— I’ve never seen something like this.” And it’s true.
A hand laces with his. And he’s being pulled along, to the blankets on the floor, and Bakugou sits down, pulling Kirishima with him, and he briefly, stupidly, wonders if Bakugou plans to take him here.
“The guy who did this, uh, Shinsou. He loves these things. Him and his dad, they spent years making it. I used to come here a lot. I don’t, I don’t know why I came now.”
Kirishima lays flat on his back, eyes gazing up in wonder at the slowly circling array of stars above them. There’s a soft, simple melody playing, the kind that pulls you into a deep sleep with the promise of gentle dreams. Glancing up at Bakugou, he pulls him down by his hand, adjusting to rest his head on his chest.
Kirishima looks across the stars, and finds some he recognizes. “You know, my dad used to teach me about the stars.. when I was little, he’d point out the constellations and use my finger to trace them up in the sky.” He feels Bakugou’s heart hammering in his chest and against his cheek.
“Orion is my favorite... You find him by his belt, the three bright stars over there.” He gestures up into the sky, grabbing Bakugou’s hand and using his finger to trace them.
“Orion was an arrogant hunter in Greek legends, who angered Gaia by saying he’d hunt every animal on earth. To punish him, she sent a scorpion to kill him. Ophiuchus revived him with an antidote to save him. That’s why you’ll never see the Orion and Scorpio constellations in the sky at the same time.. Ophiuchus stands between them, keeping him safe...”
Kirishima was caught up in the story, in the stars, Bakugou’s hand, and only noticed when he turned his head to look at Bakugou, that he was staring at Kirishima.
“You know a lot about stars, huh? Guess this wasn’t such a bad idea.”
“Not at all.”
They lapsed into silence, the gentle sway of the stars pulling Kirishima in. Unable to see the floor or any breaks in the display, he was able to trick himself into believing that he was truly in the sky, just him and the man he held hands with, Kirishima, and his star amongst stars.
“You didn’t tell me you were capable of being charming, Bakugou.” Kirishima didn’t intend for it to, but it came out a whisper. It was meant to be a joke, a tease, but it came out a question. A question about what this all meant to Bakugou.
“Thought I’d just show you instead.”
The blankets were softer than they looked, and made warm by the heat radiating off of the two as they laid together. Time passed formlessly, and whether it was hours or seconds, Kirishima didn’t know. Somehow, a boy he’d met days ago managed to be with Kirishima in a moment that felt like it was shared between the closest of souls.
Kirishima definitely loved him.
It’s the kind of sad ache that washes over you, at the end of something timeless, the appreciation to have been there, but the pain of having to leave. A sudden, anxious pang in Kirishima’s chest as a million realizations descended upon him. This star filled place was far, far away from where Kirishima had to return to in a few days. And while he still got to follow the main attraction down the stairs and through the lilac lounge an out into the ironically starless city night, he felt empty and aching, at the thought of losing this, too.
He stops Bakugou outside of the building and stares at him hard. “Bakugou I— what are we doing? What are you getting out of this?” He tries to push the annoyance, the insecurity, out of his voice and grits his teeth, looking off to the side as he tries to avoid Bakugou’s eyes.
“Look, I really appreciate what you’ve done for me, I’ve had a great time, but if this is actually just a joke, you need to tell me. I... I’m not going to let myself get feelings for you if all this is is a summer fling. Which, if it is— great. We can still fuck and do whatever, but I can’t.. I can’t let myself believe you’re going to love me if that’s not what this is.”
“Katsuki.”
“Wh-“
“My first name. Katsuki.”
“I never told you if I—“
“I know. And I promised I was gonna wait til you fell in love with me to tell you, but, fuck, Eijirou.” He’s leaning close, hands on Kirishima’s arms, in this empty city street in the middle of the night. Distantly, unhelpfully, Kirishima remembers Mina and Sero and Denki and the others that were expecting to meet back up with Kirishima, and all that had happened since then.
“I think, I might’ve fallen in love with you instead.”
------
Katsuki.
It fit him, strangely enough, like the answer to a simple equation. Of course his name was Katsuki because it couldn’t be anything else.
Wrenching his eyes away from his staring contest with the ground, he finally looks at him.
His lips begin to form words but there covered before he can get anything out. Bakugou, no... Katsuki’s lips are moving over his with a tenderness he’s never felt before, tongue pressing against the seam of his lips. His hands are moving now, finding a home on Kirishima’s hips and pulling him in.
Thoughtlessly, Kirishima’s lips part. His mind flicked back to the image of the way Katsuki’s lips moved when they shouted harsh words in the middle of that high class restaurant. The way the spread across his face into a grin, as he dared Kirishima to not fall for him. The way they parted as he confessed. And Kirishima soars.
Something goes unsaid, Kirishima thinks, as they drive through the thinned-out traffic to Katsuki’s private beach house. Gaudy, he thought absently, looking at the dark silhouette of the stilt-raised home in the private area of the coast, imagining Katsuki spending his break here alone. The wind rolling off the waves, cutting through the peaceful silence between the two, sends a chill across Kirishima’s exposed skin. A hand helps him to the steps, and up them and into the door, and warm lights flicker on in the thematically decorated living room. The place exudes a sort of wealth, with modernistic glass walls and transparent tables made to look like oceans, but the time for indoor design details was later. Currently, he was more focused on peeling off loose shirts and swim trunks, balancing himself against the wall in broad hands while a tongue explored his neck and jaw.
Abruptly, Katsuki pulled away from him, eyes glazed and breath heavy.
“You never answered.”
“Answered what?”
“Me. About me. If I got you to finally love me.”
Kirishima could laugh, almost, at the worry in Katsuki’s voice, at the apparent concern Katsuki held that Kirishima might not return these feelings.
“I think I loved you ever since you asked.”
------
At that, Katsuki returns his lips to Kirishima’s neck. Slowly but surely, he unravels Kirishima, working them both up to a neediness that pulls them to the bedroom. Kirishima pauses enough to notice how high class and spacious it is, but he’s quickly focused on walking on his knees to straddle over Bakugou, who currently lays spread out under Kirishima. The last time he had seen this, seen Katsuki like this, it was the same body but a different person. The same moment but a different meaning. Where once there was a lust and an impulsive need for satisfaction, Kirishima now found pure adoration, a deep craving for Katsuki’s hands and heart, love.
Katsuki took him slowly. Finding a comfortable angle, Kirishima on his back in the lush pillows, thrusting into him deeply and tenderly. Something about this, about this time, under this man that he undoubtedly loved, made everything feel like it was in technicolor. Even in the dim warm lighting of this luxury room, in the midst of the night, something about this star in front of him made everything high saturation, bursting with a summer-only gleam that was a bit romanticized, maybe, but intoxicating nonetheless.
Kirishima felt himself climax while his hands desperately pulled Katsuki in a kiss. Nothing but soft pants and quiet whispers of love and heartfelt feelings could be heard between them, alongside the soft sounds of their lovemaking.
“I love you,” Katsuki moaned.
And Kirishima believed him.
Kirishima woke up the next morning, in true Katsuki style, to a cold, empty bed. Light poured in from all sides, huge glass windows literally the structure of the house. No need for modesty, Kirishima supposed, when your house is the only one for miles in any direction.
That in mind, Kirishima decided against throwing on his old clothes from yesterday, and instead headed out into the rest of the house. He thought for a moment about how no anxiety crossed him when he saw the empty bed, and then warmth flowed through him at the memories of last night. There was no need to feel anxious. Katsuki wasn’t leaving any time soon.
Kirishima found his lover in the kitchen, significantly more dressed. The morning went easily, slowly, shared kisses and soft touches, sharing breakfast out on the patio facing the seafront. Kirishima felt it, all over him, the feeling of being surrounded by his love. Even if he wanted some dreadful thought to break his peace, he couldn’t make it.
The first break in their still morning was a knock to Katsuki’s door.
“Fuck, one second. It’s probably those shitheads—“
Katsuki stood up from his patio chair and headed inside, heading towards the front door. Kirishima wondered briefly if he should put on some clothes, but decided against it. Too blissed out and relaxed to care.
“I know, asshat. I’ve got better plans than— no one cares. You’ll live a day without me. Fuck off.” There wasn’t any real anger to Katsuki’s voice, annoyance at most. But Kirishima’s heart soared, assuming what the conversation was about, knowing that Katsuki has just canceled that plans he came here to do, all the spend more time with Kirishima.
When Katsuki comes back, Eijirou is putting the dishes in the kitchen sink, but is quickly in Bakugou’s space again, unable to get enough of his strong, calloused hands moving over his skin. He pulls him down for a kiss, petting his fingers over Katsuki’s blonde locks. He laughs gently at the way Kat purrs at his ministrations.
“Katsuki...” he sighs, kissing his neck and collarbone.
“Yes, love?” He whispers back, hands sliding up the backs of Eijirou’s thighs.
“Come back to bed.. We got so much sun yesterday.. let’s have a lazy day..”
Katsuki chuckles and hoists him up by his thighs, wrapping them around his waist and carrying him back to the bedroom. They’d only known each other for a few days, but Katsuki would harness the moon and stars for his boy if he asked for it.
------
They stay like that for a while, a tangled mess alternating between passionate breathlessness and giggling warmth. Kirishima was preoccupied with trying to stop laughing long enough to actually kiss Katsuki, when a thought crossed his mind.
“Shit!” He pulled away suddenly. “Mina!”
“What—“
“I’ve been gone for over 24 hours and I haven’t even told her where I’ve been— I didn’t even check my messages! Fuck!” He dropped off the bed, searching through his discarded clothes to find his phone, hardly charged and flooded with notifs.
Surprisingly, there were only about four from his friends. Kirishima wondered vaguely if they had forgotten all about him, but quickly found the reason.
> oooooo you SCANDALOUS boy
> please keep me updated eiji 🤧💕
> I’ll take the lack of response as a sign that ur havin a good time ;^))))))
Kirishima laughed quietly at the screen, momentarily forgetting about the bombshell laying naked and waiting behind him.
“One- one second, I need to call them and let them know I’m alright, they were worried!” He turned back to smile apologetically at Katsuki.
“S’fine.”
Kirishima pressed call on Mina’s number and stepped out onto the balcony as the phone rang one and a half time and he heard Mina’s voice squeal an excited “HELLO? Before you ask, we’re fine, Denki is horribly hungover, and we’re spending the day at the beach again, but enough about us, Eiji please tell me everything!”
“Ohmygod you wouldn’t believe,” he blurted out quickly, excitedly. “Yesterday, when I was waiting for you guys, he- Bakugou picked—“
“I KNOW! I SAW! You totally ghosted us, but I gotta respect the hoe life, it calls when you’re least expecting!”
Kirishima laughed at that, smiling out at the open water. “Oh my god, Mina,” he repeated, trying to find words to express all that had happened.
“I— he took me to a fancy ass diner, and paid, and then he caused a big scene, and UGH, Mina, did you see his car? And his music taste, I think I’m in love with his laugh, and then we went stargazing-”
“Wait, wait, Eiji, this sounds great I’m sure it was but so far you’ve told me 50 things in one sentence, including but not limited to causing a scene at a nice place and taking you stargazing in a smoggy city filled with lights, so—“
“You don’t understand, Mina, it was, we, I-“
“Did you get laid?!”
“God, yes,” Kirishima nearly moaned. “We did, over and over, in his— Mina he’s staying in this bougie-ass beach house by himself, he paid for it himself— and, we kissed, like a real kiss, Mina, I know you say I’m dramatic but I think I’m in love, for real this time...”
She squealed, mirroring and encouraging the adrenaline and excitement pumping in and out of Kirishima’s heart.
“It sounds very nice. Why aren’t you with him right now? You’re getting the dick of your life and you’re calling me?”
“Actually... we were just cuddling,” Kirishima begins to daydream. “Cuddling in his king sized bed, not dressed- Mina I’m standing on a patio looking out at the beach NAKED! I haven’t had clothes on since yesterday night. Neither has he! God he’s gorgeous—“
“Go! Go! Stop talking to me! Spend the day with your MANS! We’ve only got a weekend left, spend it well! We can meet up later, baby. HAVE FUN! STAY SAFE! USE PROTECTION,or don’t, I’m not your mother!.” He could Hear the wink in her voice. His affection for her and her support and enthusiasm swelled, but not enough to mount the pang of sadness that came as he was reminded of his upcoming departure.
“Everything go okay?” Katsuki asked lazily, from where’d he laid uncovered and bare in the white sheets, sparing a glance at Kirishima.
“Yeah! Yeah she, they’re fine, just hanging out and partying, they actually saw you pick me up, so they figured I was just with you.” Kirishima grinned as he crawled back into bed, straddling Katsuki’s stomach.
“I could’ve been a serial killer that kidnapped you and killed you, and they just assumed you were getting dick?”
Kirishima nearly choked at that. “I—! I would’ve called them, or, I don’t know! It’s fine, you’re not a murderer, I think... so, yeah.” He rested his head on Katsuki’s shoulder, Katsuki’s hand coming up to trail from Kirishima’s nape to his lower back. A sigh left Kirishima’s chest.
“I’m gonna miss you, Katsuki.”
Katsuki said nothing.
“I go to uni, quite a ways from here, for, uh, physical therapy. Not as shiny as a double major in chemistry.”
“Like fuck it’s not. That’s a difficult major, and an important one. Don’t talk shit on yourself.”
“Thanks, I guess.” Kirishima laughed affectionately at the aggressive positivity. Silence fell again.
“When,” Katsuki cleared his throat. “When are you leaving?”
“Sunday night. You?”
“Same day, next week.”
A question sat between them. Kirishima held his breath, much too afraid to admit where he lived, as if keeping it a secret might make it to where Katsuki never leaves.
“Miyagino-ku”
Kirishima lifted his head.
“What?”
“That’s where I live right now.”
“You’re kidding— wait— I live, I live at the Tohoku Uni. dorms! Dude that’s- that’s like a 15 minute drive?! Holy shit!”
Katsuki’s stern face breaks into grins and he pulls him into a kiss, petting his hair gently.
“So, Red... what are you worrying about? I’m not going anywhere.. You’re not going to lose me..” he promises, fingers tracing over the length of his spine.
Katsuki... wasn’t used to this. A quick fuck here, a hookup there but never... Never this. Never loving, reassuring conversations. Never missing the other person when they were gone for more than just a few moments. He feels his heart twist in his chest and he unconsciously pulls Kirishima closer.
Kirishima’s face finds itself buried in Katsuki’s neck. His insecurities clawing at his throat, he tries his best to quell them. They were going to be alright. He would see him again after this. Katsuki still wants him and he.. well, he loves him. That thought filled his chest with warm, rose colored light.
------
“Your place is a fucking war zone. You live like this?!” Katsuki quips, kicking aside a small pile of clothes on Kirishima’s living room floor.
“Hey, to be fair, I packed last minute, and my house was a disaster, but we had to leave!”
“Eijirou,” Katsuki says, turning around to wrap his hands on Kirishima’s cheeks. “You’ve been back for two weeks. You had more than enough time to pick some shit up.”
Kirishima decides not to reply, pressing against Katsuki’s hands to kiss him. Quickly, he pulls away, and sets his bag down against the couch to grab water from the kitchen.
Kirishima couldn’t miss it, when a neon orange Mustang pulled up in front of the Health Building as Kirishima stepped out of class. Nearly two weeks without seeing Katsuki, being kept afloat by text messages alone, was painstaking, but it made this all the better. He had run to Katsuki’s car, hearing the familiar rock beat flow from Katsuki’s speakers. Affection swelled up as a low, familiar voice called “Hey, Red. Did you miss me?”
More than anything, Kirishima thought, slamming the door shut beside him, all thoughts of appearance to others subsiding with the press of Katsuki’s lips to his own.
They had gotten lunch, that afternoon, Katsuki sharing a few final untold stories from the week he had spent at the beach while Kirishima had returned to his dorms with Mina and the others. Classes had started for Kirishima, but bakugou, being graduated, was able to take time off for work to celebrate the summer coming to an end. All Might Chem. Co., Kirishima had learned, was the company Katsuki had interned with and was eventually offered a job at, making loads of money.
“I’ll help you pick this shit up later. Right now we’ve got something to catch up on,” Katsuki purred, hands sliding up Kirishima’s stomach from behind. Kirishima leaned back into Katsuki’s chest, sighing with a smile.
Katsuki’s hands are already pulling Kirishima’s shirt up and off of him, leading him out of the main room and into the adjacent bedroom, pressing him down onto his tiny twin bed. His fingers graze Eijirou’s nipples as his mouth finds that sweet pulse point in his neck. An unbridled moan pushes its way past his lips.
“Mm— Kat, baby..” he sighs, arching for him.
“I know what you need, Red...” Katsuki growls into his ear, pushing his hand past the waistband of his jeans and gripping him.
Kirishima whines, craning his head back and allowing Katsuki to ravish his neck.
This time, it’s brutal and Kirishima is screaming by the end of it, thankful he doesn’t have a roommate this year. He’s face down in his bed, Katsuki roughly fucking into him— litanies of curses and swears falling from his lips. His hand is twisted into Kirishima’s hair, keeping his head back so he can fill his ear with exactly what he wants to hear.
“You’re so good for me, Kirishima.. I know you missed this..” he purrs, panting and groaning as they both near climax.
All Kirishima can do in nod breathlessly, pleading with Katsuki to take him, fill him, do anything he wants. His climax is like being hit by a freight train, forcing a cry and a sob from him.
They lay there for a few moments after, Katsuki smothering Kirishima’s face with kiss and soft praises.
“Y’know,” Kirishima sighs, rolling onto his back and feeling the jelly-like state of his legs. “I’m actually taking Chemistry right now. Would you mind helping me out?”
“Mm, enticing pillowtalk,” Katsuki rolled onto his stomach. “I’m not doing your homework for you.”
“That’s not what I said! I said help me out!” Katsuki laughed, and Kirishima felt his heart soar. He wasn’t gonna get used to that any time soon.
“Fine, Fine. But only if you make me a deal.”
“A deal again, hm. You used to getting what you want through bets?”
“It’s been working out pretty great for me so far,” Katsuki spoke into Kirishima’s collarbone, kissing the spot before carrying on. “I’m gonna take you on a date tonight, and if you don’t wanna spend the rest of your life with me by the end of the night, you win, and I’ll do all of your chem homework.”
Kirishima grinned. He had already lost.