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When Sparky and Shitty Hair got together, it came as a surprise to the rest of their group, but not to Katsuki.
Anyone who had eyes could've noticed how comfortable they were around each other; Awfully cozy, even; they were in each other’s space a lot during movie nights and bus rides, always leaning on shoulders to point out a detail or to watch stupid cat videos; Katsuki had caught them hugging or sharing those dumb-looking, complicated fist bumps more than once, like they were fucking grade schoolers and not grown-up fucking heroes in training, for fuck's sake. Though they never acted embarrassed about it, like showcasing unrestrained affection in public wasn’t a big deal. It had always been a big fucking deal, for Katsuki. But they made it look easy.
Besides, it wasn't a smooth transition or anything like that, which was how Katsuki knew that his friends were fucking idiots. For one, Kirishima stopped dressing like a clown overnight; but then Sparky also started piling more meat that he could possibly eat by himself on his plate. And alright, Bakugou wasn’t looking, at either of them, but growing up with a fashion designer and a model as parents kind of resulted in annoying shit like that. That was all. Kirishima stealing the excess meat on Kaminari’s tray kind of was a noticeable thing by itself, given all the ruckus it usually resulted in.
So Katsuki knew something was up. But he wasn't actively thinking about it long enough to put two and two together, at least until Black Eyes somewhat caught on, too.
"Hey, Bakugou. Have you ever seen that shirt on Kiri?"
"Hah?" grouched Bakugou, very coherently. He stabbed his cereal with a spoon, perhaps with more aggression than the cereal really required. He'd yet to get his daily dose of caffeine, and was thus in a particularly pissy mood. "Why the fuck are you asking me this."
"Because you're always looking at Kirishima," she replied mindlessly, and before Bakugou's sleep-addled brain could process and blow up at her implication, she continued, in a whisper: "I'm pretty sure that's one of Kaminari's shirts, actually."
That gave Katsuki pause long enough to actually raise his gaze from his mushy breakfast and consider the equally mushy question. He looked at the duo currently sitting far too close to each other. The final cog moved into place. "When the fuck did they start dating?" he asked no one in particular, before realizing he actually didn't care.
In hindsight, he should’ve probably known that was a faux-pas.
Black Eyes let out a soft 'oh' of realization at the same time as Katsuki got up to throw his cereal in the trash and make some coffee. Surely, an unappealing breakfast was not worth the oncoming headache he was about to get. It was a good thing that he was developing a sixth sense for bullshit, because soon enough, the dining hall was full of excited and affronted shrieks.
Fan-fucking-tastic. Just how Katsuki planned on starting his day.
So when Soy Sauce and Earjacks took it to grilling Sparky for not telling them that he swinged both ways, Katsuki was busy feeling pissed for other reasons. Like why the two shitheads had even bothered trying to keep it under wraps. Not that Katsuki cared about the thought of them holding hands or whatever the fuck they did with their time now. But if they'd told them sooner, Katsuki wouldn't have had to listen to Black Eyes whining to Kirishima about Middle School Buddies privileges, and the importance of ‘updating each other about big changes in their lives’.
It was too fucking early for this shit.
Glaring holes at the coffee maker, Katsuki willed it to work faster. It didn’t, and Katsuki blamed the sharp pang of annoyance in his gut at the useless piece of metal.
Mood soured, the intake of caffeine didn’t help with his headache at all.
Katsuki would’ve been happy to put that whole deal behind him, but things had a funny way of working out. That is, if by ‘funny’ you meant ‘a pain in Katsuki’s ass’.
As if called out by Katsuki’s inner monologue, Kirishima started fidgeting with his pencil, balancing it on his fingers and ignoring the math problem still waiting to be solved on his neglected textbook. He was decidedly avoiding Katsuki’s glare, and even more decidedly wasting precious time that Katsuki had oh-so-generously devoted to knocking some knowledge into his tick skull. Katsuki could see how that was a lost cause now.
“What’s with you today?” he barked, when it became clear that Kirishima wasn’t gearing up to spit whatever was on his mind.
The pencil fell from its precarious balance on Kirishima’s hands. They trembled slightly, before he hastily put them into his pants pockets. He let himself fall backwards and rest his head against the side of Katsuki’s bed, looking at the ceiling. “‘S nothing. I just can’t concentrate today, ahah.”
Katsuki was definitely unamused. “Yeah?” he pressed. “And why the fuck would that be?”
Kirishima glanced at him and then straightened up, looking embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m wasting your time, aren’t I?”
Katsuki growled in frustration. “Listen, you don’t have to tell me shit, but don’t look at me like a kicked puppy if you’re not going to spill. It’s shitty, alright?”
That had the opposite intended effect of shutting Kirishima up for a few stunned seconds. Katsuki was about to add something else, but then Kirishima’s shoulders slumped in a familiar manner. So it was an insecurity thing. That cowed look didn’t suit him at all.
“Sorry,” Kirishima apologized again in a feeble voice. “I…”
Katsuki wordlessly geared up for a pep talk, but then no more words came. He was about to press again, when Kirishima’s phone loudly buzzed, making them both jump.
Kirishima looked guiltily at it, but didn’t pick it up. He was still wearing that uncertain expression that Katsuki hated with a passion. Whatever the fuck this was about, he just wanted it to be over soon. It was probably some random nonsense anyway.
When the phone buzzed a second and third time and Kirishima still ignored it, Katsuki glanced at it. The sender ID ‘Denki’ flashed back at him. There was a tiny kissy emoji next to it. Katsuki stared at the bright screen until it darkened again.
‘Denki’, uh?
He felt like something had sucker-punched the breath out of him all of a sudden.
Already on a first-name basis, uh?
Kirishima must have noticed something on his face, because he piped up in a small voice, “Does it bother you? Me and and Denki, I mean?”
Fuck. What the everloving fucking fuck-- Why did Katsuki care so much--
Unperturbed by Katsuki’s lack of verbal response, Kirishima went on, “You were the only one who didn’t say anything the other day. So. Uhm. I was wondering if… y’know… you were grossed out or something? We’re both dudes, I know that, but--”
Katsuki mentally kicked his pathetic ass. “It doesn’t fucking bother me,” he lied.
Then he paused, considering. Lying never came easy to him before. Lies were for fake-ass weaklings who couldn’t handle being true to themselves. He’d made it it a point to never get mixed with them, and thus never lied before, not especially for something as stupid as this. But it felt important to do so now, somehow. Friends were supportive of each other or some shit, right?
Hell, Katsuki had no clue.
Kirishima’s hesitation turned into a worried frown like the turn of a switch. His big fucking eyes were in Katsuki’s space before he could blink, clearly sensing that something was off. “Hey, it’s okay if--”
Katsuki felt the sudden impulse to divert his attention. “I’m fucking gay,” he blurted, unprompted. Then his brain caught up with his mouth and he shut the hell up, the tips of his ears going red.
Shit, he hadn’t meant to say that. But Kirishima liked guys too, so Katsuki would smother him with a pillow if he said something about it. He held his gaze proudly in a silent challenge. But Kirishima’s eyes held no judgement. They’d widened almost imperceptibly, more out of surprise than anything else.
“Oh,” he breathed, before realizing their proximity and backing the hell off, going slightly pink in the cheeks. He looked anywhere but at Katsuki.
“Yeah,” Katsuki said lamely. Silence fell again in the room. Wanting an out from the tangible tension, Katsuki grumbled, “So can we go back to those fucking math problems now?”
Next monday rolled around and with it the hero training class. Aizawa had instructed them to team up in groups of three, so naturally Katsuki had gravitated towards his usual idiots of choice. Not because they were any less insufferable than the rest of the class, but because all of their quirks were a good match up. Kaminari’s long range attacks were the perfect cover for his and Kirishima’s medium and close range type of combat styles. Even when he turned into a moron, he still worked well as a decoy. And Kirishima was the perfect shield/spear combo, when he really got into it. Katsuki had personally helped him training his unbreakable form through all of their first and second years; he could hold that form for up to ten minutes now.
They were a fucking slaughterhouse, the three of them together. So naturally, Katsuki was dumbfounded when Kirishima sheepishly accepted Shinsou’s request to team up. He didn’t even look back at his two supposed best friends.
“The fuck?” Katsuki snarled. Their quirks weren’t even remotely compatible.
At his side, Sparky shouted. “Eijirou, wait up!” and started running after them. “Sorry, Kacchan, maybe another time” he threw over his shoulder as an afterthought.
Katsuki stared after them for a second too long. So this was how it was going to be from now on, uh?
Then he mentally scolded himself for being so obvious. What if anyone noticed his disappointment and got any ideas?
Bakugou Katsuki didn't need anyone.
Deciding this was not worth getting worked up over, he turned his back on them, too. That bleeding-heart knucklehead probably felt bad about saying no to Eyebags. He was an idiot like that. He’d probably come back limping to Katsuki later. Whatever. He marched towards Uraraka. “You’re teaming up with me,” he informed her, ignoring her exaggerated expression of surprise.
“Am I now?” she said, and was that a teasing lilt in her voice?
Katsuki only grumbled in reply. “Let’s get this over with.”
Kirishima didn’t come back with his tail between his legs, but Kaminari did. He sat beside Katsuki on the couch as he was lazing around a bit before bed.
“Hey, man, sorry about ditching you this morning.” At Katsuki’s noncommittal grunt, he went on: “By the way, there’s this new burgers place Eijirou and I tried last week, and I was wondering if you… Wait, where are you going?”
“To bed,” was Katsuki’s curt reply. He couldn’t help but notice Sparky dejected and worried face before he the elevator’s doors closed.
Things became even weirder after that. Katsuki hadn’t anticipated what felt like a whole bunch of snakes coiling in his stomach every time he caught Kaminari and Kirishima giving each other a peck on the lips, or stealing food from each other plates, or stuff as ridiculous as that. It didn’t help that Katsuki wouldn’t normally pay attention to trivial details like those; but his eyes seemed to be now drawn to it like a magnet. He was hyperaware of every touch, every lingering look, every brush of hands and passed note in class.
The worst thing about it was realizing that what he was feeling was not jealousy, as he’d expected, but disappointment. Loneliness .
It was fucking bullshit. Katsuki didn’t need them to be constantly at his side. In fact, he’d loathed having them in his hair all the damn time. Before, he’d screamed at Sparky for draping all over him when he played his damn video games, mind elsewhere; but now Sparky was too busy cuddling with his boyfriend to absentmindedly use Katsuki as a pillow. And before, Kirishima spent in Katsuki’s room most of the free time he didn’t dedicate to socializing or being a gym rat. Now, he went out on dates with Kaminari.
Turns out, feeling left out was a lot different than choosing to be the lone wolf.
Katsuki had never asked those two to follow him around everywhere, but he’d gotten used to the weird, crowded dynamics of a group of three. It wasn’t just that they worked well together. He had other gym buddies beside Kirishima, and Kaminari was a limp noodle who couldn’t even lift grocery bags, let alone weights.
It was stupid to miss them, but he did.
Katsuki wasn’t an idiot. He knew what all of that meant. What he didn’t understand was why it made him so weak and pathetic, unable to just act normal and pretend he was fucking peachy. Or murder these goddamn feelings and move the fuck on.
He just wanted an out.
True to Katsuki’s wishes, three months into Kirishima and Kaminari’s relationship, something changed. He was about to go brush his teeth for the night when a knock came to his door. He glanced at the clock. It was well past curfew. “Go to bed, Kirishima,” he called to the wall.
“It’s Kaminari.”
Unperturbed, Katsuki continued, “and I still don’t care. Go to bed, Sparky.” He wasn’t about to get in trouble because Kaminari wanted a fucking sleepover.
“Aw, come on, don’t force me to make a ruckus in the hallway, dude!” came the muffled reply.
“Then fucking leave,” Katsuki said, belligerent.
What now? They avoided him for weeks and now Sparky barged in and pretended to be besties again? No fucking way.
His phone buzzed. Katsuki grabbed and checked the message. It was from Kaminari. He chucked it at his bed and grumbled, “I said piss off!”
He heard Kaminari’s back hit his door and make himself comfortable. His phone buzzed again and again. A vein throbbing, Katsuki picked it back up.
‘Open up’ said the first message. Then,
‘I can do this all night and you know it’
‘Do you wanna wake the entire floor?’
Fuck. Rolling his eyes, Katsuki padded silently to his door and opened it. He reveled in Sparky’s gasp as he fell on Katsuki’s carpet like a moron. “What do you want?”
That somehow led to Kaminari making himself comfortable on Katsuki’s bed instead. Katsuki was only tolerating this because the alternative was getting caught outside their rooms at night. Even though Katsuki wasn’t technically out of his room. Aizawa no longer had any patience left for his misdeeds. Katsuki wanted to punch something.
“I need to tell you something,” said Sparky, as oblivious to Katsuki's murderous intent as he ever was.
“Couldn’t it have waited until morning?”
Sparky looked guiltily at his feet. “That’s exactly it, though. It needed to be now or Eijirou would know."
“Would know what?”
Sparky took a deep breath. “Dude. You have to promise not to explode my face before I can explain, okay?”
Katsuki was already pissed at him, so he couldn’t make any promises. “Just fucking get on with it. I wanna sleep.”
Sparky took a few more seconds to psyche himself up for whatever he was about to say, then he held up his hands placatingly in anticipation. “Look, I know that you’re not happy with me and Eijirou being a couple.”
Katsuki couldn’t help the small pops bursting to life from his palms. “Hah? What gave you that idea?”
But Kaminari paid him no mind, and instead went on. “But that’s not the point… well, it kind of is, but I mean…” He let his hands fall to his knees and looked Katsuki straight in the eyes with an earnest expression. “Eiji and I talked about it and... we both feel like you're our missing piece."
Thrown off by the fact he had no idea where this conversation was going anymore, Katsuki balled his hands into fists, ready for a fight. “Hold the fuck on, what? The hell do you mean, 'missing piece'?"
Kaminari looked as if he’d expected the question. Katsuki had to give him credit for how unprepared he still managed to sound, though. "Shit, like... I know that you two are head over heels for each other, right?"
Katsuki bristled and narrowed his eyes in a silent challenge, but before he could threaten to blow up his last two remaining brain cells, Sparky gave him a flat, unimpressed stare of his own. “Don't give me that look. My grades are lower than yours but I do have eyes, dude! Anyway, I told him that dating you wouldn't be a problem for me... I mean, you and Eiji are my best mates! I can't think of anyone else I'd trust more with this, you know?"
No, Katsuki didn’t know. Katsuki was utterly lost, and he had a feeling that the two of them were no longer on the same page. “What are you on about?”
“Uuh,” Kaminari started, unsure where he’d lost him. “Have you ever heard of polyamory, dude?”
“The fuck,” said Katsuki eloquently. Was he getting this right?
Was Sparky truly suggesting what he thought he was?
No way.
No fucking way… How…?
Did Sparky even think this through before coming here? Knowing him, Katsuki had his doubts. He swallowed, clenching and unclenching his hands. He decidedly ignored the turmoil that had exploded in his stomach at the words. “Does Kirishima know you're telling me any of this?" he said, deceptively calm. Forget the ‘dating’ part. Katsuki was still processing that Kirishima allegedly had a thing for him, too. For both of them. Whatever.
“...No?”
“Why?” Katsuki pressed.
"Well, because he still thinks that you don't like him back, which is total bollocks, as I told him... But the point is, he wouldn't want us to, quote, 'force' anything on you, bro."
Despite himself, Katsuki snorted. “As if you could force me to do anything I don't want to."
Kaminari beamed. "That's what I told him too. But you know how he gets."
Katsuki ruminated on the idea for a couple of seconds. Yeah, that did sound like Kirishima, but Katsuki was still unconvinced. “You’re such a shitty boyfriend,” he remarked instead.
For some reason, Kaminari took offense in that, even though he had no right to. “Am not! That was totally uncalled for!”
“You’re spilling Kirishima’s guts for him. Behind his back, too,” Katsuki pointed out. That much he couldn’t deny. Sparky must have known, because he at least had the decency of looking guilty. Katsuki almost felt bad for him. “Admitting that any of this is true,” he amended after a beat.
“Dude! Do you think I would’ve done it if I wasn’t sure?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time you acted without thinking," Katsuki taunted.
Sparky slumped dejectedly. “Ok, I totally walked into that one. But you're right." A crease formed between his brows and he tormented his hands. "I'm going to talk to Eijirou in the morning. It was shitty enough of me to take the initiative."
“You still haven’t said what’s in it for you.” As much as Katsuki wanted to pretend he didn’t care, he was curious. Why going to such lengths? Even if Katsuki weren't to explode his face, why taking the risk in the first place?
Kaminari only blinked at him, uncomprehending. Katsuki grit his teeth. "I get the 'making Shitty Hair happy' part. But why were you willing to do this?" Why are you willingly risking making Kirishima upset, was what went unsaid. You already have it all.
That much, Katsuki couldn't understand.
The doubt dissipated from Sparky’s face and he suddenly looked exasperated. "Dude."
"What?"
"Dude, I told you. You're our missing piece,” he insisted with a slight frown. He sounded hurt that Katsuki didn't know. “We're a team, okay? It doesn't feel right without you."
Katsuki didn’t get it. Did Sparky fry his brain before coming here, or something? "You're talking about dating, not hanging out, moron."
A bugged-eye expression met Katsuki’s glare. “Yeah, so? then I'd be dating my best bros. Big deal."
Katsuki didn’t like the condescension he could read in his tone, and made sure to let him know by making his palms let off tiny explosions. “You making fun of me, Buzzbrain?”
“No…?” Kaminari said, bemused. "I’m serious. I'd get to keep hanging out with you without it being awkward, plus I'd also be able to smooch you both. Sounds like a win-win situation to me."
Katsuki’s brain functions came to a screeching halt.
What did he just say?
"... You want to smooch me." The snakes were back in his stomach, now of all times. What the fuck.
"Duh,” Kaminari added like it was obvious. “Why would I not want to? You're smoking hot, dude."
As if on cue, smoke came out of Katsuki’s palms and his ears turned pink. "Get out," he wheezed, shoving at Kaminari’s face half-heartedly to put him back in his place. The moron only started laughing, then coughing, not at all scared for his life. The snakes in Katsuki’s stomach started to dance.
"Aww, are you embarrassed, Kacchan?"
That was it. He was done with this fucking conversation. "I said piss off!” he yelled, forgetting for a second that it was still the middle of the night. “I'm not dating you. The both of you!" he added, more subdued, lest Kirishima overhear this stupid conversation. God fucking help him.
But he still would know in the morning, wouldn't he? a voice reminded him.
Fuck.
His palms were sweating a great deal, and Katsuki felt like throwing up at the surplus of information.
If only Sparky hadn't meddled...
"Oh. I guess it was worth a shot," Kaminari said, face falling slightly. Katsuki resented that look in his eyes. But more than that, he hated the mess of conflicting feelings that had his stomach in knots. Bottling those feelings up had had the advantage of not having to look at them too closely, let alone sort them out. But in one way or another, they were coming out.
What would Kirishima think?
Was Sparky even right about this? Katsuki still had his doubts.
What if it all blew up in their faces?
Katsuki wiped his palms on his sweatpants. Fuck this. "Get out of my room. I'm done talking with you."
“Would you at least think about it?" Kaminari pleaded with a pout before obediently getting to his feet.
"What's there to think about?” Katsuki countered, fists once again balled at his sides. “I won't have you give Kirishima permission to pity-date me!"
"Dude, that's not--"
Katsuki rubbed a hand down his face. "Just get out, okay? I need time to myself to think." A hopeful expression immediately showed up on Kaminari's face. Katsuki frowned at it, because there was no way that Sparky was trying to pull his leg about this, not when Katsuki could read him like an open book.
"To... think?"
"Yeah, something you've never done before. You might try it sometimes." He… he needed time to digest this.
"Ugh. Why do you always have to be so difficult, " Kaminari muttered mutinously before Katsuki’s patience finally run out. He manhandled him out of his room. To his credit, Sparky didn’t even protest the ministration. Instead, he straightened out and gave Katsuki one last soft look.
“Thanks for listening, Bakugou. For what it's worth, I really think this could work out."
Not knowing what to say, Katsuki grumbled a farewell and closed the door in Kaminari’s face.
He spent the rest of the night staring at his ceiling, unable to sleep.
Things had a funny way of working out.
The morning light didn’t shine any new clarity in the mess of Katsuki’s thoughts. Nor did it the cold shower he’d had to take, because the more he kept thinking about it, the more he realized it was a risk he was willing to take.
So what if Kirishima laughed in his face? Katsuki could take it. It was better than this fucking samba in his chest every time he locked gazes with him, only for Kirishima to look away, oblivious.
Dread pooling in his stomach, he made his way to class. Because his luck was shit, he run into Kirishima in the hallway.
“Hey, man!” he greeted, falling into step at his side. If he noticed the stiffness in Katsuki’s shoulders, he didn’t say anything about it.
The snakes in Katsuki's stomach were not unexpected at this point, but he still scowled at the feeling.
When class ended, Sparky tapped on Kirishima's shoulder and pulled him aside. Katsuki pretended he didn't know what they were going to talk about.
He didn't wait for either of them before leaving the classroom, but didn't make his way to the dining hall. He wasn't hungry anymore.
Katsuki had expected Kirishima to come knocking on his door, so he wordlessly got up to get it. What he didn't expect was for Kirishima to be wearing an apologetic expression. And, well, for Sparky to be trailing behind him.
He moved aside to let them in.
"So..." Kirishima began, cutting into the thick silence. "Denki told me what you two were up to last night, and I think we need to talk."
Ugh. Fuck talking. Katsuki hated it. Any more fucking 'talking' and his head would explode. Maybe that was how he decided to murder his nerves and bite the damn bullet. Feeling vindictive, he stomped on the metaphorical snakes in his stomach and said: "Fuck that. I like you, and he likes you. So fucking what?"
Kirishima looked taken aback, clearly having expected Katsuki to be a baby and deny it. "Uh..." he murmured, intelligently. Then the words truly sunk in, and he brightened like the fucking sun. “Oh. Denki wasn’t kidding.”
Kaminari groaned and hid his face in this hands. “WHY would I be kidding? Jeez, you two are hopeless!”
Kirishima turned to him. “Well, no offense man, but you thought that Jirou had a thing for you in our first year.”
Kaminari groaned even louder. “Bakugou didn’t know about that! Did you really have to bring it up?” he shrieked, slumping bonelessly against Kirishima’s shoulder in shame. “Is this what betrayal feels like? Not cool, dude, not cool,” he moaned.
Katsuki sneered. “You think I didn’t know.”
“You’re the worst!”
Kirishima patted him consolingly on the back, then slid a hand in his hair to pet it. Kaminari, like the attention whore he was, immediately melted into it, forgetting his distress.
Uh. So he was weak to that. Katsuki hadn’t known.
“So… guys?” Kirishima got their attention back. “I’m glad that we cleared that up, but I’m still upset that you had to do that behind my back.”
Katsuki bristled. “I didn’t fucking do anything--”
“Chill, dude, I’ve already forgiven ya. As long as you promise not to do that again.”
Katsuki bitched and Kaminari apologized profusely, but the argument was cut short when Kirishima’s stomach loudly grumbled. Then they all collectively agreed that talking could wait, but lunch could not. They would be lucky if their classmates had left them anything.
And if they didn’t immediately slap any labels on their relationship, Katsuki was secretly glad. The awareness of his feelings was still new to him, and he had yet to get used to it. Besides, now that the cat was out the bag, they could take things as slow as they wanted. Kirishima had agreed to that much, before Kaminari had loudly proclaimed they’d have a game night that evening.
The word ‘date’ had lingered in Katsuki’s mind for a second, before he wiped it away. This was just hanging out, wasn’t it? He could do hanging out.
So when Kaminari dragged his gaming system to Katsuki’s room and draped himself on Katsuki’s back just like old times, Katsuki breathed in, letting the feeling of belonging wash over him. Kirishima sprawled on Katsuki’s other side, blabbing about some nonsense just like he always did, as Katsuki took the proffered controller from Sparky’s hand. It seemed that things wouldn’t change all that much after all.
Kaminari hit ‘play’. The intro music started playing in the background, accompanying Kirishima’s soft voice.
Katsuki was home. This, was a feeling he could get used to.