Tentacles

Bakugou is not jealous.

He's not.

Who the fuck is that guy anyway. What does he have that Bakugou doesn't? It was Bakugou that Kirishima looked up to, it was Bakugou who he trailed after, it was fucking Bakugou who he was so desperate to be friends with. Not fucking Sun-whatever – Suneater. What a fucking stupid hero name. And like hell Bakugou is going to bother learning is actual name. That would require him asking someone, which would then give that someone the impression he cares – and he absolutely does not care. And fucking Kirishima just calls him senpai with sickeningly sweet heart-eyes, so he's no fucking help.

OK. Maybe his quirk is a little cool. But not cooler than being able to make explosions from your hands. And not even cooler than Kirishima's quirk, that he's so worried is plain and boring which is just fucking bullshit. Bakugou wouldn't waste his time with someone who is weak and useless, so Kirishima should really get it through his thick head by now, that if Bakugou is willing to let him hang around, it's because he's the opposite of weak and useless.

If anything, Bakugou is the one who's fucking weak. Can't even pass the provisional license exam, being put on house arrest, and now he's trailing behind everyone else. Kirishima's off fighting villains and getting praised by pro heroes and his senpai~ while Bakugou is cleaning the toilets in the dorms.

Fucking. Bullshit.

He's not jealous.

That's not what it is. The thing is, Kirishima is friends with everyone. That's just the kind of guy he is, has probably always been. He stands out, with his dumb bright red hair and his even brighter smile, showing off his stupidly sharp teeth and making Bakugou's chest hurt every time he turns that smile on him. So, someone like that – of course they attract people. They make friends easily, everyone wants to be around someone like that, there's no mystery to it.

What Bakugou doesn't quite get, though, is why Kirishima has seemed to take a liking to him. Bakugou is decidedly not friendly, nor bright nor attractive. And from what little he's seen of Kirishima's senpai, he's not like that at all either. Bakugou wasn't there when the Big Three made an appearance in their classroom, but from what he's heard from his classmates, the one who's Kirishima's senpai is embarrassingly shy, awkward, soft spoken, insecure. But you'd never know that from how Kirishima talks about him.

"You should have seen him, Bakugou!" Kirishima says in his usual louder-than-necessary voice, when it's just the two of them in the common area of the dorm. "He grew octopus tentacles from his fingers. It was so cool!"

Bakugou grinds his teeth. Who the fuck cares. That's not cool.

He rolls his eyes. "You're just fucking – easily impressed, that's all." He thinks he keeps his voice neutral, impassive, but Kirishima can be perceptive as hell sometimes, and now seems to be one of those times.

He squints at Bakugou. "Right. Cuz, you know, you can grow tentacles from your fingers?"

Bakugou frowns. "Why the fuck would I want to do that."

"Well-" And Kirishima cuts himself off, his face lighting up in a blush. He averts his gaze, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. Bakugou is immediately suspicious. "No reason, I guess."

"What." Bakugou demands. He knows Kirishima is not telling him something.

"Nothing."

"What." He presses.

Kirishima holds his hands up, palms out, trying to placate him. "It's just uh... well... some people – not, not me – but there's some people out there... who would probably find a use for..." His voice lowers to just above a mumble when he finishes, "Tentacle fingers."

It takes Bakugou longer than he cares to admit before he pieces together what Kirishima is trying to say. And when it hits him, it makes him irrationally angry.

"What the – what does that have to do with anything?" He shouts, gesturing harshly, his own face now warm. "We're talking about hero work here, not – not fucking weird-ass kinks."

Kirishima laughs, a high-pitched, unsettling laugh brimming with nerves. He scratches at the back of his neck, his face still as red as his dumb hair and he shrugs. Just fucking shrugs, like Bakugou can't fucking tell what's going on.

But Bakugou is not an idiot, not by a long shot. He knows what's going through Kirishima's mind. Well, maybe not exactly, but Kirishima just gave enough away. Why would that be the place his mind goes, unless he's already thought of it? Unless...?

Bakugou is not jealous. He's fucking not!

Because if he were fucking jealous of that Suneater bastard, that would mean admitting there's a chance Kirishima and his senpai have...have – dammit! He can't even finish the thought without trembling in fury. And that's stupid, it shouldn't make him so angry. Not just because there's no fucking way in hell Kirishima is doing that with that elf-eared bastard, but because Bakugou doesn't care what the hell he does. Shouldn't care.

But.

He does.

He does fucking care.

He doesn't want Kirishima blushing for his senpai~. He doesn't want Kirishima thinking about him in that kind of way. He doesn't want him singing his praises, he doesn't want him looking at him with stars in his eyes.

Kirishima should look at Bakugou in those ways, and Bakugou doesn't know what to do with that realization.

Bakugou doesn't know what to do, so he just blurts the first thing that comes to mind:

"What, are you and he – are you two -"

Kirishima squeaks at that, and clamps a hand over his mouth. Bakugou thinks he's so embarrassed he's about to cry, but the shaking in Kirishima's shoulders turns out to be from laughter, not tears.

"Dude," He says when he's finally got control of himself, "What? Are you serious?"

Bakugou crosses his arms over his chest, looks away. That's not really an answer. "Well, fucking are you or not?"

"What? Fucking?" Kirishima asks, bursting into laughter again, and doubles over as he clutches at his waist.

It's really not that funny. Kirishima's been hanging around Drooly too much. "Look, you're the one talking about his tentacles like they're the best damn thing ever. Talking like that, anyone would come to the same conclusion."

"Is-" Kirishima wipes a hand over his eyes, catching his breath. "Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Are you jealous, Bakugou?"

Bakugou's cheeks heat up again. He feels the small crackling and popping against his palms from his quirk flaring up against his control. This is ridiculous.

"Because," Kirishima continues, not waiting for an answer, "There's nothing going on between me and – and senpai. It's just – I just think he's really awesome." He holds a hand out again, appeasing. "Not as awesome as you, though. I think," He's rubbing at the back of his neck again, looking down sheepishly, "I think explosions are a way cooler thing to have come out of your hands. Even if you can't use them in bed-"

"Stop," Bakugou barks, placing a hand over his face. He was embarrassed before, but now the second-hand embarrassment is outright killing him. He's being murdered by Kirishima and his lack of mouth filter. He looks up to see Kirishima biting his lower lip, and Bakugou thinks he's just being murdered by his mouth, now.

Tense seconds pass, feeling more like ages. They stare at each other, not really knowing what to say. Finally, Kirishima speaks again, his voice soft and quiet now but no less abashed than before.

"I guess, I can handle your explosions, so – maybe you could use them in bed, with – with me. If you...wanted to."

Bakugou's not sure, but he thinks his jaw dropped somewhere between Kirishima suggesting he use his quirk in bed and use it with him. He snaps it shut with an audible clack, watches Kirishima flinch slightly from the noise.

But he's strangely not angered by what he said. He blinks, registers the nervous churning in his stomach, the tingling sensation down lower – and finds he's not disgusted.

"Huh." He mutters, and stands from the couch and walks away.

He doesn't quite know what to make with that confession.

"B-Bakugou, where are you going?" Kirishima calls, then jogs after him to fall into step beside him as they make their way to the elevator.

Bakugou isn't jealous, because there's no reason to be jealous.

It's not until the next day that Bakugou thinks about it again. It's after classes and he's just about to leave for the training grounds to let off some steam, when he runs into him just outside the dorms.

He's not even entirely sure he's Sun-fuckmuncher, but he can guess from his general aura. He's taller than most of the students in Bakugou's class, himself included, with stupid looking black hair sticking out behind his elfish ears. His shoulders are hunched up next to said dumb ears and his gaze is downcast, mouth scrunched together in an expression that can be nothing other than discomfort. When he notices Bakugou exit, he shuffles slightly on his feet, turning his body away.

Bakugou frowns.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He snarls, then inwardly winces, thinking he should have pretended not to even know who the other student is. But as he watches Suneater flinch at the harsh address, he realizes he won't even have to try hard to intimidate the upperclassman.

His voice quivers when he speaks and he doesn't look at Bakugou, but his words are far more self-assertive than Bakugou is expecting. "Th-that's no way to speak to a third-year, b-brat."

"Heh," Bakugou scoffs, and moves to brush past him and continue on his way to the training grounds, but that fucking spineless bastard talks to him again.

"Kirishima was supposed to meet me outside. Do – do you know where he is?"

Bakugou knows exactly where he is. He's inside his room, getting ready for his internship. So he and his senpai~ are going to the train station together? How cute. Like hell he's gonna acknowledge this loser any more than he has to, though. But before Bakugou can properly render his face into a particularly impressive scowl, Kirishima comes bursting through the doors, panting like he'd been running.

"Sorry for making you wait, senpai!" He shouts, and gives a little bow in front of Sun-licker. The senpai has the nerve to blush at this, and covers his mouth behind a hand and ducks his head so his eyes are obscured by this hair. He looks like a smitten schoolgirl, and Bakugou wants to yell at him, maybe let an explosion off in his face.

Then Kirishima notices Bakugou and smiles at him. Bakugou's chest does that painful squeezing again (ugh, what the fuck is that?), and he turns to leave again but is stopped by Kirishima placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Bakugou! You haven't met Amajiki-senpai yet, have you? Let me introduce you!"

Bakugou shrugs Kirishima's hand off him. "Like I give a shit."

Amajiki – or whatever – physically recoils. "How rude." He mumbles, sounding genuinely hurt by Bakugou's dismissal, which fills him with a sick glee. "Is he really your friend?"

Kirishima blushes, glancing between the two. "Uhh..." He seems almost at a loss for words, but that can't be right, because Kirishima always has something to say, the fucker never shuts up, but...

He looks fucking ashamed, and it's with a nauseating churn in Bakugou's stomach that he realizes Kirishima's ashamed of him.

The look only lasts for a second before he's breaking out into a wide grin, but it's too late, Bakugou already saw it. He knows Kirishima is about to make some stupid excuse for why Bakugou is such a sour person, and he doesn't want that, he doesn't want Kirishima making excuses for him so that he can make a good impression on his senpai~.

So Bakugou does what he does best, and deflects. He puts on his best stolid expression and turns away, saying, "He wishes," just loud enough for them to hear as he walks away.

He can hear Kirishima behind him rambling on, likely trying to do damage control for him, and it makes him grind his teeth so hard he starts to get a headache.

Bakugou manages to get some decent quirk training in that night, but he can't stop thinking about the crestfallen look Kirishima shot him as he left him.

Incessant knocking wakes Bakugou from his slumber. He checks the time on his phone, blinking against the harsh light. 2:28 A.M.

"What the fuck..." He grumbles, and rolls out of his bed to answer the door. He already knows who it is before he even opens it, but he's still somehow shocked by the sight that greets him.

Kirishima is standing there shirtless, his spiked hair falling in pieces over his face, wearing nothing a pair of low-slung shorts. There's a light sheen of sweat on his chest, making the ridges of his muscles and the dips of his abs shine in the moonlight coming in from the window. That damn chest ache is back, but is overshadowed by the fervid heat collecting in his crotch.

What the hell is he doing. He asks as much.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Kirishima asks in a voice an octave too high.

Bakugou glares at him. "No shit, it's the middle of the night." His eyes roam Kirishima's naked torso again, feels himself blush, and snaps his eyes back up. "You just got back from your internship." He says stupidly.

Kirishima nods. "Yeah! Yes. I did. I-I wanted to talk to you about something, but I didn't have time earlier." He's fiddling with his hands, snapping his fingers against his palms in a nervous habit. "Cuz, you know, internship and everything. Is now OK?"

Bakugou wants to yell at him. It's the middle of the fucking night, but he's already awake now so sure, why the fuck not. He steps aside holding the door open, and Kirishima enters and plops himself down on the edge of Bakugou's bed. Bakugou joins him, and waits for him to start speaking.

"So, uh, about – about earlier. I don't know what I did to make you angry, but. But I'm sorry."

Bakugou huffs, rolls his eyes. "Don't apologize when you don't even know what you did, asshole."

"Well," Kirishima sighs, puffing out his cheeks slightly. "Can you... tell me?" He rubs a hand on Bakugou's blanket, avoiding his gaze. "I thought that... we were friends, you know? But you said to Amajiki-"

Bakugou interrupts him. "I don't want to fucking talk about Amajiki-senpai."

Kirishima snaps his mouth shut and the air between them remains tense and uncomfortable. Bakugou doesn't know what to do, what to say, and he's realizing that he seems to feel that way a lot, around Kirishima. He's always been so sure of himself before, he's not used to being at a loss for words, but lately every time he's around the redhead he can't concentrate. His body does weird things, his mouth doesn't move the way he wants it to, he can't even keep his quirk reigned in when Kirishima smiles at him. It's fucking stupid, amateur shit.

"I'm not ashamed of you or anything." Kirishima says quietly, when it becomes apparent Bakugou isn't going to say anything. "I talk about you a lot to, um... well. Him. He said guys like me are like the sun?" Kirishima sounds confused, like he's not sure of the meaning.

Bakugou pinches his brows together. "His hero name is Suneater. He's hitting on you, dumbass."

Kirishima waves the suggestion away. "Uh, no, I don't think that's it. I think it's cuz he's got a friend who's like that too? And he's really like, insecure and he has a lot of confidence issues and stuff and maybe I'm over-thinking it a little but I think he was just trying to figure out why we were friends. And -"

"Shitty Hair," Bakugou interrupts, falling back on the tried-and-true nickname. Kirishima shuts up. "What's your point?"

"Oh." Kirishima takes a deep breath. "I was just trying to say, that spending time with... with him, I think I've come to understand some things about you."

Bakugou's blood is starting to boil. He's not anything like that – that -

Kirishima continues, voice rising passionately. "And I just want you to know that you're my best friend!"

Bakugou feels something warm envelope his hand, and he looks down in shock to see Kirishima is holding it. What the fuck. What. The. Fuck.

"Even if you don't feel the same," Kirishima finishes quietly.

"Why aren't you wearing a damn shirt?" Bakugou asks, sounding way too breathless and aroused, and his face is suddenly on fire, he wants to turn away and hide under the blanket cuz that's not what he meant to say at all.

But Kirishima just laughs. A soft, fond chuckle, and he smiles at Bakugou again, sharp, pointy teeth not looking the least bit menacing in the moonlight though they objectively should. He squeezes Bakugou's hand, and warmth floods his chest, makes him catch his breath.

"Sorry, I didn't think it would bother you." Kirishima whispers, leaning in closer. Bakugou's not sure what's happening, but he feels his heart-rate pick up, beating wildly against his ribcage. It's so loud in his ears, he's almost convinced Kirishima can hear it too, but he doesn't say anything about it. Kirishima just leans in more, leans in until their lips are only a hair's width apart, then closes the distance.

Kirishima's lips are soft, but Bakugou notes with surprising clarity that despite Kirishima's quirk, he's really actually soft all over, and anyone who knows him knows this. When he places his other hand on Kirishima's bare chest, he confirms even his strong, taut muscles somehow feel soft and warm under his calloused hands. Bakugou hums against his lips.

Kirishima pulls away, panting like he's out of breath. He smiles again, looking Bakugou over cheekily.

"I don't – I don't do that with anyone else." He licks his lips, glancing down at Bakugou's mouth. "I don't want to, do that with anyone else."

Bakugou sucks in a shaky breath. He's pretty sure he's shivering a little, but he tells himself it's from the cold. Kirishima is all warm and cozy, and separated like this from him, the cold of the night is starting to seep into his bones. He presses their lips together again, relishing in the warmth that action spreads through his body.

"Yeah? Is that right?" He asks when they part again, and he untangles their hands to bring it up and cup Kirishima's cheek. Kirishima grips his shoulders, tugging them together again.

Bakugou isn't jealous, because there's nothing to be jealous about. Kirishima is his.