#my almost 6000 bookmarks on ao3...

[bittersweetresilience]

sunny's favorite fanfiction

By no means a complete list of what I've read and loved, but these are some of the fics I have found the most memorable, captivating, and influential to me. Mostly oneshots. Mostly dark. Mind the Sunny.

clear blood

Prince_Enby (OMORI, 2,674 words)

Hero took a little too long.

I am pretty sure this fic rewired all of my neurons. I wrote a sequel to it. I wrote multiple sequels to it, though only one published. I think about it all the time. I have absorbed it into my body and my writing. The slow build, the foregone conclusion, the denial, the interspersing of memory, even the summary and author's note Altered™ me. This is my all time favorite fic, and from my all time favorite video game.

在路上

Sweetie_tianyang (Honkai: Star Rail, 221,914 words)

艾利欧的剧本已然走到终点，在死亡如期而至前，刃想最后做一件事情。 (Elio's script has come to a close, but before the arrival of the death he anticipates, Blade wants to do one last thing.)

This is the fic ever. This is the longfic ever. This is the Renjing fic ever. This is the everything to me ever. Every day I think of my favorite Renjing headcanons and plot bunnies and wishes and I realize they sprung from this fic. Holy fucking shit. If I wasn't writing so much I would dedicate all of my time to translating this masterpiece into English. The summary does not do it justice but basically Renjing go on a road trip and slowly fall in love while learning how to live and to be together without hurting each other and to be happy. It's complete at 200,000 words and I normally enjoy shorter fics but I would have read 1,000,000 words of this. I still will. Sweetie_tianyang, please.

Each That We Lose Takes Part of Us

aceofbasedesires (The Untamed, 12,652 words)

“Wake up,” he says to his body, alarm making him itch. There’s no response. He says it louder, and then yells it, trying to drift forward. He can’t move. He’s curled over his own body, staring down at it, without being able to do anything. From inside Burial Mounds, Wei Ying’s mind reaches out to those he’s left behind.

Exquisite sadness indeed. I wrote a sequel to this one as well. I love fics that haunt me. I love fics that make me feel like a ghost. I love unhappy endings. I love this part of the show. I love hurt people hurting people. I love inevitability. I love tragedy.

tarnishing

ruthwrites (Mob Psycho 100, 21,147 words)

Reigen realizes that he never gave the man his name. He knew it, anyway— as well as the slogan for Reigen’s whole business. There must be some sort of reason for it. Maybe they’ve met before. As Reigen walks, he becomes more and more certain— he’s seen the man before.

There is nothing I appreciate more than a well done piece of horror. So insidious, so creeping, so everywhere. Lingering. A work of art and a model for manipulative relationships and gaslighting. The final scene with the rope has a full body grip on me.

The Decline

EzraBlake (John Dies at the End, 5,284 words)

I'd never heard him make a sound like that. It was almost inhuman coming from John – John, who once drank an entire bottle of tabasco sauce and then got it all over the bathroom because he was laughing hysterically while he vomited. John, who fucked up an alternate dimension by aiming an uncontrollably shitting dog like a rocket launcher. John whimpered.

This fic is so intensely, faultlessly in the spirit of the books, which I adore, that it makes me want to blow up my house with grenades.

Cold Water

messageredacted (Homestuck, 6,551 words)

You’re barely finished with your ascension to god tier when they drag you off your quest bed.

Iconic fic forever. I have reread this fic and its remix an unknown number of times over the years. Made for me.

This Time I'm Coming Down

telm_393 (The Good Place, 3,585 words)

Jason makes a lot of decisions he might regret.

I had a really hard time deciding between this and Some Things You Can't Touch. True to the characters in a way that makes me want to bite things and scream.

runner ups

What Real Human Beings Do

nemali (Miraculous Ladybug, 1,029 words)

There are ghosts living inside of you.

I need to consume this fic until it is part of me. I love power & control dearly, but this has replaced it as my favorite Miraculous fic.

Terrycloth Mother

rowdymouse (Mother 2: EarthBound, 4,325 words)

Tony's faced with a hard task: providing Jeff all the love he never got and desperately needs.

This actually spoke to my core. It has a very particular feeling shared by The Arowana. Second person perspective never misses.

like the sheep

zehecatl (Night in the Woods, 1,564 words)

Sometimes, reality mixes in with memories, and so there's Angus, right across the median.

I am pretty sure it's still sad, but it's a tender sort of sad, like Angus loves him so much it's a sad thing osmosed into my entire personality. Dreams. Gore. Bleeding.

special mentions

The Homestuck Epilogues

Andrew Hussie, Cephied_Variable, ctset (Homestuck, 190,398 words)

Ten years after their adventure began, the heroes are enjoying a well-earned retirement on Earth C. But John still has one last choice to make.

Can I count this? I'm counting this. This inspired my love for metafiction and shaped me as a person. Narratives, futility, meaning, characters getting worse. I've never seen a more creative usage of visual elements in fanfiction. I devour experimental media.

[raythehater]

okay good omens season two spoilers ahead. be fucking ware

michael sheen carried this entire season. it's very clear to me that he went over the top with what was given and it's very clear to me that he both understood the character and added something to him which was just. chef's kiss. excellent work michael, your acting almost made me genuinely like the whole season

almost being the key word, i fucking hated the writing? and the plot? everything about this to me felt extremely rushed and pushed and not how it should have been. i kind of mourn what the relationships could have been written as, you know? gabriel and beelzebub could be a great pair used to explore even greater ideas - instead it felt like when a fanfic writer is left with two single characters in the background that they need to push together for the amatonormative blissful ending. and i know this wasn't the case here, but i'm more voicing my feelings than some kind of carefully thought out opinion. the kiss barely had any passion - it had emotion, but nothing of the "i have wanted him for 6000 years" kind. just. eh. the coconuts collided, i guess. i'm ignoring the s2 plot completely, to be honest. s1, in my opinion, ended on a great note of hope, mutual understanding and love, and. just. eh. michael sheen was fucking great, though, the little twirls and giggles and smiles? genius. if this was a fic on ao3, i would have bookmarked it after some hesitation and only for the good flashbacks bits.

[gplusbfics]

Garashir Fanfic Roundup - 3/10/22

It probably sounds as unbelievable to followers of this account as it does to me, but I'm considering resuming doing my G&B (and sometimes other ships) fanfic recs. After doing it for 2-3 years, plus reading a few thousand stories, I got burned out (@tinsnip predicted this) and then on top of that my job duties quadrupled as the result of the pandemic. Ergo, nothing but memes for a couples of years. But let's get on with it -- recs! Green by airandangels date: 2012 | word count: 6000 | G/B slash This is a fairly quick read and follows the story of what happens when Garak suggests to Julian that perhaps they push the envelop a bit when it comes to sex. A detailed negotiation occurs around dom/sub, consent, communications, and the pay-off (about half the fic) includes light bondage and is pretty hot.

A Stubbly Pleasure by Allerleirauh date: 2012 | word count: 3000 | G/B slash It starts with Julian talking too much and proceeds to a surprise barber appointment. Julian gets a shave. A CLOSE shave. My fav line (double-entendre): "The soft brush glides over Julian's stubbly skin and the foam is warm and creamy as it's applied to his cheeks and chin."

Not Quite Boston by bmouse date: 2014 | word count: 1100 | G/B slash Julian has been on Cardassia for almost two months, living with Garak, sharing a bedroom (separate bed) and feeling a bit in limbo. Will the time ever be right?

Bridging the Gap by Eve_Louise (Stregatrek) date: 2016 | word count: 4800 | G/B pre-slash Julian has taken to actually inviting Garak to join him in the holosuites to play spy games. Garak humors him. On this occasion they're in Paris and it seems Julian is a tad distracted, dangerous for a spy.

Dark at the End of the Tunnel by nightbird47 date: 1999 | word count: 4800 | G/B friends The author describes this as "an AU about what wars do to civil rights." It's dark and imagines a different end to the Dominion War and the series. Depicts the effects of psychological torture and how it can be used by those in power. I will add that this was originally written in 1999, probably on Usenet or similar, and then reposted to Fanfiction.net in the early 2000s. Formatting is kinda terrible but I hit X on all the ads and it helped.

Tinker Tailor Gardener Spy by TheoMiller date: 2017 | word count: 3000 | Garak backstory The author's description is apt: "AU where nearly everything is the same, except Garak is just a tailor." And he's still witty and devious. The start of a series.

I Was Made for Sunny Days by tinsnip date: 2013 | word count: 6200 | G/B slash Without question, @tinsnip's post-war Cardassia is the most consistently marvelous. In this tale, Garak is emerging into the light after what feels like years of darkness and realizing that, indeed, he could actually live long enough to enjoy life. Quote: “You know, it’s not going to matter how long I live here. I’m never going to quite understand the Cardassian point of view.”

Notes:

I hope this new format is OK. Originally I tended to do one rec per post and make it detailed with extensive description, my own rating, an excerpt. To make it more likely I'll actually keep posting, I'm keeping things simpler and adding recs in groups as I reread things.

A lot of the stories I'll be posting will be older ones since I'm initially working off a mega spreadsheet I started a few years ago that's basically a fanfic archive . There are soooooo many stories I stilll haven't shared. Of course, I need to reread almost all of them to do a rec, it's been a while, but I'm sure there are many of these that have been lost to the sands of time. I dug deep!

I will also be posting newer stories, either things I've bookmarked over the past couple of years as I've periodically checked in to AO3 or even more current since I'm starting to check more regularly. There are always new writers coming on, old writers coming back, and sometimes stories that were abandoned years ago come back.

Wendy

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Five Fics Friday: Feb. 28/20

Hey all!!! Check out this week’s newest things in my Ao3 History :D

NEW BOOKMARKS THIS WEEK

A Desperate Desire by IneffableToreshi (E, 15,944 w. || Post-Almost Apocalypse, 6000 Years of Pining, First Kiss/Time, Lust Potion/Spell, Anal/Oral Sex, Self Esteem Issues, Praise Kink, Top Aziraphale, Virgin Husbands, Bottom Crowley, Blowjobs, Wings, Idiots in Love, Mild Dub-Con, Fluff and Smut, Angst, Aggressive Aziraphale, Happy Ending) – Since the world didn't end Aziraphale has been hoping for things to move to the next level with Crowley. But every time he tries to get close, the demon seems to shy away. Aziraphale begins to think that maybe Crowley just isn't attracted to him that way. He decides, against his friend Anathema's advice, to try witchcraft as a way of making himself more confident, attractive, and desirable. It, of course, goes wrong, because the angel misses the footnote that warns him not to mix magic and alcohol. Part 3 of Accidental Confessions

Thermocline by J_Baillier (M, 83,557 w., 14 Ch. || Scuba Diving AU || Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Marine Archaeology, Asexual Sherlock, Horny John, Relationship Drama, Technical/Scuba/Wreck Diving, Slow Burn, Underwater /  Medical Peril, Doctor John, Hurt Sherlock, Anxious Sherlock, John POV, Protective John, Body Appreciation) – John "Five Oceans" Watson — technical dive instructor, dive accident analyst and weapon of mass seduction — meets recluse professor of maritime archaeology Holmes. As they head out to a remote archipelago off the coast of Guatemala to study and film its shipwrecks for a documentary, will sparks fly or fizzle out?

NEW MFL’s THIS WEEK

The Road Trip Series by stupid_drawings (G, 15,885 w. across 5 works || Friendship, Humour) – Sherlock, John, and Lestrade on a road trip together, stuck in the same car for hours. The numbers are how long they have been on the road.

Smile Like A Paper Cut by J_Baillier (M, 37,715 w., 18 Ch. || Serial Killer AU || Angst, Dev. Rel., Grieving John, Injured Sherlock, Psychopathy/Sociopathy, Addiction, Sherlock’s Past, Drama, Case Fic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Slight Dark Fic, Forensic Science/Criminology) – Many serial killers are capable of leading outwardly normal lives, hiding in plain sight as husbands, wives, scout leaders, doctors, policemen, soldiers and employers. What if Sherlock is one of them? And what if John discovers his secret?

The Last Place You'd Look by theorclair (M, 138,278 w., 50 Ch. || Case Fic, Sherlock’s Past, Abuse, Angst) – An abuse case turns into an investigation where Sherlock, John, and all of Scotland Yard will learn stunning things about Sherlock's past and will change the relationship between him and John forever. 

[hellolittleogre]

AO3 tag meme

Tagged by the lovely @lazaefair

Fandoms: Mag7 (2016), IT (1990), Pacific Rim, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (TV-show), Burnt, Guardians of the Galaxy, Sherlock (BBC)

Number of fics: 16

Fic I spent the most time on: I think Babel Fish (Pacific Rim) I think I started it in the heyday of Pacific Rim fandom in 2012 or 13, and it was published in 2017.

Fic I spent the least time on: Possibly Cupid is No Longer an Archer, which I wrote in a possessed haze on my phone in my 20 minute lunch breaks and on my commute (apologies to anyone reading the screen over my shoulder), which was started at the end of February and published in April (thats the power of antidepressants for you).

Longest fic: The Once and Future King in Burnt fandom clocks in at 16849 words, I remember looking at it and thinking that 6000 words longer than my actual academic degree, which up to that point had been the longest thing I’ve ever written and I didn’t even know how it had happened.

Shortest fic: First fic I ever wrote just when I got my AO3 invite, Care (BBC Sherlock*) is 1538 words. I might have shorter fic floating around on tumblr but I can't remember. I have an incredible problem keeping things short. 

(*Don’t judge me, we have all been there!)

Most hits: Five times Eddie and Richie Kissed, which makes sense as that is the biggest fandom, although I have to say I’m surprised that people even find it, as it is in the much smaller and less glamorous fandom of  the IT 1990- tv show, and there is such a huge amount of Eddie/Richie fics now that I rarely make it past the first page of the tag. 

Most kudos: Promise you the Stars and the Moon too (Guardians of the Galaxy), again its in the largest fandom so makes sense.  Its not very good though? I wrote it high as a kite on stress and sleep deprivation out of angry spite over that the Guardians of the Galaxy fandom, in spite of being a very silly film, was such a serious and angsty fandom (ugh, do not try to make me care about Peter Quill’s emotions.)

Most comment thread: Dangers of Bedtime Reading (Mag 7), its the one with most chapters in a very chatty fandom so that scans.

Most bookmarks: Promise you the Stars and the Moon to, tightly followed by the Once and Future King.

Total word count: 124824, but its sort of a spiders George situation because I wrote more than half of that in 2019 possessed by the Magnificent Seven fandom demon, and I’m not likely to ever do that feat again.

Favorite fic: I tend to be in love with every fic I finish, just because I’ve managed to finish it? But I’m very proud of With a Smile and a Song, because the @squarebosk art is so amazing, and I love the silliness of In Vino Veritas, its also my first Mag7 fic and sort of the one that loosened the floodgate.

Fic I most want to expand on/rewrite: UUUUUghhh I want to finish My Virtues Uncounted, because it deserves to be completed, also I hate having it out there just hanging. I think I would, if i had to go back to something rewrite What Dreams May Come, because I didn't get the premise right and its pretty much a nothingburger of a fic.

Share a bit of a wip/story idea you’re working on: Goodnight breaks his arm and he and Billy has to lay low in a bordello, and in order to keep Billy from an unwise liaison Goody tells the proprietress that they are “particular friends” and Billy just walks around and wonders why his charms are so unappreciated. I got too bogged down in the details and now it's languishing in a WiP folder hell.

There’s velvet everywhere and heavy gold framed paintings on the walls and there is honest to God a lady plucking a goddamn harp in the corner, the notes as tinkling and clear as the glimmering beads on the chandelier above their heads. It makes Billy want to hide his hands behind his back in case they got dirty during the train journey. He balls them into fists instead, held stiffly by his side as if he was squaring up for a fight.

“Bonne Nuit!” a lady shouts from the other end of the room and Goody is suddenly enveloped in another female embrace. And why is everyone but Billy speaking French?

“Oh petit pauvre, oh, just look at the state of you,” she says, in English, hanging on his arm. “You didn’t get into a fight, did you sugar?” 

The woman is exceptionally beautiful, and well made up. She is heavily corseted in a pink striped skirt, straight at the front and gathered in folds and folds at her back and a tight bodice leaving her shoulders and arms bare. Billy has never seen such a dress, it’s like she is dressed in the entire curtain from the variety theaters Goodnight favours, yet still short enough that it ends well above her neat and gleaming boot tops. Her arms are almost glowing in the golden candle light with the velvet softness of peaches and Billy is not entirely sure where to look.

“Only with a hill,” Goody says and winks. “I’m afraid the hill won.” He seems entirely comfortable with this and Billy feels for a moment irrationally angry with him for being so at home here, in spite of the fact that he right now looks like 40 miles of rough road.

“You’ll have to tell me all about it when you’re better, honey,” she says in the same rich drawl as Goodnight, and leads them towards another door and into a dim stairway. As the door closes she loses some of her effusive manners but her smile becomes more real. She let go of Goody’s arm and immediately took some of the bags from Billy, without any hesitation or difficulty. 

“Billy, I’d like you to meet the proprietress of this fine establishment, Mrs Norah Dumont, and Norah, this is my associate and good friend Billy Rocks.”

Mrs Dumont’s handshake is firm like a farrier’s and she has clear blue eyes that sought Billy’s and held them, with frank appraisal. He can see now that she is not so young as he first surmised with faint lines around her eyes and mouth but she still exudes a youthful energy.

Tagging: @fontainebleau22, @poemsingreenink @northstarfan and anyone else who wants to have a go

[starculler]

Not sure if you do these but... any fic recs??? At all? Licherally any fandom please my crops are dying

I’m always happy to pass on some of my fav fics. You can look through my bookmarks, if you want, for a full list of finished fics I like, or take a look through my fanfiction tag here for fics i find on Tumblr.

Below the cut are some of my current favorites (3 finished long-fic and 3 that are still ongoing). I hope you can find something you’ll enjoy!

((all summaries are copy/pasted straight from ao3))

Finished (50,000+ words):

Looking Glass by RandomFlyer -- Naruto (not my usual cup of tea fandom wise but this one hooked me)

"The village is being attacked," Sarutobi said against his better judgment. He was taking too long as it was, too long away from the front lines. "You are one of the goals of this attack, Naruto, so I'm going to send you somewhere I believe you will be safe."

Liminal Space by Calamityjim -- Young Justice (cartoon) and Batman comics

Bruce's habit of collecting strays is not limited by dimension.

Or

When Young Justice Batman comes across an angsty, seemingly abandoned by his Batman Tim Drake, he decides to step up to the plate and parent the crap out of him.

A deadman’s gun by NohaIjiachi -- BNHA/MHA

“I—“ Izuku hesitated, gaping wordlessly, before admitting softly. “I don’t know. I just don’t want to go home. There’s nothing for me, there.”

“So you filled this hole by playing detective— And how long is that going to last, I wonder?” Stain replied, still massaging his chin. “But you— You have potential.”

Izuku blinked at Stain’s chest, before looking up. “Excuse me?”

“What a waste would it be, to let you become a red splatter on the sidewalk.” Stain continued, almost contemplating. “No. No, kid, what you need is a new purpose. Your old one is gone? Well, time to get off your ass and find something else—“

Ongoing:

Haunted Halls by sirina77 -- Danny Phantom and BNHA/MHA (because I can’t resist a good crossover)

A chase through the Ghost Zone goes awry and Danny is launched through a portal and winds up in another country within a completely different reality. Unable to get back home, Danny has to trust these strangers and make new friends if he wants any hope of seeing his family again. While most of the people here seem understanding and friendly, he'll soon learn that the villains of this world are not to be underestimated.

Fractures by good_evening -- ATLA (I would die for this version of Zuko)

Zuko realizes his destiny much earlier. As in, as soon as he wakes up in the palace after his Agni Kai and is told he is banished. Unfortunately, he's never been a patient one. So he storms right up to Ozai and tells him what he's going to do. And gets locked up for over three years. Then, one day, he's being pulled out and told he's the new Fire Lord.

Pyrophytic by SiryyGray -- Young Justice (cartoon) (this one just started in march so it’s roughly 5 or 6000 words long but I’m enjoying it immensely)

A night undercover at Haly's Circus goes up in flames.Literally.Robin watches as his childhood withers into ash, but refuses to let a big top steal anything else from him. Or anyone else.

[queendearings]

Is there any fucking way to sort my ao3 bookmarks by word count?? Like I’m talking about fics by other people that I have bookmarked

I’ve bookmarked almost a hundred omgcp fics of varying word counts, and I’m looking to reread a few SHORT ones like the ones under or around 5k, and I’m losing my goddamned mind because I can separate the 91 omgcp fics from the other ~150 or so bookmarked fics but I can’t narrow down those 91 by word count

I’ve tried using the “sort:words” and “words:<6000” search terms in the “search within results” box which usually works on the regular archive search/filters but for bookmarks it isn’t working

Is this just a thing ao3 can’t do yet bc I can respect that I know those folks work their tails off for us, I just need to know if I should give up for now or if there’s a solution and I can’t find it

[moonlights0nata]

Through rose colored lenses [Bakukami]

I have no idea how it happened but now I’m heavily invested in this ship. It sneaked up on me and I had to write something for them askdjas And of course this is super mushy and fluffy because I cannot contain myself.

Anyways! Here it is ! This 6000+ mess !

Also on AO3 !!

Kaminari wears reading glasses.

It’s such an insignificant, casual fact, but Bakugou only finds out about it when he knocks on Kaminari’s door and he opens up, blinking behind a pair of yellow rimmed lenses. Bakugou is momentarily distracted by this and he can’t help but stare because Kaminari looks stupidly cute wearing them and Bakugou’s heart does the tiniest leap thanks to this fact.

“Bakugou--” Kaminari speaks up, already a small, expectant smile curling up on lips, as he leans against the door frame. “Hey!” He arches an eyebrow in question. “Whatcha doing here? Thought you were hanging out with Kiri.”

“ Was .” Bakugou drawls. “Idiot forgot he’d made plans with Deku and his group.”

Kaminari crosses his arms, tilting his head to gesture Bakugou in the room. “Aw, you could have gone with them.”

“No fucking thanks .” He shoulders past Kaminari into the room, hands stuffed in his pockets. “Don’t want to go out with that noisy bunch.”

Kaminari chuckles, shutting the door and catching up with Bakugou, nudging his side playfully with a wink. “You say that like you are so quiet, babe .”

“Who’s your babe --” Bakugou shoves him with a huff and a scowl before unceremoniously plopping down on Kaminari’s bed. He grunts in discomfort when his back meets something solid and he rummages under him to pull out a book. He blinks at it, turning it around to look at the cover.

“... Poetry ?”

“Ah, yeah.” Kaminari settles down next to Bakugou on the bed. “I was reading a bit.” He unconsciously fixes his glasses and Bakugou blatantly staring again. Kaminari seems to notice and fiddles with them again, bashful. “I-I just need these for reading so I don’t bring them to class.” He meets Bakugou’s eyes and goes for a confident smirk as he tilts the glasses forward a little. “Since you’re staring so much I take you like them?~”

Bakugou ignores the heat in his cheeks, averting his gaze and propping the book open on a random page to distract himself. “You just look different with them, it’s not that big a deal.”

“Aw, come on~” Kaminari props his chin on Bakugou’s shoulder, peering up at him. “Different good or different bad?” He nudges Bakugou’s cheek with the top of his head when he doesn’t answer, whining. “Bakugooooooooou-- Kacchaaaaan ---”

“Different diferent , quit your whining.” Bakugou shrugs his shoulder to get Kaminari off him, leaning back against the headboard of the bed, shutting the book and tossing it to him. Kaminari flails to catch it before pouting, leaning next to Bakugou and propping it open where he’d left a bookmark.

“You’re no fun.”

Bakugou snorts, crossing his arms behind his head and shutting his eyes for a moment. “ Live with it. ”

After that, It’s quiet for a few beats, save for passing of a page or, Bakugou finally notices, music playing faintly from Kaminari’s phone charging on the nightstand. Instead of the loud upbeat music that he usually has on, this one is mellow, atmospheric. It speaks truth with how far and wide his tastes go.

Bakugou opens his eyes and his gaze trails back to Kaminari, whose eyes are focused on the pages, one hand fiddling with the corner of the next. Bakugou might be loud and explosive, but even he has quiet moments of pause like this, where he stops to look at the details, particularly when it comes to Kaminari these days. The way his hair falls on his face, not bothering to fix it, or his glasses sliding down his nose, or the slight part of his lips, jaw and shoulders relaxed as he reads.

It’s hard to rewind and find the one thing that caught Bakugou’s attention first about Kaminari, because now he gets drawn in whenever he looks at him. Much like Kirishima, Kaminari found a way into his daily routine, a seat at their usual lunch table, a spot at his side when they walk back to the dorms, took a very present place in his mind, at the corner of his eye, in his heart. It’s cheesy to just think about it and his pulse quickens, Bakugou cursing these stupid, mushy feelings that he caught for the electric boy next to him.

It’s so much like being a dumb teenager boy in lov e, something Bakugou had never in his whole life thought he’d come close to. Because there were supposed to be more important things than crushes and dating, specially in their situation, trying to become heroes while watching their backs every turn for the next villain plot. But his feelings had chosen to betray him.

It’d been much like a lightning bolt, the realization that Bakugou’s in love with Kaminari striking him down all of a sudden. Or perhaps it had been more gradual than that, without him noticing; one moment Bakugou was thinking Kaminari looked like a fool, having choked on his own milkshake at a joke Sero made, spilling it all over himself and making a mess, and the next he was thinking the sound of his embarrassed laugh and his toothy grin were extremely nice.

And that was the catalyst, with just the thundering of his heart against his rib cage as warning, echoing in his head,  letting him know that he was already in too deep to swim back up.

Bakugou and love-- feelings in general--had never seen eye to eye. He didn’t know what to do with this feeling,  squishing and twisting it in his hands to try and take it apart so he could analyse it and give it reason, to know what to do with it, but it had proven to be futile. It slipped away from his grasp and his control, making his palms sweatier than usual and for the room to feel a little too warm whenever Kaminari’s loud laugh reached his ears or, worse, when that blinding smile was directed his way, even if it was just because he was trying to show Bakugou some silly picture in his phone.

He wasn’t planning on acting on it. No, rather, he didn’t know how he would act on it. Dating had been the last thing on his mind when he entered U.A, and in his life in general he had never given it serious thought.

He thought he was doing a good job at camouflaging it with his usual explosive temperament but Kirishima somehow noticed. He always noticed.

“You’re not subtle, dude.” He had said, cheek propped up in his hand and grinning. “It’s sooo obvious, I dunno how Kami hasn’t noticed yet.” Said person was talking about some comic with Ashido on the other side of the classroom, his voice excited and clear. Bakugou had to fight the urge to look his way.

“ Shut your fucking mouth. ” Had been Bakugou’s smart reply to Kirishima, scowling and fighting off a wave of embarrassment. “He’s a dumbass of course he’s not noticed I--I’m in--” Kirishia smiled wider and Bakugou slammed a fist on the desk, palms warming up. “Wipe that disgusting grin off your face!!!!”

“You what?~” Kirishima batted his eyelashes at him, speaking in a sing song voice, the face of innocence.

Bakugou was already fuming, palms cracking with tiny explosions as he stood up. “I’m going to blow your face off, that’s what!! Shut it !!”

Kirishima laughed out loud, not taking him seriously. “Sorry, sorry, don’t get embarrassed !”

“I ain’t embarrassed !! You’re being a little shit !”

“Whatcha guys yelling about here?” Kaminari chose that exact moment to drop by, looking amused. “I can hear your voice all the way from over there.”

“Ask Bakugou.” Kirishima shot him a look, which prompted Kaminari to arch an eyebrow at him, smiling lopsidedly.

“None of your business!” He barked, dropping back on his seat and crossing his arms. “Everyone could hear you talking, you don’t get to complain.”

“I’m not complaining.” Kaminari shrugged, sliding a seat his way and plopping down on it. He smiled. “I’m used to it by now...It’s like your charm point?”

“Which?” Kirishima prodded. “His yelling or his voice?”

“Mmmm….” Kaminari cupped his chin in thought, looking up at the ceiling. “Now that you ask, his voice is more of a charm point. His yelling is just...so like Bakugou!”

“So…” Bakugou did not like what Kirishima’s face was doing as he slid closer to Kaminari, grin almost cat like. “You like Bakugou’s voice?”

Kaminari didn’t even stop to think why he’d been asked, he looked like he was really thinking about it. “I mean it is a little too much for my ears when he’s yelling, but…” And here he looked Bakugou in the eye, making his heart catch in his throat. “You do have a nice voice, when you are talking normally. It’s like--kinda raspy, in a nice way? Deep, too. I like it.” He snickered. “Bet girls would find that super sexy , man!”

Bakugou was too busy combusting from the inside out to form a coherent reply. Kirishima took full chance of that.

“I think you broke him bro.”

“Oh damn--Bakugou you alive in there?” Kaminari leaned forward, tilting his head. There was clear mirth in his eyes. “Didn’t know all it took to shut you up was a compliment --”

That finally got a reaction out of him, face flaming much like his hands. “Oh I’ll shut YOU up!!!”

Somehow that one moment was all the queue Kaminari had needed to find excuses to shoot casual compliments his way. Kirishima had a shit eating grin whenever he was around to witness it because he could see the exact moment Bakugou’s brain collapsed and embarrassment took reign.

He hated it because Kaminari was clearly only teasing him and unaware of why it affected Bakugou so much. It was stupid and ridiculous and made his insides twist and flutter. But at other, rarer times, it seemed like Kaminari was genuinely complimenting him.

“Seriously, though.” Kaminari had been saying once, lying on the couches of the common room upside down, legs hooked on the back of it and letting his head dangle off the edge of the seat. His phone lay on the table, forgotten. “I think you are pretty amazing, Bakugou.”

“ Duh .” Bakugou had been fiddling with a rubix cube, brow pinched in focus. “I know that already.”

Kaminari chuckled, fingers drumming in his belly. “Yeah, I know you do but...I’m not talking about your quirk.” At this Bakugou’s movements slowed down, listening. “I mean, your quirk is strong but that means nothing if you can’t control it. Take me, for example.” He fiddled with a little electricity between his thumb and forefinger’s pads, watching it. “My quirk is pretty strong. But I go stupid whenever I use it too much and I can’t really control which way I direct it unless I use support items...And I panic so much during fights I don’t really think through what to do.”

He looked back up at the ceiling, hand falling down. “But you manage to keep calm during a fight and come up with a strategy in the middle of it. Even when you are going head first into the danger.” He tilted his head towards Bakugou.

“...I’ll admit back when I first met you I didn’t know why a guy like you would want to be a hero.” Bakugou tensed at this, face already scrunching up to retort, but Kaminari kept going. “Now, though.. I realize you fit right in.” He grinned, something soft about his gaze. “People can talk shit all they want but you are one of the most dedicated and determined people to be a Hero out there. I like that about you.”

Whatever comeback he’d had ready died in his mouth, blinking down at Kaminari in a daze.

“Oh.” He really didn’t know what to say, the words ‘I like that about you’ echoing in his head. His neck was starting to feel a little too hot and he cursed these inconvenient feelings for it. But for once the compliment Kaminari threw his way felt genuine, and it was making his insides feel warm in a different way. “...Thanks.” He settled for in the end, in a low grumble, making Kaminari laugh while he reached backwards for his phone.

“Don’t mention it man.” He messed with the touch screen for a moment, still smiling. “I just said what was on my mind. Taking a page off Tsuyu’s book.”

There’s a pause, Bakugou trying and failing to get back to his cube before he groaned, letting it dangle loosely off his hands.

“Then I’ll just say what’s on mine .” At that Kaminari looked up, meeting Bakugou’s scowl. “You give yourself too little credit.” His eyes went wide but Bakugou went on. “Don’t give me that incredulous look. You are so focused on others you forget what you are already fucking good at. Using support items to use your quirk more effectively isn’t a weakness . You are obviously a team player and work better when others are involved. You are just shitty at working on your own because you forget you have a brain in there to think .”  

“Wow, you’re so sweet.”

“ Shut up , my point is--” He’s glaring, even when he’s clearly trying to pay the other a compliment. “You--are plenty fucking cool .” Kaminari’s eyes seem like they are going to bulge out of his head, mouth agape,and Bakugou couldn’t stand looking at him, shoving his hand on the other’s face and making him let out a startled noise. “You know what you have to work on already so instead of comparing yourself go do that, dumbass!”

Kaminari pushed at Bakugou’s hand to get it off his face and after a moment Bakugou removed it, Kaminari taking a big gulp of air and beaming up at him. “I can’t believe you just paid me a compliment--!”

“Don’t get used to it.”

“You think I’m coooool---”

Bakugou groaned. Why had he even spoken up? Kaminari was going to hold this over his head all day.

But, well...maybe it was worth it, given how genuinely happy he looked about it.

It caught Bakugou off guard each time, how comfortable he found himself in Kaminari’s presence. Even with the flame in his chest constantly present, feeling like it’d consume and burn him, it was easy being around Kaminari. The hard part was swallowing down the feelings bubbling up every time, still a tangled mess, still something Bakugou didn’t know how to act on.

“You’re scared.” Kirishima, the ever voice of reason, commented casually while they were doing homework, eyes fixed on his homework.

Bakugou’s hands curled into fists over his own work. “What kind of shit are you talking out of your ass?! I’m not--”

“Isn’t that why you haven’t done anything yet?” Kirishima finally looked up to him, pointing a pencil his way, making Bakugou flinch. “You’re a straightforward guy. You could have gone up front and said it so many times but you haven’t.” His smile turned understanding. “And hey, it’s alright. Confessing to your crush is scary stuff. You never know how things are going to change.”

Bakugou was fuming, teeth gritting and fists curling and uncurling, choosing an innocent page filed with formulas to fiddle with between his hands. He hunched his shoulders, face pinched as he looked down. He didn’t want to admit that maybe Kirishima was right, on some level. Because blurting out his feelings would make things complicated and maybe, just maybe , he was afraid of things changing.

Nowadays unpredictable things were the norm for them all, never knowing if tomorrow would bring another villain assault. Before, his only constant had been the praise of people, the knowledge that he was strong, the expectations on his shoulders. So much of that had crumbled or changed by now; his world had shifted so much ever since walking into U.A, and now having this one new constant in his life, something like friendship , it was too good to let go off.

Sensing his inner turmoil by how he was crushing the poor page, Kirishima sighed. “Look, I’m just saying, you never know until you take that leap. Kaminari’s not the kind of guy who’d stop hanging out with you because of that.” He patted his chest confidently with a fist. “A true man confesses his feelings even when it’s scary !!! That’s what I believe !!” He grinned. “And I believe in you .”

After a moment Bakugou sighed deeply, letting go off the page he’d crushed beyond recognition. “Save me the pep talk, Kirishima.” He scowled up at him, but there was no bite behind it. One corned of his mouth was even curled up, like he was fighting to smile back. “I ain’t scared , just you fucking wait.”

He wondered why it was so much easier dealing with villain attacks or the crazy challenges U.A would throw at them sometimes than doing something as simple as telling your crush you liked them. Curse being a teenager in love.

But even if the fear was present, perhaps taking that leap was more important; when everything felt like it could change any minute, maybe it was best to use the chances given to him, to have a silly sense of normalcy by letting Kaminari know how he felt.

Which brings him back to the present time, Kaminari waving a hand in front of his face, close to swatting him.

“Uh, Bakugou? You okay? You look like you’ve been spacing out.”

Bakugou catches the hand, lowering it away from his face. “I’m fine.”

Kaminari looks unconvinced but shrugs, turning back to what he was reading. “And here I thought you got distracted by my handsome face.”

Bakugou huffs but Kaminari isn’t exactly wrong. He crosses his arms, tilting his head to peek at what Kaminari is reading. Noticing, Kaminari shifts a little closer, shoulders bumping together and putting the book in the middle. The initial touch of their shoulders almost makes him flinch but he eases into it, subtly pressing closer.

“You like poetry too, Bakugou?”

“Not really.” He has never been drawn to it, preferring more direct and action packed reading rather than poetry’s usual flowery and metaphorical language. Somehow it doesn’t surprise him Kaminari enjoys it, though. It’s just like him. “‘m not a sappy romantic like you.”

“Figures.” Kaminari chuckles, idly passing to the next page. His eyes skim the words before he parts his lips to speak again, voice mellow as he recites.

  “...His very being is like a bonfire lighting up the night

burning brightly and brashly.

He is like a scarlet rose in the middle of a the garden

blooming beautifully, but cautiously.

He is everything you long for,

he is everything you cannot touch;

for the mere grace of his skin would hurt you,

for the smallest brush of his lips would burn you.

But for him, oh, for him,

you would gladly ache and burn.”

  Bakugou did not imagine the way Kaminari leaned more against him as he talked, or the way his eyes shifted to look at him as he spoke the last words. His heart is hammering in his chest and there’s a familiar warmth at the back of his neck and ears, hand curling tightly on his pant leg.

He doesn’t see a reason why he should be so flustered over some cheesy little poem Kaminari choose to read out loud, but it’s impossible not to when it felt like he was dedicating it to him with the way he looked almost expectantly up at him. The space between them is nonexistent by now, arms pressed flush together. If he bends down the few centimeters that separate them, he could even--

“What do you think?” Kaminari’s question makes him blink, sitting up straighter. His brow scrunches up, letting out a puff of air.

“I’m going to barf from how fucking corny it is.” But he can’t deny that hearing the way Kaminari’s voice lowered and softened as he recited it was nice, words flowing naturally out of his mouth.

Kaminari traces the words with his fingers and looking closely, there’s a hint of pink on his cheeks. “It...makes me think of you, actually.”

It takes a moment for it to sink in. And then Bakugou freezes, palms becoming sweaty.

How is he supposed to take that?

Does this mean Kaminari had been reading it for him after all? He doesn’t get wonder much longer because Kaminari keeps talking after one look at the utter bewilderment in his face.

“It’s like--It fits you? It’s a metaphor, obviously, but well. You do make me think of a bonfire, the way the fire crackles and it brightens up a night...The way people gather around you. It’s hard not to be a little drawn in by you, even when you can be a bit of a loner.” He chuckles. “Or when you get all prickly. A rose is beautiful and eye catching but it is cautious with people who come near it.”  He’d been speaking calmly, keeping his cool, but he is starting to seem flustered now, not realizing Bakugou is about to catch on fire where he’s sitting with every word.

“And the rest--Well, um.” He throws a bashful look Bakugou’s way before he averts his gaze. It’s quiet, awkwardly so for a few beats before Bakugou swallows, deciding to act. Because damn it, Kaminari can’t be sitting here spewing poetry at him and not know what he’s doing to him.

“What about the rest.” He somehow manages to keep his voice even, low, and it makes Kaminari look up, eyes wide. Bakugou swallows the lump in his throat, knowing he shouldn’t get hopeful but he’s not so blind to see there’s something in the air around them, something Kaminari left out, and the way his cheeks heat up is enough proof.

Ever so subtly, they had moved closer again. He wonders if this close, Kaminari can hear the rush of his blood, loud in his own ears.

“...He is everything you long for…” Kaminari recites again, quietly, looking him up and down, before mustering up a sheepish smile. “I...Would you consider that a love confession?”

There’s a pause.

Bakugou groans , running a hand over his face in exasperation, knowing it is flushed red by now. A love confession . “Are. Are you fucking really --”

“Listen listen, okay--” Kaminari flails with his hands, laughing in embarrassment and perhaps a hint of panic. “I didn’t think it through ! I saw the poem, thought of you and It just--happened ! It’s out, okay I--” He settles down a little, smiling up at Bakugou. “I...really like you .” He only manages to maintain eye contact for two seconds before his face reddens and he covers it with both hands under his glasses, whining and flopping on his pillow.

“Shit. I said it.”

Bakugou is still in a bit of a daze that his big, silly crush just confessed to him, and what’s more, he did so in one of the sappiest ways possibles.

But more importantly .

“I can’t believe you beat me to it and with a fucking sappy poem of all things.”

It takes a second for Kaminari to react and then his hands fly away from his face, crooking his glasses, and looking up at him with hope, eyes shining.

“You--” He scrambles to sit up again, suddenly getting all up in Bakugou’s face and unable to form a sentence. “What do you--I beat you to---”

Bakugou grips his arms and and puts some distance between them, frowning. “Exactly what you heard or are you deaf ?!” He huffs, shutting his eyes and taking a moment to breathe deeply and count to ten, trying to calm the fireworks in his belly. When he opens his eyes again, Kaminari has an expectant soft look and Bakugou sighs, hold loosening on Kaminari, letting the words finally slip free, even if his own voice sounds too quiet to be his, even if the words taste foreign yet sweet in his mouth.

“I...like you too.”

It takes a moment before Kaminari’s face is splitting in a grin. “Oh my god. You like meeeeeee---”

Bakugou grimaces. He should have known. “Don’t be insufferable about this---”

“You liiiike me~” Even when he’s chiming teasingly, he looks terribly happy and Bakugou’s heart is practically doing somersaults in his chest.

“Yeah and you like me , smart ass, congratulations!”

“I do!” Kaminari beams, startling Bakugou when his hands grab his, giving them a squeeze.“...I do.” He repeats, more quietly, eyes glinting with affection. Bakugou is drawn in by that look, frown relaxing. He wonders what kind of face he’s making, if Kaminari can see the fondness he holds for him in his eyes too.

He sighs heavily, slumping forward and resting his head against Kaminari’s shoulder, closing his eyes. He needs a moment. He lightly squeezes Kaminari’s hands back, delighting at the contact, even though his palms--or perhaps both of them--are a little sweaty.

“Hey…” Kaminari speaks hushedly after a few beats and Bakugou grunts in acknowledgement. “Be honest with me here, wasn’t the poem super romantic? I totally made your heart skip a beat didn’t I?”

Bakugou opens his eyes and lifts his head just to level him with an incredulous stare.

“No.” Kaminari pouts at this, disappointed. Bakugou rolls his eyes, averting his eyes. “...Maybe a little.”

Kaminari grins, tilting his head up. “ Just a little?~”

Bakugou’s reply is in the form of a scrunched up nose and pink cheeks, making Kaminari giggle. When he shifts his gaze back to him, he realizes they have once more moved into each other’s space, faces just a few inches apart. Bakugou’s eyes can’t help but wander to Kaminari’s lips for a moment, which are slightly parted and curled up at the corners.

He can’t really count all the times he has wondered if Kaminari’s lips are as soft as they look.

Subtly he leans forward some more, eyes shifting back up to gauge Kaminari’s reaction. His heart catches in his throat as he’s just in time to see Kaminari look up from Bakugou’s lips, face reddening when their eyes meet. He’s so close he can see his throat bob as he swallows.

Bakugou lifts up a tentative hand, brushing his fingers over Kaminari’s cheek before cupping his face with a gentleness no one would expect of him. Kaminari’s breath hitches and Bakugou can’t help a small, satisfied smirk.

“Whose heart skipped a beat just now , huh?”

Kaminari huffs out a laugh, hands reaching up to hold onto the front of Bakugou’s shirt and pulling. “Shut up and kiss me already.”

That’s all the prompting Bakugou needs to bend down the last stretch between them, kissing Kaminari like he’d wanted to do for so long. The kiss is chaste and a little uncomfortable, Kaminari’s glasses too far down his nose, crooked and bumping against Bakugou’s nose, but it makes Bakugou feel tingly all over nevertheless. He wonders if that’s Kaminari’s quirk at effect here.

He pulls away minutely to slide the glasses off Kaminari’s face. “They look nice but get in the way.”

Kaminari perks up. “So you do like th--Hmph--” Bakugou doesn’t let him finish, pulling him in by the back of his head to resume kissing, tilting his head to the side this time to slot their lips better. He feels Kaminari shiver, kissing back eagerly, before Bakugou feels like a small electric shock just went through him, making his hair stand on end and his skin to really feel tingly. He lets out a surprised grunt and Kaminari leans back first, looking embarrassed.

“Did you--” Bakugou blinks dazedly at him and notices his hair is poofier, standing up a little. Kaminari nods, hands rising up to pat down Bakugou’s hair which had also stood up.

“Sorry, I--didn’t think my quirk would do that.” When Kaminari lowers his hands from his hair and brushes past his cheeks his touch feels, literally, electric, but not in an unpleasant way. It almost just... tickles .

To brush away his embarrassment Kaminari throws him a grin and a wink. “Guess I just can’t control myself around you--You could say that kiss.. .shocked me--”

“No--”

If possibly Kaminari’s grin only grew, wiggling his eyebrow at Bakugou. “Babe, your lips are electrifying , you make me feel all tingly-- ”

“Oh my god, shut the fuck up--” Bakugou groans, lifting up his hands to ruffle Kaminari’s hair back down, feeling the static under his fingers. It’s kinda nice, actually. “You’re the one with the electric quirk dumbass, it should be the other way around--”

“So...I make you feel all tingly?”

“You make me feel shockingly annoyed.”

Kaminari pouts. “Mean. I can’t believe my boyfriend would say that--Ah.” He covers his mouth as soon as he finishes, face flushing and eyes widening. Bakugou wears a matching look. “I mean.”

Boyfriend.

Would it be too sudden to call each other that? They really had just laid the cards on the table and acknowledge they like each other.

And yet Bakugou kind of likes how that rings in his ears.

Fuck it.

“Kaminari.” The mentioned blinks at him. Bakugou knows what his face must look like--brow furrowed, tense, almost like he’s going to ask Kaminari to fight him in the back of the school, but his voice comes out surprisingly soft. “...Go out with me.”

There’s the slightest shift in the air again, like it’s charged with electricity, and Kaminari’s hair puffs out, hair standing in all directions. He grins from ear to ear, practically vibrating with energy.

“Yeah! Yes, yes, yes--” Bakugou is too slow to react and Kaminari effectively tackles him down on the bed, arms wrapped around him. He pushes himself up on his elbows to smile down at him, eyes creased. “Never thought I’d see the day you asked someone out. I’m honored ?”

Bakugou huffs, his chest feeling light, making his lips curl at the corners. “Damn right, you better be.”

“If we are going out…” Kaminari hums, something glinting in his eyes. “Does that mean I get to call you Katsuki ?”

Bakugou splutters, letting out incoherent noises. He doesn’t really dislike the way his name sounds in Kaminari’s mouth.

Kaminari looks even more devious upon managing to fluster him. “ Katsuki you’re so cute when you get embarrassed like that--”

“I’m going to kill you--” Kaminari laughs and yelps as a very embarrassed Bakugou wrestles him down on the mattress, glaring down at him but effectively failing to look threatening even when he’s got Kaminari pinned down by the wrists. Kaminari arches an eyebrow at him, tilting his head to the side.

“Are you going to kiss me to my death, is that what’s going on here?” He chuckles, eyes shining with mirth, but fondness. “That wouldn’t be a bad way to go.”

Bakugou grumbles before letting go off Kaminari’s wrists and simple plopping down on top of him, making him let out a wheeze. “Wait, Bakugou, babe, you’re crushing me--” With his hands now free he pats and pushes at Bakugou’s chest. “Okay, I’m dying, you win, I won’t call you Katsuki.”

“...I didn’t say you couldn’t.. .” He mumbles as he lifts up on his elbows, pushing their faces close. Their noses brush before he plants another kiss on Kaminari’s lips, speaking against his mouth as he pulls away. “... Denki .”

Kaminari whines, curling up sideways and hiding his reddening face on the pillow. “ Now I’m dead, yep. We haven’t even gone on one date and you already killed me. My ghost will haunt you !”

“You’re so dramatic--” Bakugou rolls his eyes, sitting up. He glances at the glasses he’d taken off Kaminari’s face, close to the edge of the bed now from all their shifting and grabs them to put them away. But he looks at them curiously and without thinking slips them on, blinking. The lenses are actually a pinkish hue in color.

“Eugh, it’s like looking at the world with a pink filter, what the fuck.”

Kaminari looks up at him then, eyes widening. “ Cute .” He blurts out and Bakugou startles, quickly taking the glasses off.

“Shut up. Here.” As Kaminari sits up, he shoves the glasses back in his hands. Kaminari chuckles, shaking his head as he settles them on the desk.

“Don’t need them now. ‘sides--” He smiles, crooning. “When I’m with you I always see la vie en rose ~”

Bakugou rolls his eyes but Kaminari decides to go on, catching Bakugou’s hands and pressing one of his cheeks to Bakugou’s, humming quietly against his ear. “ When you press me to your heart, I'm in a world apart~A world where roses bloom~”

“First, you recite poetry to me, next you serenade me?” Bakugou sounds exasperated but there’s fondness in the way he smiles a little, tilting his head, nose brushing the side of Kaminari’s temple.

“Do you know how long I’ve liked you ?” Is what Kaminari answers with, pushing himself back to pout at Bakugou. “I can’t help myself now ! I have so many romantic moves I’ve wanted to pull out !”

Bakugou can’t deny he is curious about that first question. But he’s going to save it for another time. He ultimately sighs. “You’re ridiculous .”

“Ridiculously romantic !” He lifts his hands in the air. “Guilty as charged.”

Before he can retort, an alarm goes off from Kaminari’s phone. He watches him as he stands up to check, with an arched brow before his eyes widen in realization.

“Oh shoot! I forgot I promised Mina we’d hang out in a few.” He scratches the top of his head. “Bet she set this alarm herself when I wasn’t lookin’. She knows me.”

Bakugou stands up from the bed as well. “Scatter brain.” Kaminari sticks his tongue out at him for that, dropping the phone back on the bedside table.

“I think this time I have a good excuse for forgetting.” He hip-checks Bakugou as he moves to his wardrobe, pulling out several pieces of clothing at once and laying them out on the bed to choose from.

“Don’t let me distract you, then.” Bakugou snorts. He’s perhaps disappointed their moment got cut short, but he should probably let Kaminari be. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and goes for the door. “Get ready and don’t keep Ashido waiting.”

“Yeah, yeah--Ah, wait !” Just as Bakugou is stepping out into the hall, Kaminari leans one hand on the doorframe. Bakugou turns. He looks giddy, but Bakugou can see the nervous and expectant edge to his smile. “Hey, um--A-Are you free on Sunday?”

Bakugou blinks, thinking back for a moment before nodding. Kaminari fidgets in place, taking in a small breath. “You...You wanna go on a date then?”

Bakugou imperceptible straightens in place at that, caught off guard.

A date. Like a real one .

Without his consent, his heart flutters wildly at the thought.

“...No good?” Kaminari murmurs when he takes too long to reply and he frowns, because Kaminari is looking down at his feet, unsure, and it just doesn’t fit him.

“ Yes .” He blurts out, too loudly, startling Kaminari. Bakugou clicks his tongue, feeling his face flush. “I mean--Yeah, let’s go on a damn date. Sunday.”

Kaminari’s eyes brighten at that. “Great ! I--I’ll text you later and we can decide where to go, yeah?”

“Sure.”

There’s a pause, a moment of hesitation before Kaminari takes a step forward and leans a little on his tip toes, pressing a kiss to Bakugou’s lips. It’s too quick for Bakugou to react to but when Kaminari pulls away he can feel the static between them, lips parted and tingly. Kaminari’s smile is radiant as he leans back into the room.

“Sunday, then.”

Bakugou can only nod dumbly and stare at the door as Kaminari disappears behind it. It takes him a moment before he turns on his heel towards the elevators to get back to his room.

He lifts a hand to his mouth, fingers brushing his lips. He’s glad he’s alone in the halls so no one can ask about the grin that he fails to fight off.

Life for them is colored in hues of unpredictability, every day could represent a new challenge, a new danger.

But when he pictures Kaminari’s smile, the shine on his eyes, or replays the feeling of his lips on his, it really feels like he is looking through rose colored lenses, for a few simple, quiet moments.