𝔰𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔢𝔫

word count: 2460 (a huge achievement yayyy)

this story is the slowest burn in the history of slow burns smh. anyway, get ready for some feeeeels.

Bakugo POV

I climb up to the top bunk and slip into my padded sleeping bag, trying to tune out the babble of the others in the male lodgings.

"Hehe, guys, does anyone want to sneak into the girls room?"

"Don't be a scumbag, Mineta," Kirishima scorns.

"Guys, I'm actually scared shitless from Bakubaku's story."

"Me too. Bakubro, why are you so creepy?"

"Shut it, Shitty Hair, I'm trying to sleep!"

"That language is inappropriate!"

"Like I fucking care, Four-eyes."

"Do not use such profanities!"

"Shit, fuck, dick, bitch, asshole," I list, just to piss him off.

"Class A really is foul," the blond copycat remarks.

I shove a middle finger in the air and turn over to the wall. I plug in my earphones to drown out the noise of stupid extras chattering.

I must drift off at some point, because the next thing I know, I'm waking up and glancing at my phone. The time reads 11 pm, and my lock screen is spammed with a stream of messages from just a few minutes ago.

I'm really starting to regret giving those fuckers my number after tutoring them a while ago. They've dubbed themselves the Bakusquad. I'm so flattered.

Yeah, I'm being sarcastic.

Opening the message app, I scroll through and read whatever I've missed out on.

bEgOnE tHoT cHaT

pikachu

ooooh did yall see baku 2day

Tape Boi

what abt him?

Queen Mina

he's so freaking IN LOVE with midoriya! OMG!!!

Tabe Boi

woo

pikachu

ikr. im just watching them like shut up and fuck already

Queen Mina

I SHIP THEM! YUGA AND TSUYU-CHAN DO TOO!!!! EEEEK

pikachu

*screeching noises*

RRiot

Um, guys?

RRiot

Bakugo's in this chat.

Queen Mina

shiiiittttt

pikachu

oh damn we're screwed. goodbye

sweet world. goodbye shinso.

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

:)

Queen Mina

he's smiling

RRiot

Sinister.

pikachu

we're so dead

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

Say your goodbyes

pikachu

please dont,,, youre better than this

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

Am I though?

RRiot

Hey, I didn't do anything.

Tabe Boi

um me neither... unless u count drugs

RRiot

That was unnecessary.

Tabe Boi

soz

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

You're all dead

pikachu

but u love us... right???

Queen Mina

no, he loves midoriyaaaaa

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

I DO NOT YOU FUCKTARDS

Queen Mina

ITS CUTEE

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

...

RRiot

It's okay to like him, man.

pikachu

i mean there's worse people to like. such as urself

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

Shut up shut up shutuppppp

RRiot

Bakugo... you're in denial.

At this point, I'm ready to scream at my phone. Angrily, I bang the screen.

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

I am not, you piece of shit!

I hear Dunce-face snort a quiet laugh from his bunk on the other side of the room.

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

Are you looking down on me with that

laugh, Dunce-face?? You wanna fight?

pikachu

noooooo

RRiot

Can you please just admit it?

It's not manly to keep denying it.

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

If I did admit that I like the nerd— WHICH I DON'T —

would you all shut the fuck up and let me sleep?

RRiot

Yes.

Tabe Boi

u can put your phone on silent tho...

Queen Mina

SHHH dont tell him that we're about to get the confession

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

Hnnngh

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

FINE YOU FUCKERS, I LIKE SHITTY

DEKU. NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!

Queen Mina

omg i-

Across the room, I hear Kirishima's shallow intake of breath.

RRiot

Wow. Good on you for realising.

pikachu

finally lmaoooo

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER has muted the chat

—

At the crack of dawn, I hurry out of the bunkers to be the first one in the shower. The male showering cubicle is a brick building with shower heads separated by shoulder-height dividers on the sides but no doors. I hang my towel over one of the dividers and step under the shower that never runs hot.

The water is frigid, but in the heat of summer, it's more refreshing than unpleasant. I avoid wetting my hair, because I washed it last night and I don't want to have to fluff it up again.

When I'm finished, I towel off my body and wrap the towel around my waist, stepping away from the cubicle.

I see a greenish mop poking over the top of the divider on the opposite end of the room. Crap. I forgot that Deku was an early riser.

My mind flashes back to last night, when those idiots got me to admit my crush on him.

Really, crush is the perfect word. Because liking him is so infuriating, and I just want to fucking crush him. In combat, or against a wall... either's fine.

I recall our, uh, moment at the sports festival. I kissed him then... what's to stop me from doing it again?

Deku steps out from the shower, a towel around his waist. "Oh, h-hi Kacchan."

"Hey." It is extremely weird to greet him without an insult.

"You're up early."

I grunt in response. He's such a stupid nerd. Stupidly adorable.

"So, um, what do you think today's camp challenge is going to be?"

"Dunno." I'm keeping my responses short to avoid yelling at him, because I'm pretty fucking sure shouting at someone isn't a good way to get them to like you. Then again, the one-word replies are coming off more cold than relaxed.

God, this is so fucking dumb. I hate liking him. Stupid, stupid nerd. I've got to do something about it.

Stomping to the door of the showering room, I growl at him, "We need to talk later."

He looks surprised. "Why not now?"

"You're not fucking dressed, and neither am I." And I won't be able to have a proper conversation without being distracted by your bare skin, I think to myself. Then I mentally punch myself for that thought. Ugh.

"We'll talk tonight," I snap, turning on my heel and leaving.

Izuku POV

All throughout the day, my mind is racing. It's almost unbearable. I can't focus on what anyone says to me. Thousands of scenarios run through my head. I'm torturing myself wondering what Kacchan wants to talk about tonight.

"Midoriya, pay attention," Aizawa snaps his fingers in front of my face.

"Sorry, Sensei," I apologise sheepishly.

"You all need to listen carefully to what I'm saying. Rock climbing is dangerous if not done carefully. You'll be wearing a harness, and you'll have a spotter on the ground to help you if you misplace your footing. Your spotter is your camp buddy, and you'll both take turns climbing and spotting."

"Excuse me, Sensei, but how is this a competitive Camp Challenge?" Kendo asks.

"We'll be working in a point system, so the class with more teams that have the most points wins. For example, if Class B gets seven teams successfully to the top of the rock, and Class A only gets six, then Class B wins," Vlad explains.

"Or vice versa!" Mic adds.

"Highly unlikely that class A will out-climb us," Monoma laughs haughtily.

"We'll have to see about that!" Kirishima says good-heartedly.

"Okay, put your helmets on and get the first teams harnessed," Aizawa instructs in a bored tone. "The rest of you can watch or whatever.

I sit down on the ground as Tsuyu and Tokoyami get ready to go against a team from class B.

"Midoriya-kun, have you ever experienced rock climbing before today?" Iida asks me.

I shake my head. "No, but I know Kacchan has, so I'm hoping that gives our class an advantage. You?"

"I have not."

"What about you, Todoroki-kun?" I ask.

"I can't say I have," he smiles regretfully.

I make halfhearted small talk with my classmates as they rotate, taking their turns.

Lifting the hair off the back of my neck, I fan my face with my other hand. The air is humid, and my palms are sweaty.

Kacchan stomps over to me. "Last team. We're up."

"Okay." I stand up. "Which class is winning?"

He scowls. "I lost count."

"Oh."

"Quit standing around and get ready to spot me," he snaps.

"A-alright."

He gets into the harness and readies himself to climb. I wait at the bottom of the rock awkwardly. It's quite tall, with hand- and foot-holds to grip onto.

Kacchan easily scales the rock wall before our opponent even makes it halfway. By the time he comes down, the other team is only just reaching the top.

"Go go go go, Deku, go," Kacchan urges me, hurrying me as I put on the harness and helmet.

As I put my foot on the first hold of the rock, I'm suddenly hit with a wave of nervousness. I try to push the feeling away and climb up the first quarter of the wall.

Halfway there, I stop. Shakiness overcomes me, and my limbs turn to jelly.

"Why're you stopping?!" Kacchan shouts from the ground.

I turn my head to look down at him, and regret it instantly. It's so high up, too high... "Nngh!" I cry, and turn my gaze back to the wall, my heart racing. "I'm gonna fall, I'm gonna fall, I'm —"

"You're not going to fall!" he calls. "I'm here to catch you!"

This is one of those times where Kacchan shows his true compassion... This is why I love him. But right now, I really can't think about that, because I cannot get my footing, and my palms are sweaty, and I'm slipping, and then I'm falling through the air, and—

"Oof!" Kacchan grunts as I fall on top of him, knocking us both to the ground.

The wind has been knocked out of me completely. My heart is galloping at a million beats per second. Am I alive? I think I'm alive. There's a sharp pain in my left ankle.

"I fell," I announce.

Kacchan wriggles out from beneath me and stands up. "No shit."

"I broke my ankle," I say, entirely sure of my self-diagnosis.

"No you didn't. Don't be weak."

"It's broken."

"Come on, stand up."

I struggle to stand up, leaning my weight onto my right leg. A jolt of pain spears through my left ankle, and I stumble into Kacchan.

He involuntarily catches me in his strong arms. "I think your ankle is broken," he decides, as if the idea never occurred to him before.

I pull a face at him. "You don't say."

"Can you finish the climb?"

I balance myself on my right leg. "Are... are you serious?"

"Never mind," he grunts.

Aizawa comes over to us, takes one look at my hobbling state, and says, "Get back to camp. We're coming after we pack up the equipment. Midoriya, see Recovery Girl."

"I- I can barely walk," I gasp, a little short of breath. The pain is pretty bad, and it's making me a tad nauseous.

"Bakugo will help you."

"Sensei—" Kacchan protests.

"Bakugo, just shut up for once and help him out," Aizawa snaps, showing an actual hint of emotion other than tired.

Kacchan scrunches his nose, scowling. "Fine. Put your arm around me, nerd."

I stand on his right side and and put my arm around his shoulder, using him like a cane. He takes shuffling steps, and I hop on my right foot awkwardly next to him. We head in the direction of the camp, through a forested area.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, I stop.

"What?" he asks.

"I'm—" I don't finish as I double over in pain, dropping to my knees. The throbbing in my ankle is affecting me badly. I bend over and throw up on the ground, the bile stinging my nostrils.

Kacchan heaves a huffing sigh and kneels down next to me. "That bad?"

I manage a weak nod and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

He purses his lips, a torrent of emotions flashing in his eyes, before grumbling, "Get on my back."

"Huh?"

"I'll carry you back to camp, or we'll be here until damn nightfall."

I crawl onto his back, wrapping my legs around his slim waist, and he stands up, lifting me surprisingly easily.

"Wrap your arms around my neck," he orders.

I obey.

"Oi! Not so tight!"

"Sorry, Kacchan." I loosen my hold.

"It's okay," he says gruffly.

Sometimes he's rough. Sometimes he's gentle. He's wavering in and out...

I rest my chin on top of his head lightly; his blond hair tickles. When he doesn't snap at me, I leave it there.

I hesitate before saying, "You used to carry me when we were little, too." He remains quiet, so I venture further. "I-I kind of miss being your friend."

"Yeah? Then what are we now?"

I consider it. "I guess we're rivals. Y'know, pushing each other to be better."

"Huh. I hadn't thought of it like that," he admits.

"Right, cause I was just a stupid nerd at your middle school," I say. I don't mean to sound bitter, but that's how it comes out.

He makes a strange sound, like a strangled cough. "Deku..."

"I was just a pebble in your path, right?" I speak quietly, but my words are brimming with emotions. We're on the verge of an argument.

"You're right. You were," he responds bluntly.

I didn't expect that. I open my mouth to speak again, but he continues.

"But you're more now. You've got a quirk. You're... ugh," he sighs. "I don't want to say it, but you're getting good. You're... becoming a hero."

Nothing could have prepared me for him saying that. I'm momentarily rendered speechless. My eyes fill with tears, and I allow them to drop. "W-was that what you wanted to say to m-me tonight?" I ask, voice a shaky whisper.

He doesn't respond.

"K-kacchan?"

"Why are you crying?" he asks quietly.

I sniff. "I-I never thought I'd hear you say that. I th-thought you hate me..."

"I... I don't hate you, Deku."

My heart swells in my chest. "C-can we be friends again?"

He sighs deeply.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

I can tell he's lying. "K-kacchan..."

"It's... fine! We can be friends!" he says, almost angrily.

Why is he angry? I thought we were getting closer. I...

Closing my eyes, I settle into the rhythm of his footsteps. I just have to give him time, I tell myself.

It might take ages. It's taken us so many years to work up from our complicated childhood to this meaningful discussion. It could take even longer for him to be my friend properly. But I'll wait. I'll wait as long as it takes for him to get close to me.

I'll be here for you, Kacchan.