𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔶-𝔬𝔫𝔢

word count: 1096

At school the next day, I cannot stop smiling. Even Aizawa, who almost always ignores his students' antics, asks me why I'm so happy. I can only offer him a shrug and another grin.

The classes, which normally seem to crawl by at excruciatingly slow pace, fly past me and before I know it, the day is over. I haven't gotten the chance to talk to Kacchan other than a quick wave. He always vanishes during lunch break, and I never see him around.

But now, we're waiting at the train station together. I glance at my phone to check what time it is, but the battery's gone flat.

"Hey, Kacchan, do you know what time it is?" I ask.

"Yeah."

I wait patiently. Forty seconds... a minute...

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

He smirks. "Nup."

"Mean," I fake-pout. Am I being flirty? I hope so.

"Kidding," he smiles and flashes his phone screen at me. "It's 3:29."

I gather all of my courage enough to ask shyly, "D-do you want to go somewhere together?"

"Yeah, sure," he slips his phone into his pocket. "Let's go get food."

To myself I cheer, Yes! Success! "Where're we going?"

"McDonalds?"

"Okay!"

"Too fucking easy to please," he mutters, but he says it with a tiny smile.

Honestly, I couldn't care less where we go if it means we get to hang out together.

We abandon the train station and walk over to the nearby fast food place. We order drinks and a large fries to share and take a booth, sitting across from each other.

I pull out my phone. "I'll just let my mom know I'll be back later."

"Yeah... about that."

I look up from my phone. "What?"

"Well..." he rubs a hand over his incredibly-chiseled jaw. "Have you told your mom about, uh, this?"

I reach for a fry. "You mean, us? I wasn't sure if we were, um, a thing?"

"I mean, yes, us. But also... you know, I'm a guy. You're a guy."

"Oh. Right. I haven't said anything yet." I take a sip of my Frozen Coke. "Have you?"

"No. I don't know how I'm supposed to fucking tell them," he admits. "If you tell your mom, she'll call mine and spill it instantly."

"You're right." Our mothers love to talk, talk, talk, for hours on end.

"Are you worried about telling her?"

"That I'm bisexual?" I consider it, not for the first time. "I think she'll support me, but I'm still nervous. Will your parents?"

He swirls his straw in his Fanta absent-mindedly. "I don't even know," he sighs. "To them, I'm a golden child. A really bitchy one, but still — perfect grades, perfect record, perfect quirk."

"Are you just complimenting yourself now?" I attempt a lighthearted joke.

"I can't help how awesome I am."

I roll my eyes. "Are your shoulders tired from carrying around such a massive ego?"

"Nah, my muscles are strong enough," he retorts.

"Ugh. You win."

"As usual," he smirks. Then his mood darkens again. "But I think... I think my parents would be pissed to know that I'm... different. Not their perfect child." He casts his eyes down to the forgotten fries.

I reach across the table and comfortingly place my hand on top of his. "We don't have to tell them yet."

"So, are we a thing now?"

"Um, do you want to be?"

"I asked first, nerd."

I try to ignore the 'nerd'. I know he's been consciously trying to be nicer, but old habits die hard. "Well..."

"If you're ready, I'm in," he commits.

"I really want to be with you, Kacchan."

"So that's a yes?"

"Yes."

—

Bakugo POV

I let myself in to my house at around six pm after my date with Deku. I'm fucking overjoyed to be able to call myself his boyfriend. But weighing down on me, keeping me from celebrating, is the undeniable fact that my parents won't want to hear about this.

"KATSUKI! YOU'RE HOME LATE AGAIN?!" the old hag shrieks at me.

"Six o'clock isn't fucking late!" I snap, storming up the stairs.

She leaps up the first few steps and grabs the back of my shirt roughly, forcing me to turn to face her. "Don't just walk away when I'm talking to you, you bastard!"

Believe me, she's not being abusive. We just yell and swear a shit ton.

"What do you want, bitch!?" I shout at her face.

"Where were you!?"

"I just went out to get fucking McDonalds!"

"What about the other day?!"

"The goddamn cinema!"

"Who the hell are you going with?! Since when do you have friends?!"

"Jesus, woman, stop fucking interrogating me!"

"Answer, you little shit!"

"I WENT WITH DEKU, OKAY?!"

She pauses, surprised. "Izuku? The Izuku you hate?"

I ball up my fists. "There's only one Deku around here! I don't even hate him that much!"

Her expression loosens and for a minute I can almost see why my old man likes her. "I never thought I'd hear you say that."

Nope, she's still a bitch.

She tries to hug me and I hiss at her. "Back off or I'll bite you!"

She snorts. "Be that way, then, son of a bitch. There's some curry in the pot if you want to heat it up."

"I'm not hungry! And when you call me a son of a bitch you're just insulting yourself, dumbass!" I thunder up the stairs and slam the door to my room shut.

Flopping on my bed, I pull out my phone to see a text from Deku. I feel my anger dissipating as I read it.

Deku 💚

Hi 💥 thanks for taking me out today.

I smile at his use of the emoticon.

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

Hey, no problem. I actually don't

hate hanging out with you.

Deku 💚

I'm really glad that I'm your boyfriend now ☺️

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

What? No, I'M the boyfriend

Deku 💚

Um... we're both the boyfriends

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

It was a joke

Deku 💚

Oh

Deku 💚

Ha ha ha! 😂

Deku 💚

My mom's calling me for dinner and then I have a ton of homework so I better go.

LORD EXPLOSION MURDER

OK. See you at school

Deku 💚

Okay, ttyl!

I google the meaning of 'ttyl' — goddamn acronyms — before shutting off my phone. Rolling over onto my side, I try not to worry about what people will think of us, think of me. It will be fine, I tell myself. It will be fine.