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Katsuki likes winning.
Duh.
There’s not much he can’t turn into a competition of sorts, even if it’s just within himself. Especially then, really.
He’ll conquer germs like they’re targets on a screen when he brushes his teeth. He places mental bets on his stats when he trains (and sees an 8-bit Dynamight sliding down a flagpole to a victory song when he beats them).
Everyone has their own way of seeing the world, and this was his. He’d always liked video games, things with clear rules and objectives. Clear win conditions and fictional stakes to take the stress out of things from time to time.
He was in his third year at UA when Mina got him into a new game, Stardew something, and challenged him to make it into a competitive game. She bet he couldn’t.
“You’re on.” He had grinned, beginning a new save file with confidence as he explored the controls and she pointed out aspects of the game that she liked.
“The fuck is this,” he asked, gesturing with his nose to the page he had pulled up full of villagers with empty hearts by their avatars.
“Oh, intimacy levels! They’re the best part of the game. The more you talk to the villagers and give them things they like the closer they feel with you. Every other heart you fill unlocks a cut scene where you get to know each other better.”
“So there’s eight for everyone to start but then some villagers you can romance” she wiggled her eyebrows with a laugh, “They can have up to ten if you’re into each other, and even more when you’re actually married.”
She pinched his cheek playfully and he pretended to swat her away but her easy grin gave the friendly exchange away for what it was, “Gotta up those hearts if you’re gonna be the best, blasty.” She teased as she leaned back and grabbed her own switch again.
Katsuki squinted at the console in his hands.
He could fucking do that. He was a goddamn delight. And so would his badass farmersona be.
In the end he played up until it was his bedtime, still 8:30 on the dot because he’s got something called ‘self-discipline’, Pinky, maybe try it sometime.
He could admit, it was a pretty fun game. He could work on making the best farm with the best produce and animals and he’d make everyone fill their stupid hearts and then he’d win. Easy.
He’d even, although he’d deny it, already picked a villager to marry. This sweet, athletic type who lived with his grandparents. Personable, kind of goofy, smarter and stronger than he gave himself credit for.
No, Katsuki doesn’t have a type, fuck off.
Maybe it was because he played it so late. Maybe it was because of the way Katsuki had always used video games to make sense of the world. Maybe he had had some sort of stroke in his sleep that was dead set on ruining his life, but when Katsuki woke up… something had changed.
Kirishima, Sero and Denki were still out on missions, they’d be home later in the day so Katsuki didn’t have his usual breakfast with them but when he came downstairs to grab his usual he froze in his tracks.
Todoroki and Deku were sitting in the kitchen, obviously in from an early run, and besides their heads…
Were. Fucking. Hearts.
Todoroki, half a head shorter than Deku but still a chunk taller than Katsuki, glanced over and gave him a small nod, eyes softening in recognition.
Seven hearts.
Seven?! Seven hearts?!
Well. Katsuki frowned. Todoroki did always say Katsuki was his best friend. And one of his first.
He’d been among Katsuki’s first, too. Not that he’d ever own up to it- well, again. He had, once. After a rough mission where they’d saved each other’s lives so many times counting would be a waste of breath. When they’d had a moment, just a moment to stop moving…
“Bakugou, you’re my-“
“Yeah I know.” He’d cut him off, wheezing still from a stinging kick to the chest the villain had given him.
“No, I’d like to say it. We almost-“
“Don’t have to.”
“I- Bakugou, one-“
“No.” Katsuki had growled before Todoroki had rolled his eyes and deflated slightly.
Fuck.
“I fuckin love you, too. You’re my fucking friend. I’m not saying that shit again, I don’t care if you do almost die. Got it?” He’d huffed out, pretending to have to look away to rub his chest.
Todoroki had been so silent Katsuki had briefly wondered if ‘he’ had killed him when he heard a soft exhale.
“Okay, Bakugou. Thank-“ Katsuki boxed him around the ear immediately to shut him up and they devolved into a scuffle the likes of which several toddlers would have been proud.
Had that been it? Katsuki mused, their ’six heart event’ or something?
He glanced over at Deku and his frown reaffirmed its place in his face.
‘You’re fuckin’ kidding me.’ He thought.
Eight hearts. Eight hearts over that broccoli head ass. Eight.
He didn’t need to think about when that had happened, there were too many moments in their history to count. Disgusting. Eight hearts. Gross.
“Morning, Kacchan!” Deku waved and Katsuki grunted in return.
“Don’t let it get to your head!” He barked as he stalked past them to grab one of his prepped meal containers from the fridge.
Deku sighed a long, suffering sigh, “Okay, Kacchan.”
“…what’s he talking about?” Todoroki asked with a confused expression but Deku just shrugged.
“No clue. Doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but him.”
Fuck. Katsuki scowled as he grabbed a fork and headed outside with his food, fucking nerd knew him too well. He felt a warmth creeping up his chest at the way the two had just accepted his early morning antics with fond exasperation and he began eating more forcefully than usual.
“Blasty!!! Having a picnic without me!” Katsuki looked up to see pink hair blowing around in the breeze ahead of two darker figures, Momo and Jirou, both girls much less energetic than their friend for the early hour.
“Hah? The fuck are you up so early for?” His brows furrowed as they approached where he sat. Mina and the others were in loose, comfortable clothing with rolled up mats under their arms.
While Mina was all smiles and excitement, Momo was quiet with her greeting, soft in her sleepiness whereas Jirou radiated mild irritation and exhaustion.
“We’ve been wanting to do early morning yoga for ages but our schedules never lined up!” Mina smiled, “Wanna join?”
Katsuki squinted at her and sure enough. 7- no, 7 and a half hearts. Oh. He blinked, suddenly feeling a bit blindsided as he glanced at Momo and Jirou who had 5 and 6 hearts respectively.
Oh, he thought again as he reciprocated everyone’s greetings with a nod and a shrug.
“Why not,” he shrugged, “Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t kill Ears with your screeching.”
Jirou must have been really tired because she didn’t even blink at the nickname, instead nodding and plopping onto the grass beside him as he finished eating and the other two began setting up their mats, Momo gently prying Jirou’s out of her arms and setting it up for her.
They probably had 9 hearts for each other at least, Katsuki realized, huh. He wondered if they’d noticed already. They’d have to be pretty stupid not to, he figured.
They were a little stupid, he decided a few hours later, when Momo had gone inside to make them some iced tea to cool off.
Mina was sprawled out on her mat, eyes closed and enjoying the sun, singing along to some song playing off her phone. Katsuki glanced and saw the heart a bit fuller and he looked away again before he could think too much about it.
“So. Brainiac, huh?” He mumbled knowing Jirou would hear him loud and clear. Her eyes snapped open and she glanced at Mina who hadn’t heard them before relaxing.
‘Shut up’ she signed and Katsuki bit back a smile. Her ears were so sensitive sometimes she preferred nonverbal communication. She’d been the first person to be able to sign with him when he’d started needing to.
Of course, by now the whole class was fluent but still, she had been the first.
‘You’re being chickenshit.’ He signed lazily, ‘She’s crazy about you. Dumbass.’
She blushed and shoved at him lightly and he let her.
‘…you think so?’ She signed with a raised brow.
‘Only because I have eyes.’ He snorted as he signed, ‘thought you were a hero, aren’t you supposed to be brave?’
She rolled her eyes but smiled, ‘yeah yeah, we can’t all have perfect boyfriends-‘
“Who’s got a boyfriend?!” Mina perked up, having opened her eyes and caught the tail end of their conversation that had Katsuki frowning in confusion as Jirou managed to distract Mina before Momo finally returned.
Katsuki took his glass of tea with a muttered thanks and headed inside without further announcement.
Katsuki had no idea who the hell she was talking about but luckily he didn’t have time to think about it too much before he was reacting to a sudden shout and ducking as a flash of tape shot past his ear.
“Sorry, B, damnit Denki I told you not to fucking tickle me-“ Sero pulled his helmet off and pushed his sweat slicked hair back as he gave a snickering Denki a light shove with his elbow.
“Shouldn’t have tried to go for the blueberry granola bar man. If you’d stuck with raspberry it wouldn’t have happened.” Denki shrugged with a smile, half the aforementioned granola bar in his cheeks. Fucking mannerless heathen-
Katsuki’s eyes narrowed as he clocked both of them with matching rows of 8 hearts filled to the brim. Fuck. Goddamnit. God fucking-
“Kacchan, my dude, are you blushing-”
“Shut up, sparkplug, don’t fucking talk with your mouth full. Honestly, who raised you,” He snarked while trying to calm the redness in his face and heat in his chest as he processed.
That Denki had 8 hearts for him wasn’t a surprise, not really. The guy wore his heart on his sleeve surrounded by neon signs and giant arrows just in case you missed it, he was incredibly expressive. In addition to that, the guy was deeply kind and could probably make friends with inanimate objects, it wasn’t surprising that he’d decided Katsuki was 8 heart material. Sero, though…
Sero’s quieter. Less obvious about, well, everything. Observant, less obnoxious about how charismatic he could be, more an actions than a words guy. Suited Katsuki just fine he just wished he hadn’t gotten so comfortable with it so as to never have noticed consciously that Sero had become one of his closest friends, definitely one of the most earnest friends Katsuki had ever had in his life, come to think of it.
That was the danger, he supposed, of being a quieter type. Katsuki felt like kicking himself for not realizing it sooner but he had come to just… expect Sero. To be there, to tag along the way everyone else tended to, to be his friend like he had been. While the others like Denki or Mina or Jirou got Katsuki’s active attention frequently for one reason or another (being obnoxiously in his face or specifically Never obnoxiously in his face), Sero could slip through the cracks. Well that wouldn’t fucking do.
“Tapef- Sero. Tomorrow we’re sparring. I’ll kick your ass and then we can have lunch at that place you fucking like so much. I got the next issue of the manga you were reading, too. If you wanna borrow it.”
Sero’s eyes had initially widened upon being addressed but were now settling into a much more familiar expression, drooping deceptively with ease as Bakugou recognized that spark of competition behind the almost lazy demeanor, “Sounds good, I’d love to.”
“Of course you would.” Katsuki nodded with a grin that Sero easily reciprocated.
Great job Bakugou says a voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like Kirishima as he walks away.
Them being back can only mean one thing, so without further delay Katsuki loaded up on snacks and his expensive sore muscle cream and headed over to Kirishima’s room, letting himself in and getting comfortable on the bed like he had countless times. The shower was still running but only for a few minutes before the redhead himself was calling out to him.
“Bakugou? You there man?”
“Who the fuck else would it be?” He tossed back as he began to heat up his palms carefully, “Saw Thing 1 & 2 downstairs. Your shoulder’s still healing, thought you’d want me to massage it again. Or whatever.” He grunted, heat spreading across his cheeks again at Kirishima’s extended sigh as the water turned off.
“Fuck, yes please, the last guy I took down really dug in to the fucking ground, I took out some pavement dragging him away.” He stepped into view a moment later, hair wet and hanging around his shoulders, fresh shorts on and a T-shirt in his hands as he smiled at Katsuki.
9.5 Hearts floating happily beside his head.
9.5? 9- What was it Mina said?
“So there’s eight for everyone to start but then some villagers you can romance. They can have up to ten if you’re into each other-”
Katsuki blinked.
“if you’re into each other-”
“Katsuki?”
“Huh?” Katsuki shook himself slightly to snap out of his daze but Kirishima laughed and it damn near put him right back in one.
9.5 huh? Katsuki mused internally. He could do better than that.
“Sit down already, brought that muscle ointment, too. Bet that last guy was just the cherry on top, how many did you take on by yourself huh?”
Kirishima rubbed his neck and sat down on the bed, bare back facing Katsuki as he spoke, “…five, but! It wasn’t a big deal, the guys did a lot, too.” He turned to face Katsuki a little over his shoulder to catch his eye as he smiled, “I am pretty sore though.”
Katsuki flicked him on the forehead.
“Don’t twist your neck, idiot, you’ll hurt yourself. Relax.” He scooped up some of the muscle ointment and began working it over Kirishima’s back and shoulders slowly, using the residual warmth in his hands to help as Kirishima all but melted under his hands.
“Fuck, you’re the best…” He groaned in relief and Katsuki smirked.
“I know.” He said simply and Kirishima chuckled, eyes still closed.
“Yeah, but you like hearing it, right?” He opened an eye to squint up at the blonde with a teasing lilt to his voice. When he caught Katsuki’s gaze however his eyes opened in surprise to see Katsuki already staring at him contemplatively.
Katsuki allowed his fingers to cool and slid a hand up to massage Kirishima’s scalp by the nape of his neck gently and Kirishima’s lips parted as he relaxed further but kept Katsuki’s gaze until his fingers slowed and he was left basically cradling Kirishima’s head.
Kirishima’s eyes flickered down to Katsuki’s lips, which were slightly parted. Was it now, the right moment? Should they just-
“Blasty! Mina said to ask if you wanna come down for movie night!” Uraraka called through his bedroom door and the two boys parted again, the moment dissipating into the air.
“No,” Katsuki growled, choosing to ignore how she knew he’d be in Kirishima’s room, “She’s gonna pick Legally Blonde again and then get fucking weird about her grades, again.”
“Watch it, Miss Congeniality.” Uraraka shot back as he heard her footsteps fade and Kirishima snorted.
“Miss Congeniality…?”
“Sandra Bullock is a goddamn delight.” Katsuki shoved at his lazily, smirking at Kirishima’s laughter as they easily relaxed into their back-and-forth again until lunch time. The time would come, Katsuki figured, unskippable cutscenes, right?
-
Later that evening Katsuki found himself in his dorm room laid comfortably on his couch with his new game and cursing the creatures in the caverns.
After his farmersona had passed out again he sighed, deciding to just go give the sweet, athletic character his daily gift of One Raw Egg (freak) and call it a day when there was an unexpected knock at his door. He squinted as he recognized the hesitant knock of a nervous Kirishima.
True to expectation when Katsuki opened the door there stood Kirishima in his pyjamas, sweats and an old Crimson Riot shirt, smiling at Katsuki as he shifted his weight on his feet, grin sheepish and shy, but excited too. Katsuki knew exactly how he felt.
“I was thinking- I mean- no, I don’t think I’m reading this wrong but you can always tell me-“ Kirishima shook himself for a second and let out a deep breath, clearly steeling himself as Katsuki watched, bemused.
“I care about you so much, man. And earlier for a moment… I thought you were gonna kiss me,” his breath came out a bit shallow at the end of the admission but his smile persisted, brightened even at the memory and he lifted his gaze to hold Katsuki’s firmly, “and I thought I should tell you that I wanted you to. I want you to, still.”
“You like me or something, Kirishima?” Katsuki shifted his weight and tilted his chin up with a self assured grin.
Kirishima rolled his eyes in response, though he was grinning too, and the tension released from his shoulders.
“Or something,” he stepped closer into Katsuki’s space, “I should’ve known you’d be like this about it, you already knew, didn’t you?”
“Ain’t exactly a tough guy to read,” Katsuki stepped closer to meet him, “Didn’t figure it out until today though, so, don’t give me too much credit.”
Kirishima barked a laugh as his hands came up to cradle Katsuki’s face, “You’re so manly, dude.” He said as he began to lean in only for Katsuki to suddenly jolt in his hands and burst out laughing.
“You’re about to kiss me for the first time and you called me dude?” Katsuki raised a critical eyebrow and Kirishima groaned through an unwilling chuckle of his own.
“Shut up, god, you know what I meant,” he rolled his eyes and pulled Katsuki’s hand down, using the other to hold the back of Katsuki’s head and leaning down to finally kiss him.
Katsuki didn’t need any hearts floating around to know how special this moment was, or how lucky he was. He wrapped his arms over Kiri’s shoulders, kissing him back and wondering what an acceptable amount of time between now and asking if Kirishima wanted to co-op a farm together (and have their farmer-sona’s get married) would be…