- DAY 1 -
Bakugo's ears were still ringing from Aizawa's harsh words dealt to him and Midoriya for fighting at Ground Beta, past curfew. The two delinquents left with the final threat that if they got into the slightest verbal match during their house arrest, they would be expelled. Once being escorted to their dorm building, Bakugo stormed ahead of his loser classmate to take the stairs up. He had no desire to be in the elevator with Deku, lest they start arguing about shit again.
The jokes that his classmates in 1-A had about their teacher Aizawa being like a dad rang true in a whole new way. Their head teacher was strict, and didn't try to look like he was remotely on their side. No wonder Bakugo's mom got all starry-eyed and weepy that the higher ups at UA would knock more sense into him. To be brutally honest, his dad was super lame, a spineless wimp. All his old man ever was good for was in bringing home the income for the Bakugo household. It was so embarrassing, he never would openly discuss his old man with anyone who didn't know.
The culture at UA felt a whole lot different than life at home. After coming to UA, and finding that shitty loser nerd there too, Bagoku became even more challenged to reach his ultimate goal. Of course, people here weren't sure what to do about his explosive temperament, and wisely kept their distance. He didn't care anymore though, because that just made it easier for him to beat their asses on his way to the top. He was far better than them, academically as well as powerfully.
Bakugo Katsuki's number one goal was to be ranked as the best in his class, and then all of UA. All Might was this... that superhero was the Number 1 for as long as Bakugo could remember. He was going to surpass that Symbol of Peace. No one ever said out loud that they wanted to be like Endeavor when he was growing up. The debate amongst his childhood friends was if that was because of Endeavor's gruff, no-nonsense attitude, or if it was due to the fact the fiery hero lacked charisma?
It can't be. Charisma alone can't replace a powerful quirk and a perfect record. All Might was the example of everything!
But how does that work?
Why does he have to focus more on working with others, saving others, to win... rather than just winning alone? It was so simple, so irritating, it was fucking stupid! Being so hung up on his selfish desire of winning eventually had made him a loser.
He really had no genuine concern for people. That's why Bakugo failed today's tests so fucking badly. Why did he have to fucking rely on others to win? They will just slow him down… mess him up! Especially Deku...
Bakugo finally reached his room, seething again from all the angry thoughts about everything that gone wrong that day. After entering inside, he slammed his door loudly to express his fury.
On his desk to the left, the light of one small desk lamp that had been left on earlier illuminated the wall on that side. That wall was also where he hung his only poster of All Might, in his glorious buff form. But everything in Bakugo's mind felt turned upside down about his lifelong idol, so fucked up and chaotic by the reality that he was just told. Swearing, Bakugo tore the poster down from the wall, balled it up, then violently set it ablaze in his hands.
All Might really was gone. His powers weren't even his own… just something that could be passed around, which Bakugo hoped would not be true. But it was. Bakugo's age of flamboyant innocence and idolatry was completely destroyed, and now he had to face the reality of what really is. The chuunibyu heroes he used to play with his childhood friends was dead and gone now. A new chapter had begun.
But... why that nobody, Deku? Their answers still didn't seem fair!
The blonde flopped back on his bed, feeling the fatigue as much as he felt disgusted. And then, a knock was heard at his door. He only had one neighbor, since the corner room to the left of his was vacant. This neighbor just so happened to be among the extremely small number of classmates who happened to get along with him. That was how much the UA directors had perceived him as a social threat. Yeah. Nevermind that Bossy Foureyes was in the room below him, and stupid IcyHot was right above. No one trusted him. The hothead just blankly stared at the ceiling, not wanting to deal with it anymore.
But then, another knock.
"Hnn… fuck off!"
After another long second, a couple more knocks. "Hey, it's me."
Bakugo groaned, then willed his sore, tired body to move. It being Shitty Hair was not the reason why he decided to get up. Nope. The grumpy teen opened his door just a crack to state his wishes loud and clear, as he wasn't in the mood. At all. "I said FUCK OFF!" Bakugo sneered, then pushed his door closed.
"Hey... wait.."
Make that attempted to shut the door. Someone's rock hard hand was gripping the door frame, blocking him from that.
Scowling, Bakugo opened the door again just enough to look at the redhead standing there in a navy blue T-shirt and grey sweatpants. Maybe instead he could fake Shitty Hair into thinking he was going to let him in, otherwise dropping his hand. And then Bakugo would slam the door shut in his face.
"What.. did you do?" Shitty Hair asked, once they made eye contact. But then his classmate glanced down, clearly noticing Bakugo's many bandages on his arms and face. Despite this, the rock hard hero kept his hand firmly in place on the doorframe.
"None of your fucking business!" Bakugo spat back, leaning his shoulder against his door in resistance. His persistent classmate was trying to push it open. And somehow, the blonde's tired mind had to think how much better his nosey classmate had looked when that damn hair wasn't gelled up.
"Mouth says one thing, but face says another, bro..." Shitty Hair's observation caught Bakugo off guard, just enough for him to succeed in pushing through to get inside.
Pissed that his unwarranted thought about hair had somehow affected his expression, Bakugo glared for a long second at his comrade. "...just go away!" he grumbled, still not sure how to process this sudden invasion. Since fighting was out of the equation, the awkward blonde angrily turned away from his only friend. Bakugo sat down on his bed with a huff, rubbing his face in surrender.
"What happened?" Kirishima asked again, more carefully now that he was aware of Bakugo's banged up appearance.
"Suspended… with house arrest," he leaned his elbows on his knees with his eyes on the floor.
"For?"
"Fighting, stupid," Bakugo looked up to him.
"Right… oh, with Midoriya?" That guess came too quickly.
"... until Aizawa broke us up," he confirmed that question with his own stretch of the truth. Even though the retired-hero-now-teacher was the only one at Ground Beta, Bakugo promised he would keep Yagi's connection with Deku a secret.
Kirishima seemed to be stuck on that thought as he stood there at the foot of Bakugo's bed. "Why?"
There was an even longer pause as Bakugo stared at the redhead… yeah, why was Shitty Hair even sticking up for that nerd? He sighed, gazing across the room at his desk. Regardless of that, he had to reduce the suspicion at all costs. After twisting his mouth, the hothead genius thought of something else that still bothered him.
"Actually…" Bakugo straightened up some more as he looked up to ask. "Why did all of you risk your ass to save mine in Kamino?"
"Wha.. why?!" Kirishima suddenly sounded defensive, as expected about the switch on topic. "Because that was the right thing for us to do.. we were supposed to keep you safe!"
"Yeah...that's why you are all so fucked up. I didn't need to be saved!" Bakugo jumped up off the bed to grip his classmate's shirt. Sure, he never did like to feel 'helpless'. Feeling that way made his blood boil unbearably. And while the blonde would agree to the fact he was a bully and had argued with his classmates about morale, a villain he would never become! What pissed him off the most was that he got caught by those half-assed villain wanna-be's. His near fatal mistake was the most unforgivable thing, even if Yagi said his actions weren't to blame. "It was my fault I got caught, so it was my fucking problem to fix!"
"Hey, it was just as much as our fault for not stopping them!" Kirishima quickly refuted, trying to take the blame for himself again. "Look, it wasn't Midoriya's idea to save you... it was mine. He was in the hospital with busted arms when we talked to him about what we could do!"
"Still doesn't change anything!" Bakugo seethed, as hot sparks began to spit and pop from his fisted hand under Kirishima's chin. He had already figured out their operation earlier from their police reports, so he knew that already. Kirishima just had that really irritating habit of covering for him.
"So if that was why you got into a fight with Midori-" Kirishima made that assumption. As the redhead endured Bakugo's spiteful attitude, he had not hardened up in defense yet.
"Just. SHUT. UP. Or else..." the hothead continued his threats as his other hand began to glow menacingly. While Kirishima's theory was a good reason, Bakugo wasn't confident that he wasn't taking him seriously enough. Why?
The Crimson Riot freak growled back, accepting the challenge to test his endurance. "Try me!"
Bakugo curled his lip up as he readied his other hand. He ignited more of his sweat so that glowing heat sparked from his palm. Their skills had improved since his last match with the hardening hero, and he wondered if it would be more of a challenge. However, the hothead reluctantly forced down that temptation when he decided it wasn't worth getting kicked out of UA, otherwise wrecking his pro-hero future. "Fuck it…" he conceded by dropping his smoking hands.
Kirishima caught him, keeping the blonde from turning away. The contact of a hand on his shoulder left him feeling suddenly on edge again. His fists clenched.
"Seriously though… are you okay? I mean… today was the first in a long time that your scores didn't come out on top," his friend's voiced concern threw his emotions back into a genuinely enraged top-spin.
"Get the fuck-" Bakugo shouted, swatting the hand away. None of his classmates ever asked him that before. That was because he made sure they did not. Bakugo didn't want them to worry about him, ever. Honestly though, he never really felt okay ever since that day that fucking nerd bested him.
The red-haired teen harshly glared at him in return with his scrutinizing beady red eyes.
"Why do you care? I'm just fucked up!" Bakugo continued his rant, his face hot with emotion as his temper flared. The rebellious blond still struggled to understand why this guy had such a crazy admiration for him, even when he was at his worst.
"Because… " Kirishima's words came out slowly, heavy with conviction and the courage it must have took to say them. "Because... I'm worried about you, bro. I just want to.. I want you to be the best."
Bakugo clenched his jaw, sucking back air through his nostrils as his anger simmered. Kirishima had that way of suddenly making it difficult for him to argue. Just the way he didn't compete against him was.. unusual. Before meeting this sharp-toothed redhead, the blonde had always perceived life as a dog eat dog world. He no longer had any patience for friends, because they eventually would just turn on him. So instead, everyone became his canon fodder before they had the chance.
"You don't NEED to be!" Bakugo finally shouted back in rebellion. It was getting to be too much to process, really. "I can figure it out myself!"
Then it happened almost too fast. Kirishima moved in, growling as he literally butted heads with Bakugo. His friend's hands gripped either side of his head, holding him against his forehead. Naturally, the rebellious blonde tensed up, feeling so conflicted about his personal space being invaded like this.
"Why are you so stubborn? Didn't you learn anything from today?" the redhead argued in return.
Bakugo raised up his hands to griplay Kirishima's arms, wanting to wrest away from this unexpected physical contact. Being touchy feely with people was something he never got used to. It was too much... too close! His heart started to pound in alarm, from feeling Kirishima's warm breath against his own face, and the feel of fingers in his hair, the fingertips digging into his scalp. He could practically smell the subtle spicy scent from the redhead's deodorant. His fear of this intimacy wrestled violently with his longing for comfort. Bakugo hated feeling weak by giving in. He had to protect his tough-guy image, his 'manly' pride. But...
"How could I forget it…" the blond choked out the words. His sweaty hands squeezed Kirishima's forearms tighter, at the same time feeling his classmate's skin harden. Small sparks escapes and popped from his palms, but he did not push the redhead away just yet. Bakugo closed his eyes, just because seeing his friend's face at point blank was too much. He had to calm down, this made him feel so weak.
"It's something to learn from... I can tell you.." Kirishima whispered, almost sounding like he wanted to say more but he fell silent.
This whole day was a fuck up he wish he could forget, or do over. It continued to grate at him how Kirishima's and Sparky's chivalrous attitudes and their push for teamwork, was what set their scores apart from his own. He lost the majority of his points to those pissy, fucking rescue assholes.
His loss was the painful truth, and Yagi's words from earlier reinforced it. It made sense though. Katsuki needed to focus more on saving others to win. But if he had to, he rather look to Kirishma for guidance rather than that fucking nerd. His sharp-toothed classmate had a sharp eye for what was acceptable (aka manly) and what wasn't. And whenever he let the blonde know, it didn't sound like a jab or a cut down, but a thoughtful observation on how to get better.
The spiky blonde finally had enough and pushed away.
"Hey, we got this!" Kirishima grinned at him, looking like he wanted to pat Katsuki's shoulder but instead respected his space.
"God… I hate you," he grumbled under his breath, turning away with mixed relief. Saying 'thank for' stupid, sappy shit was something he would never be caught dead doing. He wouldn't be surprised if he had a red spot on his forehead right now too.
Kirishima just waved his hand, interpreting Bakugo's sentiment in his own way. But he doesn't leave… dammit. Instead, the redhead took a seat, sitting backwards on his desk chair.
"I am really tired..." Bakugo hinted, flopping backwards heavily on his bed.
Stupid Shitty Hair ignored that though. "I just realized something… Midoriya's able to fight with his power now, without hurting himself?"
"What kind of question is that?" The blonde sat up to scowl at the crimson-haired one. He actually made a good point though… because Bakugo did fight Deku without any of that fucking fancy support gear. Nor did the nerd seem to be as badly hurt as he had been after giving it all before. But, if his rival was in more pain than him right now, that damned thought made Bakugo smile sinisterly. "...yes, he fuckin' can. We weren't allowed to see Recovery Girl either."
"Well, least you didn't get in a fight with him during the testing!" Kirishima mused, his big, toothy grin glinting in the dim light. He had crossed his arms on top if the seat now, to rest his head on them.
"Because I'm not that stupid. I learned that lesson," Bakugo fell back on his bed. Yes, his first classroom challenge with Deku (and Roundface and FourEyes) was also the first time he had lost hard. Just because he had let his emotions take over.
"How long are you grounded?" the redhead's question sounded tired.
"Four. Fucking. Days."
"Same for Midoriya?"
Bakugo just snarled.
"He's not grounded?"
"No… he is," Bakugo lifted his head just long enough to explain. He happened to notice Kirishima's eyes were half-lidded. "I'm stuck with him for three fucking days!"
"Good times!"
"Cleaning."
"Nevermind..." he yawned.
His friend didn't have anything else to say that time, but he still sat there as if thinking.. or falling to sleep. That left Bakugo staring at his ceiling, exhaling audibly. It was becoming apparent that his friend was just coaxing him into talking. But he rather just go to sleep already now that his fire had left him.
"Hey… I still gotta wake up at the ass-crack of-" the blonde rose up to his elbows, only to be cut off by his observation that Kirishima fucking dozed off. His eyes were shut and there was snoring. Already.
Fucking stupid Shitty Hair…
He didn't say anything more out loud as Bakugo quietly got up from his bed to walk over and kneel down by his friend. The redhead hardly twitched when he poked his arm once. Such a foolish idiot, to have let his guard down around him this much.
Straightening up, the explosion lord bared a wide toothy grin as he lit up his palms before clapping them together to create a bright, startling explosion.
"Ho… Shit!" Kirishima jumped up backwards from the desk chair, hardening his arms as he held them up in front of his face in defense.
Bakugo chuckled lightly, happy to have succeeded at finally getting that much of an alarmed reaction out of Mr. Red Rock.
"Shit for Hair, go to bed already.. back in your room," Bakugo ordered, thumbing in that direction.
"Alright…" the redhead stood up, yawning slightly as he shuffled out. "Going. Good night."
Bakugo just grumbled in return, closing the door, and then making sure it was locked before heading back to crash into his bed.
ooooooooooooooooooooo
Why is there so much shit in these couches? When was the last time these fucking things were cleaned before us? WHO did the cleaning last time….? Bakugo continued his internal rants about the whole process as he thrust the hose to his vacuum in between and under the cushions. The sound of debris rattled up the plastic into the hose, making him swear some more. So much crap! Did the others do this on purpose? And here he thought cleaning this place was going to be an easy job. Well, not after what he saw on their daily 'to do' list. In addition to the general cleaning, there were special jobs too. He furrowed his brow, deciding to make something more out of this shitty work.
"Damn… the last one to finish vacuuming here, has to clean the bathroom!" the blond declared.
"But... Kacchan," the fucking nerd already had to disagree. Of course. "We're supposed to split all the cleaning jobs."
"Stop calling me Kacchan!" he shot back over his shoulder. "And you are doing the toilets."
"But.. but that's not splitting evenly!" Deku just refuted the latter.
"Like they're GOING to NOTICE?!"
"You're raising your voice…" the green haired kid turned around to warn him. He did notice the boy glance nervously to the far side of the room where a spycam bot stood in the corner. Apparently, the damn thing thought it was hiding. Talking with each other was fine, but as soon as it became a shouting match, it was going to send an alert!
Bakugo snorted. His next response sounded more like a yelled whisper as he faced him. "Shut up, or you're cleaning the toilets with a toothbrush!"
"… THAT'S UNSANITARY!" Deku blurted out loud, glaring at him with wide eyes and a scowl.
"I said SHUT up!" the blonde hushed him, resisting the urge to also bap the idiot. "Not with your toothbrush, shithead… tch."
"It's still unsanitary!"
"Wear gloves and a face mask," Bakugo turned back to the couch he was vacuuming out.
"It'll be your turn tomorrow."
"Whatever…" he pounded the couch cushion back into place.
They had finally finished with the vacuuming, and moved on to the kitchen. While the kitchen staff had cleaned up the food prep from breakfast and washed the dishes, they were told to leave the rest for Bakugo and Midoriya to finish up. That mean they were to dry and put away the dishes, wipe down the counters, and mop the floors. Joy.
He grabbed a dish towel and picked up a bowl from the stack in the dryer racks. It was mostly dry, so they proceeded to wipe off any remaining water droplets.
"Why do you want me to stop calling you Kacchan?" Midoriya asked while carefully stacking up his bowls on the counter.
"Because I am NOT Kacchan anymore," he stated rather simply. No one else at UA identified him by his childhood nickname, so it was really embarrassing to still be called that. Especially when no one else at at the camping trip knew who 'Kacchan' was.
"But.. why?"
Bakugo just glared at him with his trademark Look of Death that otherwise told people to Fuck Off.
Except it didn't send shitface packing this time. Ergh.
"It's just that.. that you haven't picked an approved pro hero name.. and you don't want 'Bakugo' to be your hero name either, so… what will you put on your provisional license?" Deku thought out loud. He moved on to drying the cups.
"Hnn… " he just scowled. No... thank YOU for reminding me that I am ALSO missing out on that shit-fest.
"Maybe if.. if you change it to just be 'Lord Explosion'? That sounds cool."
"Just... I'm not going to take any ideas from you!" Bakugo loudly resisted the suggestion. He actually was thinking of that idea, but to have Deku call it out was just as irritating as it was flattering.
"The others have been calling you names like Boomer, Dyna Might, Blasty McSplo- "
"Deku, dammit… shut up!" the blonde really just wanted to think about his own ideas, on his own terms, by himself somewhere. But no… no.. now he was left wondering who the hell coined the term 'Blasty McSplode'. That deserved a death sentence!
"Who was calling me that?" He threatened Deku with a chopstick aimed for one of the nerd's nostrils.
"Wha..What?"
"Blasty. McSplode."
"Mina-kun, I think."
"Tch… figures..." he stepped back, like nothing happened.
At least 'Ground Zero' wasn't mentioned yet.
"I still wanna call you Kacchan though.. just because of how well that still suits you."
"Rrgh…" Bakugo finished drying and putting away the chopsticks and spoons in a huff, not feeling the victory of getting that task done first. He turned to make the bleach water to wipe the tables and counters with. Getting to the other side of the dining area, away from his tag-along looser classmate, sounded so much better now.
That worked for a few blessid minutes, until the nerd came out to mop the floor. Apparently, something else was bothering the little shit, because he started mopping next to Bakugo.
"I just keep thinking about your question… about why I lost to you last night," Deku started again. "Then earlier today.. that was it, right? I'm not fast enough yet. You were still able to predict my attack."
The blonde just paused wiping to look at him with an audible sigh.
"How can I beat you?" Deku asked next.
It was a bold question, a very daring, gutsy one.
Bakugo just twitched his eye, finding that to be very unbelievable to hear. "That's something you have to figure out yourself, shithead!"
"Is it about your weaknesses?"
He just stared about him, with the 'of course' written rather plainly. He wasn't going to discuss what those were, though. That would be stupid!
"What's next?" Deku sighed, picking up from the table the 'To Do' list detailing their cleaning assignments.
"Bathrooms, shithead," Bakugo tossed the wash rag into the bucket. He had pretty much memorized what they had to do for the day.
"No… after that," Deku frowned. "Lunch duty? We have to help with that?"
"And dinner too.. just to keep us busy," Bakugo wasn't thrilled about it either, having to work alongside those grumpy cafeteria ladies. All he could fathom was that they didn't want him and Deku talking with the others, if not possibly eavesdropping on what assignments they had been missing. At least it was just lunch and dinner. Breakfast was just still cleanup afterwards.
ooooooooooooooooooooo
The intense warmth from the bathwater did feel good on Bakugo's sore and bruised muscles after such a long day, but the pain that settled into the abrasive-like burns on his arms became too much. He did his best to tough it out as long as possible, but he finally succumbed to the misery. The blonde bolted from the hot water and grabbed for his towel.
Bakugo wanted to be the last one in the bath, just so no one would fuss over him for looking the way he did. Sure, they were victorious battle wounds, but the reason he got them made him feel sick now. He still felt like a loser, because he hadn't met All Might's qualifications. That's why he had to work harder at meeting, and exceeding that!
After securing his towel around his waist, Bakugo made a beeline to the sinks to cool off his arms. His right cheek also took a lashing too from that bastard One-for-All Wonder-Boy, but his arms hurt the worst. The funny thing, as an added benefit from his quirk, the hothead didn't get burnt from his own fiery explosions. This wasn't a feeling he was used to.
So the shock of very cold water on his red, hot flushed skin, however, just made him swear even more. His hands sizzled as a coping mechanism, until the cold water tamed them.
That was when he noticed Deku was at the other end of the row of sinks, staring at him. The shitty broccoli-head was wearing his All Might pajama bottoms, his shirt folded up on the sink counter. He had been reapplying all his ointments and bandages to his scrapes. Bakugo didn't want to think about it, but that pathetic nerd was covered with so many scars on his arms… it was sad.
And that actually made the blonde feel better about his own plight.
"Are you…?" Deku asked carefully, taking a couple steps closer.
"M' fine!" he shouted abruptly in between swears. The cold water and cool air on his damp skin gave him the chills, otherwise making him feel a little less adequate.
"I'm sorry-"
"You better be, dumbass… after all this fucking damage: you lost!" Bakugo seethed, shaking out his numbed arms. He stopped to look at his abrasions, only to suddenly freeze. There was someone else at the sinks now.
IcyHot came in to brush his teeth at the last sink, all while giving them that 'well, this is interesting' look.
"You saw nothing!" Bakugo felt even more awkward, realizing he was still in his towel with all of his pathetic abrasions on display. That settled it… he decided he better wait until it was super late tomorrow night until sneaking into the bathroom (just before they pull the plug).
"Are those.. burns?"
"Yeah, you could say that," Deku answered for the hothead, regardless.
Bakugo just gave both of them his disapproving glare, and without another word, he left to find his clothes.
"Ask the infirmary for some Alocain," IcyHot suggested after spitting, somehow implying his own personal wisdom to that truth.
"Ooh… I think I have that in here!" Deku suddenly brightened, sliding over to his own personal first aid kit.
Don't need it… nope. I'll be fine. Bakugo stubbornly thought to himself as he overheard them. Once he got dressed, he sat back down on the bench by the lockers to sort through his small collection of gauze and bandages.
"I'm just going to leave this here.. for you," Deku spoke softly, setting the bottle on the bench next to him. The boy scuttled away just as quickly.
The blonde sighed again, continuing with the wrap of gauze on his left arm. Don't need it. He had applied some antibiotic ointment beforehand, and was going wrap it back up like before. But… Bakugo's eyes slid back over to look at the bottle again. What made it so damned special, anyway?
Dropping his strip of gauze, he picked up the white bottle to read it.
Tch… it's for wimps who can't handle the pain or the scarring. He was about to yeet it, but another thought Shitty Hair had told him about teamwork stopped him. One chopstick alone could be broken easily, but more than one joined together became stronger than steel.
"Dammit Deku…" Bakugo gripped the bottle, finally giving in and flipped open the lid.
oooooooooooooooooo
I'M sure a bunch of fanfics have already been done on this Bakugo vs. Midoriya storyarc. But the headcanons I got on what they could have done during their housearrest were many so I decided to go forth. More is yet to come after this!
Thank you for reading!
