"I'm telling you, dude," Kirishima said, lifting his hand weight back up then down. "It has be manly!"

A groan and Bakugou was just sitting on the bench- he had stopped working out awhile ago, his mind on his… problem. "But… like what?"

He had no idea what to do and had just come to terms nothing would ever happen. All he wanted was to ask Deku out on a fucking date- but for some damn reason, he couldn't. Sure, he could walk up and just ask . But that all seemed way to easy. Bakugou never did anything the easy way. As they were working out, Bakugou had brought it up to his best friend, hoping he might have ideas of what to do.

Stopping for a moment, Kirishima thought hard. "Oh! Flex your muscles when he is looking your way! That is very manly!" Kirishima said.

"Flex my muscles?"

"Yeah!" setting down his weight, Kirishima stood there, flexing his pectorals and his arms. "Like this!"

But what Bakugou saw, was Kirishima flexing his chest. "You want me to bounce my tits at him?"

"No! Flex your muscles!" Kirishima exclaimed. "Ok… ok… hear me out! Try grabbing for something, and when you arm is extended-" which Kirishima was showing him, then his muscles flexing. "Did you see that?"

Oh he saw it. A small twitch in Kirishima's muscle. But what was the point? They all worked out and were aiming to be heroes. It was kind of just what they did. "That was… lame."

"Fine… why not when you hug him, slap his back real hard!" Kirishima said.

"Why would I hug him?"

"Because you are hoping it turns to a kiss!" Kirishima groaned, rolling his eyes.

Thinking for a moment, Bakugou knew if he could hug Deku, he could just as easily kiss him. "But why slap his back?"

"The stronger you slap, the more manly you are!" Kirishima grinned. "Cracking your knuckles, eating overly spicy food… but not being affected by it."

"I always eat spicy food…" Bakugou grumbled. Which was true. Everyone in their dorm knew to stay away from the sauce bottle with the toxic death symbol on it. Bakugou laced all his food in that shit. He was currently looking for something even spicier. Deku would grimace as he watched him pour it over whatever was on his plate.

A sigh and Bakugou laid back on the bench. He knew Kirishima was the wrong guy for this. He probably should look up things online.

"You could try flexing OUT of your shirt," Kirishima added.

"What the hell are you mumbling about?"

"You know! Flex so hard your shirt rips off! Nothing manlier than that!"

This was only getting worse. He was just ready to give up. If it was meant to happen with Deku then it would. It had been over a year and he had to wonder why he even bothered. That damn nerd was only his classmate and rival at that.

"Seriously dude," Kirishima said, turning towards him. "It is so easy!" With that, Kirishima flexed and as he did, his quirk activating, ripping his shirt.

"Ugh! You dumbass!" Bakugou cried. "You used your quirk!"

Tilting his head, Kirishima looked over to the mirror. Sure enough his quirk was fully activated- and his shirt was torn in pieces. "Still was manly!" he exclaimed.

Why did Bakugou even bother asking this fool? Shaking his head, he was ready to just blast a punching bag… a lot. He was pent up with frustrations and this talk only made him want to kill something.

"Listen," Kirishima said, moving to his bag to grab another shirt. "He will be in here in a minute. Let's add a ton of weight to my bar here and I'll struggle with it!"

"And this helps me how?" Bakugou asked.

"Well duh!" Kirishima exclaimed. "You will be the one to lift the bar and save me! How manly is that?"

He had no other ideas, and yeah, he knew it was almost time for Deku to come in and do his own work out. He tried to time his where they overlapped, but he wasn't in the gym the entire time. That shit looked too desperate. The last thing he needed was to look like some love sick puppy trailing after Deku of all people.

Helping Kirishima add weights to his bar, they could hear Deku coming in. One last plate on each side and Kirishima winked at him while laying back on the bench.

"Ok!" Kirishima said, placing his hands on the bar and going to lift.

Bakugou wasn't paying attention to Kirishima. What he was watching was Deku coming into the gym, his shorts a little on the smaller size- no complaints there, but Deku really should get new gym clothes. He still wore the ones from the previous year- which only made them cling a bit too much to his body. His shorts tight over his round bottom, and a bit too short on his shapely legs.

Even as that damn nerd waved and smiled at him- like he always did, Bakugou did his normal growl almost as if a warning for Deku not to come near him. He ironically wanted Deku near him, hell- even to work out with him. There was no way in hell he could even consider asking him to do so. It was best to growl and snarl over at the damn nerd.

Turning his back to them, Deku started to stretch a bit. His hands on the wall as he bent at the waist. Bakugou had to wonder if this was a test of his will. Deku with his little round ass poked out- the fabric of his gym shorts at their max, the muscles running down the back of his legs and that damn thigh gap.

This nerd either knew exactly what he was doing- or he was just fucking clueless.

"Bakugou!" Kirishima grunted.

Ignoring Kirishima for a moment- as this was one of his favorite parts of Deku coming into the gym. Deku always made sure to stretch, then slowly warm up. The stretching was Bakugou's favorite to watch, and he had almost mastered ' looking without looking '. He did not want that damn nerd to know he was staring at him, so he had to be careful how and when he looked. It was easy when Deku had his back to him… and his ass in the air.

Turning back to Kirishima, he saw the bar resting on his chest and the fact his face was the color of his hair. He had not been paying attention as he swore all the blood had rushed from his head down below his waist watching that damn nerd. If Kirishima had not called out to him, he would still be watching Deku bent over and stretching.

"The hell have you done?" he asked.

"Bar… heavy!"

The dumbass was stuck. When Bakugou went to help lift it off of him, he realized he couldn't. They had not paid attention to how much weight they added to the bar- and it was far to heavy for either of them.

"What the fuck?" Bakugou growled, trying to pull up the bar- though he couldn't.

Both of them grunting, Kirishima kicking his legs- the bar pressing harder against his chest. How much weight had they put on the bar? It looked like one side even had more weight than the other side.

"Activate your quirk!" Bakugou yelled.

"I AM!" Kirishima grunted, his quirk was full on as the bar was pressing down fully on his chest- pinning him to the bench.

"Ohmygod!" Deku yelled, coming over to their assistance. Straddling over Kirishima, Deku went to assist with the bar- but it still do not budge. "I'm going to try with my quirk!" Deku exclaimed, then he grabbed the bar again- his body pulsing in his quirk and easily lifted it up. Bakugou saw even with Deku's quirk activated, his arms still shook as he lifted the bar up.

A deep breath and Kirishima as gasping for air.

"What the heck were you two doing?" Deku gasped.

"I um… well I wanted to up my weights," Kirishima explained.

"Aren't you supposed to do a little at a time?" Deku asked- though they all noticed that Deku was still in Kirishima's lap. Blushing, Deku backed off to Kirishima and moved away from them both.

Laughing, Kirishima ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess I know that now!"

Bakugou slapped his forehead at just how stupid Kirishima was at times. Deku just stood there, staring at them both. "...Kacchan?" Deku asked.

Bakugou just wanted to get out of there. Away from Deku, away from Kirishima- away from all of this.

"Are you ok, Kacchan?" Deku asked him.

"I think he might have worked out a little too hard," Kirishima said, slapping his back.

Deku smiled as he looked over at them. Bakugou swore his feet were melting into the ground as Deku's cheeks lit up and his freckles somehow stood out even more.

"Maybe we should try to come to the gym at the same time!" Deku said, his hand moving and rubbing the back of his neck. "We always seem to be passing each other in here."

Was Deku's face getting redder? Why were his shorts so damn tight? Bakugou swallowed and tried to look anywhere but at his shapely legs.

"Yeah dude!" Kirishima said, trying to edge on the conversation. "I think Bakugou is getting sick of my weight lifting regimen as it is!"

"Shut up," Bakugou growled quietly at Kirishima.

"Well especially after what happened!" Deku laughed, grabbing his center and almost doubling over from laughing. Kirishima had joined in- cause the fool could always laugh at himself.

Bakugou was not finding all of this funny. He felt as if he was humiliated from not being able to lift the damn bar off Kirishima. If it had been for Deku and his fucking quirk…

Snarling, he grabbed his water bottle and his towel and stomped off to the locker room. He did not even bother to look over his shoulder.

He would try again another day… maybe tomorrow once he fixed his sour mood and his pride.