Thank you for all your support on this story! Fair warning... it's about to get hella angsty up in here!

Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia!

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Because I Fought You

Chapter 9

Todoroki was never one to let his emotions get the better of him, or even become nervous. It wasn't until he'd fought and subsequently fallen for Midoriya that his level-headedness had begun to falter. But now, between the realization that he'd just kissed his probably straight best friend, and Bakugo of all people seeing it, he suddenly felt overwhelmed. His vision went in and out, his heart beating so loudly in his ears he would soon be deaf.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" Bakugo shouted. Even his voice sounded confused, a mixture of anger, shock, and disbelief.

Todoroki turned to the one that had shouted, his hazy mind attempting to come up with an explanation and failing miserably. He couldn't see the blondes face clearly, his eyesight still a blur, but he could imagine the expression. Then, his head swayed back in Midoriya's direction, somehow noting that the teen hadn't even moved. His big green eyes staring up at him with a wide, blank expression, lips parted in shock.

"It's too much. I can't handle- I need to get away… I need to leave… This isn't happening…" Then he ran. Away from Bakugo and his crush, away from their room and down the hall, his feet propelling him somewhere -anywhere- other than what was in his mind, the scene of the crime.

He made it outside of the building before finally collapsing to his knees in horrified shock, dragging himself behind a bush to hide. It was pitiful and he knew it, but his nerves were so electrified all he felt was numbness.

The dual user tried to tell himself that he should be relieved. He truly believed that he'd just ruined his chances of ever being friends with Midoriya again, but that could also mean he wouldn't have to try so hard to avoid him. Even as kind as the green haired teen was, he'd undoubtedly do that work himself, keeping a steady distance between them until there was nothing left of what Shoto had considered to be his most precious connection.

It wasn't fair. He shouldn't have to choose between his love for Izuku and protecting the boy's dream of being a pro-hero. Perhaps subconsciously he'd known what would happen, allowing Midoriya to come to his home as a form of self-sabotage.

If he'd just been able to keep his feelings in check then Endeavor wouldn't have made such a terrifying threat in the first place and he could have continued to push his intimate desires down in order to remain friends. At least he believed he could live with that. But now, even if by some miracle he got out from under his father's thumb, there was nothing left between them but an awkward, one-sided kiss.

He dropped his head down and let out a dry, shaking sob as the numbness faded and he finally felt the Earth-shattering pain of heartbreak.


Midoriya was still frozen, unmoving after Todoroki had retreated. Bakugo had now had enough, and stomped over, giving the teen a harsh smack to the face. "I said fucking answer me, Deku! What the fuck was that shit?"

As if he'd been under a spell, Midoriya blinked and touched his lips, before hissing slightly at the growing pain in his cheek. "Kacchan?" he questioned. "What just… Wait! Where did Todoroki go?!"

The blonde took a step back and sized up his ex-friend, then snorted, remembering when he'd first realized his feelings for the redhead were mutual.

~*Flashback*~

Kirishima ran after the blonde, the boy he'd long pined over, his heart beating quickly from exertion and nerves. "Yo! Bakugo. Awesome job at the sports festival, using my quirks limit and everything against me. You did really well man, I'm proud of you! Oh, wait! Where's your medal? I thought someone with an ego as big as yours would have it hanging around their neck like some douche."

Bakugo growled and sent off a warning blast in the redhead's direction before continuing to stalk off. As much as he pretended not to like the presence of anyone, Kirishima was the exception. Not that he'd let the teen know something like that. The idiot was just an all-around nice guy who could get along with pretty much anyone; it wasn't like it was special that he talked to him or anything.

But the boy didn't back off, and kept the quick pace, smiling up at the sky with his signature toothy grin.

"Can I fucking help you, shitty-hair?" he hissed, unsure as to why the boy was following him home.

"Woah! Bakugo asking if he can help? The world must really be about to end. In that case-" Kirishima started but was quickly cut off.

"Go. Away. The only reason I teamed up with you was because your quirk could handle at least some of mine. I have no intentions of being friends with you so beat it, loser!" the blonde boy stated coldly, keeping his red eyes forward so they wouldn't betray how untrue those words were.

"There he is! And the cosmic stability has returned!" Kirishima continued, seemingly unphased by the harsh interruption. "Look, just hear me out okay? Then you can blast my ass to the moon if that's what you want to do."

Bakugo snorted but stopped walking and faced the teen, crossing his arms across his chest and standing as tall as possible. He didn't know what the other wanted to talk about, but he respected the fact that Kirishima was always upfront about what he was thinking. He never pulled any punches, backed down from a fight, or took anything personally. Those were just a few of the reasons Katsuki had fallen for the redhead, and why he'd stifle his irritation just long enough to listen before telling him to hit the curb. Unfortunately for him, the next words that slipped into his ear would be the first to break down his carefully placed emotional walls.

"I know you'll probably think it's kind of lame or whatever, but I can't say I'm manly unless I do this so… I just wanted to tell you that I like you… like in a more than friends kind of way. That's all. Alright dude, sorry to have bothered you while you were walking home. See you in class!"

Kirishima had told himself prior to running after the blonde that he would stay and see how Bakugo reacted. But as soon as the sound of his confession assaulted his own ears, he'd just about lost his nerve completely, and couldn't stand the idea of having to be rejected right then. The redhead figured he'd just get an earful on Monday and hope they could still be friends, if that's what they even were, afterward.

Bakugo, however, stood rigid, unable to process what had just come out of the redhead's mouth. Surely he'd misheard him, or this was just Kirishima's idea of a sick joke – a way to get back at him for all the cruel things he'd said. But one look at those nervous, soft eyes said differently.

The teen had almost made it to the next street before Bakugo's senses returned and he realized his crush had already run off. He took a deep, angry breath and chased after him, knocking the boy into an alley with his hands already primed to explode. "What's your game." He said deathly low, his forearm placed menacingly on the boys surprisingly unhardened throat.

"Come on Bakugo… that's no way to treat someone who just confessed their feelings to you. If you don't feel the same way it's no big deal. I just didn't feel right hanging around you without saying something you know?" Kirishima answered, putting his hands up submissively.

Bakugo swallowed hard and pushed them apart, his hands squeezing and relaxing in agitation. His mind fought with itself, torn between accepting and returning the feelings he knew he had for Kirishima, and the boy's safety. He'd only let his guard down once, and that painful experience had left him always secretly insecure about controlling his power.

A warm hand on his shoulder snapped him from his thoughts, and his hard eyes met Kirishima's. "What's the matter, Bakugo? It's not like you to be so… unresponsive."

"Just shut your mouth shitty-hair! You don't know anything about me." He hissed back, but he didn't leave. His feet refused to carry him away from the boy he'd fallen so hard for.

Kirishima smiled again and stepped forward, bringing them so close they could feel each others body heat. He slid his hand up slightly, rubbing the back of Bakugo's neck gently. "Can I kiss you?" he finally asked, sensing that it wasn't just his declaration that had the teen so wound up.

The blonde unconsciously moved his head forward, silently giving the other boy permission. Their lips almost touched before memories flooded back to him and he yanked himself away, his palms igniting against the opposite wall and he heaved air into his tight chest.

"No… Fucking hell Kirishima. I can't fucking do this…"

The redhead looked concerned and first, but then his face softened, and he tilted his head to the side. "Saying you can't do something is very different than saying you don't want to… So, what is it? I mean, if you want to kiss me and I want to kiss you… won't you at least give it a try?"

Bakugo shook his head and looked down at where the wall had turned black from his hands, accidentally letting worry slip onto his face before it hardened back into its usual scowl. Right as he was about to mouth off an insult, however, Kirishima was pushed up against him, his lips pressed forcibly against his own.

Without trying to shove the other boy off, he let his sweating hands ignite again, believing the heat and sparks would do what he didn't have the strength or will to do. To his surprise, he felt the redhead smirking into the kiss.

Feeling a surge of anger flow through him, he brought his hands up to the boy's hips, sending off another round of explosions to thoroughly make his point. He was dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. But again, there wasn't even so much as a flinch from Kirishima. He'd stayed exactly where he was, their mouths pressed up against each other, unmoving.

"His quirk…" Bakugo realized. A rush of relief and hope bled through him, driving out his frustration and worry. He hesitantly started moving his lips, nearly melting when Kirishima wrapped his strong arms around his neck to deepen the action.

When they finally pulled back for air, he didn't even consider scowling. How could he when the boy he'd longed for was holding onto him so tightly, giving him that wonderous toothy grin.

"You won't hurt me, Katsu…" the redhead stated, leaning in for another round.

Bakugo inwardly groaned at the name but decided to let it slide for now.

~*End Flashback*~

As his memory of that day faded, he saw his own reaction reoccurring in Midoriya. With an inward growl, he knew he'd frozen just like him. "It must be the first time that's happened…"

"Oi… Icy-hot took off after you just stood there like an idiot. I bet he's halfway back to town with how long you blanked out. Fucking Deku." He muttered.

Midoriya's jaw snapped shut, his eyes starting to well with tears. Had he really done what Bakugo claimed? If that was true he didn't doubt Todoroki would leave; the teen was so emotionally damaged from his father it was probably too much for him to handle, seeing him unresponsive after kissing him.

"K-Kacchan…" he whimpered, feeling even worse than he had after seeing those terrible bruises.

"Ahh fuck…" Bakugo responded, his body sagging as if the whole situation was a huge bother. "Just wait here while I go get shitty-hair."


When Kirishima waltzed in, having no prior knowledge as to why Bakugo had practically dragged him from the hot spring, he was immediately concerned. "What the hell? What did you say to him?" he asked, putting his hands on the boys shaking shoulders.

"Don't fucking put this on me, hair for brains! I came in here after you forced me out of the bath to find icy-hot kissing Deku, but this loser froze and let him run off. Now he's fucking crying everywhere and I don't want to deal with this bullshit." Bakugo answered, throwing his head to the side.

He knew exactly what Midoriya was feeling. The disbelief over what had just happened, the self-hate for freezing like a frightened child afterward, and then the overwhelming guilt for letting the ones they cared for run off believing that they didn't feel the same. But, despite the progress he'd made, he couldn't bring himself to show such understanding yet.

"Bro…" Kirishima started, giving the teen a light shake. "It's okay… I'm sure you just need to talk to him about it. If he kissed you that means he likes you… so do you not feel the same way or…?"

"O-of c-cou-rse I d-do!" Midoriya sobbed, his head falling into Kirishima's chest. "I j-just p-panicked…"

The redhead clicked his tongue. He knew what was happening. Despite being one of the lower ranked students in the Class 1-A, he had a real gift when it came to people. Kirishima knew of the power dynamic between Bakugo and Midoriya, and also knew that not everyone could take the blondes cruel words without internalizing them like he could.

It was likely that Izuku's confidence in himself was still too low to have believed that Todoroki had feelings for him, much like Bakugo's reaction to his confession. Not to mention the emotional scars he figured icy-hot had as well. But, if Midoriya's current meltdown was any indication of how deeply he cared for the dual user, he figured that they just needed a little push.

"Look… Katsu and I had a similar interaction when I first told him how I felt…" he started, giving pause when he heard Bakugo cursing behind him.

Midoriya looked up and then glanced back and forth between the two, his eyes widening in realization. "Of course… that's what Kacchan meant when he apologized to me after our practical. He listened to Kirishima because he loves him and their relationship is helping him do better… I should have known…NO! I need to focus on Todoroki right now; I hurt him so badly being stupid as usual…"

"What do you mean?" he finally managed to get out, sniffling his tears back as best he could.

"I froze too you stupid shitnerd," Bakugo stated hotly, his arms crossed defensively. He glared darkly at his lover, warning him not to say anything about his attempt to help.

Midoriya thought his mind would probably explode if anything else happened that night. But Bakugo's words gave him hope. If he'd done the same thing and Kirishima had still dated him afterward, then maybe, just maybe, he'd have a chance. "I…I've got to find him!" He stated, pulling away.

"Yeah man! You've got this!" the redhead chirped, smiling widely, "hey! Katsu… Tell Midoriya he's got this!"

"Fuck off shitty-hair! You've pissed me off enough tonight don't you think!"

Midoriya left the room, his mind registering that they were still arguing until they were no longer in earshot. He didn't know where Todoroki had run off to, but he had to locate the probably emotionally unstable teen. "I'll tell him one of my mom's stories, just like he asked. We're going to get through this, just you wait, Shoto…"

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Okay... How was that? Was it cute? I thought it was cute. Please tell me what you think! Next chapter are some confessions... probably... depends on my mood. I'm a moody writer! Sorry! :)