Chapter 3:

The gym is a great place to unwind.

It's been a long time coming for the weekends to arrive, and he welcomed it wholeheartedly. He needs a break- completing a tough and demanding project is certainly draining. He loves his major, Kinesiology. He really does, but if he keeps going at the rate he is ; he won't live long enough to see the upcoming Crimson Riot he has been anticipating for a long time.

Which is why he feels the calling to go hit the gym in order to relax. And, what better way to relax than to go lift some weights.

He could say that it's a good decision so far. With the barbell's weight being the only thing on his mind, he is now able to get his mind off of other thoughts like his studies and a certain blond foul-mouthed barista who has been occupying his thoughts more and more these days than he would have wanted.

The barbell's weight is excruciating to say the least and he grunted under the force of it. Even so, he managed to lift it as a burst of strength hit him all of a sudden.

Faint sounds clapping could be heard and his head swiveled up to see his friend, Tetsutetsu, sending him a thumbs up.

"Good job, bro." Kirishima walked over to his silver haired friend and bumped his friend's offered fist in greeting.

"Looks like we run into each other again." For some inexplicable reason, they have a tendency to randomly run into each other when working out or jogging. It's not a bad thing. He gets to have a gym buddy to keep his company in his stretches. It's certainly an improvement over their previous relationship- When they could hardly stand each other and have such a fierce rivalry which would not be resolved until a good old game of arm-wrestling.

"I won't be able to go the gym next week, so I decided to go today." Tetsutetsu set his bag down and started the treadmill.

"It's a good thing that you did." Kirishima started up the treadmill beside his friend. "I was getting bored working out by myself so it's good to have ya with me, man."

"I feel the same, bro." Tetsutetsu agreed and began speeding up his treadmill. "Want to do some squat jumps after we're done with this?"

"Yeah." Kirishima punched his fists together and started running the treadmill with a newfound vigor.

Time passed by without much fanfare aside from them proceeding with their usual exercises. Until, finally, they were both pushed to their limits and are now catching their breaths.

"Did you see that bro? We surpassed our record there!" Kirishima exclaimed excitedly as he wiped the sweat off of his brow with his towel and gulped down some water.

"That's awesome!" Tetsutetsu said. "At this rate, we'll be able to move on to the harder exercises."

The redhead opened his mouth to respond to what his friend had said, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye that made him clamp his mouth shut.

To be more specific, it's someone and it's not someone he is perfectly pleased to see. Not when that someone had left him an emotional mess a few months back on Valentine's day.

Now, the guy is here in his flesh, looking as he did as the first time they met, regal and handsome. Only this time, he has a girl holding his hand in a way that is far too intimate to be platonic.

He clenched his fist as a surge of emotions clouded up his chest. First, there is anger seeping into his body, urging him to go confront the guy and give him a good punch on the face- Such feeling only intensified when the guy met his gaze, smirked at him and tugged the girl closer to himself.

Next, he feels regret. He regrets letting the guy taint his memory of Valentine's day. He should have known better than to cry. The question 'What did I do wrong?' should not have popped into his mind when he realized he had been stood up.

However, he didn't give into any of his feelings. Doing so would only give the guy what he wants-satisfaction, which he cannot allow the other to have.

And so then, he unclenched his fist and sent the guy a smile he would give to a stranger. At his bright smile, the guy's smirk faltered as he turned his gaze away from the redhead to head his way to the changing room.

"You good?" Tetsutetsu looked at him in concern when he had gone silent. "You didn't say anything for a good while there."

"I'm fine, bro." Kirishima reassured, a faraway smile on his face, as he continued. "I just thought I saw someone I know."

"Well, if you say so."

"I know!" An idea came into his mind and he grabbed his silver haired friend by the arm. "Let's get something to eat. I know just where to go!"

"Wait, dude!" Tetsutetsu yelled from behind him. "We left our bags!"

Even as they returned for their bags and get changed in preparation to leave, he could not deny taking pride in the way he feels cathartic, in how his chest feels weightless like it no longer has anything weighing it down.
```

"Bro, that guy is seriously scaring me!" Tetsutetsu turned to the redhead as he tried to escape the glare of the blond-haired barista, standing by the counter.

"Don't talk as if I'm not here." Bakugou grumbled and Tetsutetsu sent Kirishima a look that says 'See, what I mean.'

"Dude, stop that." Kirishima chastised the barista. "You're freaking my friend out. That's not cool, man."

"Whatever." Bakugou said though he did stop glaring at the silver haired boy. "Just order already."

"I'll have an Espresso. One shot, I guess." Tetsutetsu said after taking some time to examine the menu.

"That'll be 239 yen." Bakugou recited and was promptly rewarded by having a stack of bills handed down to him by the silver haired man.

"You didn't ask me what I want, bro." Kirishima pouted up at his friend to which the blond had responded with a roll of his eyes.

"Tch. you always order the same thing."

"I can't help it. I like your hot chocolate too much."" Kirishima cheerfully grinned, biting back the words 'any you' from leaving his lips.

"Of course, you'd think that." Bakugou muttered out, voice softer than it normally is, as a pink flush crept its way to his ears.

The sound of someone clearing their throat had them all turning their heads to see a smirking Sero.

"Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds," Sero interjected. "But we can't have you guys flirting and holding up the line. You two can do that later."

"Shut the fuck up!" Bakugou flipped his co-worker off, stomping off to go and prepare the orders.

Once they had chosen an unoccupied table and laid out their belongings, Tetsutetsu whirled onto him with bemusement present on his face.

"What was that earlier?" Tetsutetsu questioned. "You never told me you have a boyfriend."

"Huh? I don't have a boyfriend."

"Wait. What? You and him aren't together?" From his response, the incredulous look on Tetsutetsu grew more and more.

"No, man." There is a twinge of hurt finding its way within him at what he said next. "Bakugou and I are just friends."

"Really now?"

"Yeah." He was beginning to feel the hurt really setting in at having to reiterate his point. Yet, it's the truth that he must accept, whether he like it or not.

They're just friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

He focused his attention on the drink, determined to make the uneasiness which had etched up through his chest, dissipate with his favorite Hot Chocolate Latte.

It worked and his body was encompassed with the same feeling he adores, and he lets it take him away from all pain and distress. Much like he did like that eventful Valentine's day and all the other times he was met with that same feeling-

He finds himself smiling.

"Is the drink that good?" Tetsutetsu appeared perplexed by his reaction. "It looks like an ordinary hot chocolate drink to me."

"Nah. You're wrong there, bro." Kirishima sent the blond over the counter a smile. From afar, their gazes meet and he winked which almost got Bakugou to trip over his feet.

"Huh?"

"This drink is special to me." The redhead claimed with much confidence that it's true, and he knows that it will remain that way. even years in the future.
```

He gazed up at Bakugou in surprise.

"Bakugou, what are you doing here?" Kirishima questioned. "You don't have shifts on Thursdays, right?"

The redhead had just been intending to stop by UA coffee shop to freshen up after having come off of an intense jogging session, and was not expecting to see the blond explosive barista at this point in time.

"Round face got me to switch shifts with her because she has a date with my fucking neighbor." A look of annoyance crossed Bakugou's face as he continued to say. "You got a problem with me here instead?"

"What?! Of course not!" He put his arms up in defense. "I'm always happy to see a friend."

"Whatever." For some reason, Bakugou seemed more irritated with his words than he expected. "So, if it's Round face you'd be just as happy 'cuz she's also a friend to you?"

"No!" He replied a bit too quickly for his liking. "I mean I'd be happy to see her since Uraraka is my friend, but it won't make me as happy as seeing you because she's not my best friend, you are!"

Bakugou blinked up at his words and the scowl on his face seemed to be placated. The blond huffed and left, leaving him to bask in the happiness that Bakugou hadn't denied his claim of being his best friend.

What's weird is that Bakugou appeared flustered when he was handing him his drink, but he just chalked it up to the other not having much sleep on an early morning.

He got his answer to the other's behavior upon opening the drink. Instead of its regular appearance, the Hot Chocolate Latte has what seemed to be a latte art of a bicep inscribed on top of steaming chocolate.

"Bakugou!" Thankfully, the blond isn't serving any customers and the small line from before had cleared up. "You did this?"

"No. A ghost did it." Bakugou snarked. "Duh, what did you think, idiot?!"

"Sorry, sorry." Kirishima said sheepishly. "I was just making sure. What's the occasion for it anyway? I mean I'm not complaining, it looks really manly."

"Nothing." The blond said, keeping his gaze away from Kirishima as he said. " 'Just wanted to practice my latte art, that's all."

At that moment, he could not process what he is thinking as he said the next words. Perhaps he was overcome with emotion as he looked at the blond and to the bicep art. Whatever it was, it got him to blurt out-

"Give me your number."

"Hah?" He expected Bakugou to look disgusted at his proposition. Except, the blond showed an expression of being taken aback.

"It's weird how I don't have your number yet even though you're my bro and-" He started to ramble before it was cut off by the other listing down his number on a sheet of paper.

Kirishima registered the number onto his phone, and then sent a message to the blond's number. Once he was done, Bakugou grumbled "I swear if you spam me with memes at night-"

" 'Won't happen, bro." The redhead pocketed his phone and started his way to the doorway. His heart, hammering with happiness the whole time. "So uh, I'll be seeing you next time then."

"Yeah." Bakugou's mumble was the last thing he heard before he exited the coffee shop and dissolved in a flurry of excitement.

"Yes!" He struck a triumphant pose and immediately colored in embarrassment when a few people passing by gave him strange looks.

It didn't stop him from having an extra skip to his step though, which he couldn't help after all-

He's really got it bad.