Chapter 17
Uraraka Ochako: how far do you want to get? *angel emoji*
Bakugo stared at his phone screen in a mild state of disbelief. His mouth was slightly agape. What was happening right now? He wasn't sure what had possessed him as of late but he hated the feeling. He understood anger and frustration…annoyance…even calmness. But this new feeling that squeezed his insides every time he thought of or interacted with the gravity quirk user was different. He'd never felt this before. At least not like this. Not for this long.
Why had he called her at midnight anyway? His fingers had hit dial before he even knew what was happening. He would never admit it this but he had known for sometime when her birthday was. He had overheard Pinky talking about it with Kirishima during one of the study sessions they all had. His hand had scribbled down the date at the bottom of his assignment, like if he had been possessed.
He hadn't been able to go to sleep. The whole day he thought about whether or not he was supposed to wish her a happy birthday. Normally, he would have said fuck no. But with her, it felt different. They had kissed for fuck's sake! Well, he kissed her but she said she didn't mind it. It felt like he should say happy birthday at least. Next thing he knew he was on the phone with her. It was like he had blacked out momentarily and came too somewhere in the Twilight zone. Only his twilight zone was a world where Uraraka Ochako, Class 1-A's sweetheart by day, Would-be-Sex-slave by night, was flirting with him. HIM!? Of all people!
Why him?
And it appeared like he hadn't made it out of the Twilight zone just yet.
Was he stupid?
He could vaguely hear the sounds of explosions and curse words in the background, but his mind was somewhere else.
"Dude! They're going to beat us!" Kirishima exclaimed as he began to violently hit buttons on his control.
"It's too late now!" Sero shouted with glee.
"Aaaand BAM!" Kaminari exclaimed, shooting up from his spot on the couch and raising a fist in the air in celebration.
Bakugo grunted. His eyes still glued onto his phone screen.
"We won. We beat you. You suck." Kaminari and Sero started singing together, moving around the Bakugo household living room floor in what could be interpreted as dancing of sorts.
"Well there is a first time for everything," Kirishima said off-handedly, as he turned to look at his explosive friend for some sort of answer as to why Thing 1 and Thing 2 were currently doing a victory lap around Bakugos' home.
"Baku-bro?" He said nudging him slightly with his foot to get the blonde's attention.
Bakugo humphed as he tossed his controller on the floor next to him. He looked up to see three sets of eyes staring at him intently.
"You alright?" Kirishima asked him, his voice laced with concern.
Bakugo rolled his eyes at the group. "Fuck off." He said as he got up from his spot on the floor. All three boys still eyed him curiously.
"What?!" He growled.
"Dude, Kaminari, and Sero have been singing you're a loser for a little over a minute and you haven't blasted them or threatened to kill them," Kirishima said in a matter of fact tone.
"Yeah bro, what gives. It's no fun teasing if you don't react." Kaminari said somberly. Sero nodded fiercely in agreeance. Kirishima chucked a pillow at the duo.
"Tch."
Bakugo began walking towards the corner table, his mind had been reeling so much it had suddenly gone blank. Information overload. He'd charge his phone. Leave it far away for a bit while he gathered his bearings. He had no idea how to respond. He had no idea how he got here in the first place. Fuck.
"Ima disconnect this," Bakugo said as he reached the corner table and disconnected Kirishima's phone from the charger, tossing it at the redhead.
Bakugo was about to connect his phone to the charger when he heard someone begin to violently choke. When he turned around Sero was pounding his open hand against Kirishima's back as the hardening-quirk user began to spit out water.
"Dude?!" Kaminari asked Kirishima, worry evident in his eyes and tone.
"What the fuck Shitty Hair?" Bakugo growled. Anger was easier to show than worry. "You spit all over my couch." He added once he saw Kirishima return to a normal color.
"Sorry," Kirishima said, his voice rough from almost choking.
"What happened?" Sero asked as he jumped over the couch to land next to him.
"Uhmm…hahah…nothing…ha." Kirishima began to squirm, trying desperately to hide his phone without making it too obvious. His cheeks turning almost as red as his hair.
Unfortunately, Kirishima was not known for being subtle. Sero and Kaminari's eyes gleamed with joy and mischief.
Before anyone could react, Sero, being the closest, swiped Kirishima's phone and tossed it to Kaminari. Kirishima immediately jumped out from his place on the sofa and jumped over the coffee table to launch himself towards his electric friend. Before Kirishima could wrestle him down, Kaminari threw the phone at Sero who jumped on and over the couch to catch it, sending the couch tumbling backward with a loud thud.
"Be careful dimwit," Bakugo growled as he set off tiny explosions.
"Baku-bro? Help?" Kirishima said as he pivoted to try and tackle Sero.
Sero yelped and tried to throw the phone in Kaminari's direction but it landed right in between Kaminari and Bakugo. Both boys launched towards the phone, Kaminari getting tangled on the game console cables, sending it and some family photos crashing down.
"KATSUKI!" A loud screech came from upstairs causing all four boys to freeze as they were.
The sound of footsteps getting closer thawed them into action. All four boys began scrambling to tidy up the living room.
"KATSUKI! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE!" Mitsuki Bakugo busted into the living room, nostrils flaring and eyebrows furrowed.
"NOTHING YOU OLD HAG CAN'T YOU SEE." Bakugo barked as his mother.
Mitsuki entered the living room eyeing all four boys suspiciously. She began inspecting the room, moving this and that, every so often turning to glare at the four teenage boys under her care. After what felt like an eternity, Mitsuki made her way back towards the stairs.
"Keep it down will you!" She scolded them before turning on her heels to head back upstairs.
All four boys visibly relaxed.
"AND NO FUNNY BUSINESS!" They heard the shout come as clearly as if she was standing in the room next to them making them all flinch.
"Man, she's scary." Sero mused. Kirishima nodded.
"AAHA!" Kaminari suddenly exclaimed, causing the other three boys to turn to him. He was holding Kirishima's phone in his hand. Kirishima groaned.
Bakugo slapped him in the back of his head causing Kaminari to drop the phone into Bakugo's hands. Bakugo tossed it back to Kirishima, who caught it but still looked defeated. He moved to sit back where he had been earlier.
"Well?" Sero said as he retook his seat next to Kirishima.
"All I could see was it was a text from Mina but the phone is locked so I couldn't read the message," Kaminari said as he pursed his lips, deep in thought.
"Don't hurt yourself." Bakugo teased as he plopped down on the floor.
"Why is Mina texting you so close to midnight?" Sero turned to Kirishima, his eyes twinkling.
"None of your fucking business." Bakugo chimed in to help his friend. No, he wasn't helping his friend. He didn't have friends. He just didn't care about the gossip. Yup, that's it. Nonetheless, Kirishima shot him a thankful look.
Before anyone could say anything Kaminari's phone blazed too life.
"Hurry up and answer that you damn gossip queen," Bakugo said through a yawn.
"It's not a phone call it's a text and I'm not a damn gossip queen." He said as he picked up his phone, "I just like to be informed."
"Who's texting you at this hour?" Kirishima rebounded the question Sero had asked him earlier.
"WHAT THE FUCK!" Kaminari exclaimed. His face turning redder than it had ever been in his life.
"Bro, you alright?" Sero asked starting to get up to check on him.
"NO! STAY RIGHT THERE!" Kaminari asked grabbing his phone close to his chest, possessively.
"Relax, ain't nobody trying to read your lame as fuck texts," Bakugo said through another yawn. "Fuck it's getting kind of late."
"For you old man." Sero chirped. Bakugo was about to retort when he felt the mood in the room shift. Kirishima was staring intently at Kaminari, who was reciprocating the intense stare.
"Uhm…Kaminari?" Kirishima broke the silence.
"Mmm," Kaminari responded.
"Did, uhm…was that one of the uhm…girls at Uraraka's sleepover?" Kirishima whispered.
Kaminari's eyes went a bit wider as he nodded.
"And uhm…well uhm…was it…you know…" Kirishima whispered again, his cheeks flaring.
"What the fuck is going on Shitty Hair," Bakugo snarled; the feeling of not knowing was not one that sat well with him. Sero looked just as confused.
Kaminari's face went red again but he nodded in acquiescence.
"SHITTY HAIR!" Bakugo yelled, his patience waning to nonexistent.
"What are the chances of…" Kirishima let his question trail.
"If one of you doesn't start speaking I swear I'm going to rip your damn heads off." Bakugo barked.
"There he is!" Sero chimed in, happy that Bakugo was back to handing out death threats.
"Shut it Soy Sauce Face."
Kirishima gave Kaminari a long stare, communicating something through only their eyes.
"Okay, well…I think…" He turned to Kaminari, "We think…that the girls…maybe playing games."
"Games?" Sero asked confused.
"It's the only thing that would explain this," Kaminari said looking down at his phone like it had sprouted human legs and could walk.
"Explain what?" Sero asked again.
"Well earlier I got a…uhmm…"Kirishima started to say but his voice began to fail him.
"Spit out already!" Bakugo said exasperated. Kirishima glared at Bakugo before closing his eyes to gather his thoughts.
"Okay so let's say the reason I started choking earlier was cuz' I got a not safe for work text from Mina earlier." Kirishima finished what he was saying before he opened his eyes.
"And I got a not safe for work photo on Snapchat from one of the girls at the party," Kaminari said, his cheeks seeming permanently tinted red.
"A photo?!" Kirishima exclaimed. "I thought you got a text."
"I get a text to look at my snap," Kaminari exclaimed.
"Wait!? What? Not safe for work? What's that?" Sero asked, his face scrunched in deep thought.
"They mean porn idiot," Bakugo growled. Was that what all of this was?
"Porn-ish." Kaminari clarified.
"Mina texted you porn?" Sero said incredulously, still trying to put two and two together.
"NO!" Kirishima said starting to feel flustered, "She texted me something that was more on the flirty side. But alluding to…uhm..well yea."
"And you got a naked picture?" Sero turned to Kaminari in awe.
"NO!" Kaminari immediately corrected him, "But it was uhm…sexy." He whispered the last word.
"So, let's see if I get this." Sero worried at his lip, one finger on his chin, "The girls are all at Ura-cutie's birthday sleepover and they are playing some kind of game that has them sending flirty sexy texts and photos to us?"
Kirishima and Kaminari nodded.
"What kind of game could they be playing," Bakugo asked, his voice sounding calm. Too calm.
"Well, it could be any game really." Kaminari started deliberating but Kirishima cut him off.
"Not any game. I'd put my money on Truth or dare."
Truth or dare? Bakugo felt like a dumbass.
"Are you all going to respond?" Sero asked, his eyes glinting with mischief again.
"I don't think they actually meant what they sent," Kirishima said, sounding a little deflated.
"Okay but if it's just a game then why not play along?" Sero asked, starting to get comfortable on the couch.
Just a game.
Of course.
This was all just a game to them.
To her.
She was probably dared to text him that.
That made a whole lot of more sense than…
Than what? Did he actually think she liked him?
Him?
He really was stupid.