Category: Mild Romantic Fluff
Characters: Katsuki Bakugo, Nejiro Hado
Requested By: Triton0501 (FanFiction)
"Congratulations on your victory, Nejire!"
"Kyaaa! Nejire-senpai, you looked so beautiful during the pageant!"
"Look! Look! It's Nejire Hado! Isn't she so pretty?"
Nejire tried not to let her ego inflate after several days of hearing nothing but compliments and squeals wherever she walked. Alas, it was difficult not to feel at least a little pleased with so much positive attention! With a serene smile gracing her face and her chin primly raised, Nejire basked in the praise as she strolled through the halls of U.A. High School. As usual, Mirio and Tamaki accompanied her. Typically, the three hero hopefuls would retire to their dormitory or take to the town, but this day was a bit of a deviation. The three of them were headed to Class 1-A's dormitory to visit the rescued orphan, Eri.
Normally Mirio would jaunt off to visit the girl by himself, but as of late, Nejire had been accompanying him as well. Being such a young and impressionable lady, Eri deserved a female role model whom she could approach for issues she may not be comfortable discussing with Mr. Aizawa, Izuku Midoriya, or Mirio. Though still a long way from her turbulent teens, a little girl Eri's age still possessed a plethora of girls' issues, like crushes and identity and the pros and cons of princesses, that Nejire was more equipped to handle. The boys were at least very willing to dress up in pink tutus and cram around Eri's tiny tea table for a bit of play-pretend. Nejire's mind soon became absorbed by the adorable little girl, and she quite forgot about all the big hullabaloo until Tamaki spoke.
"E-everyone seems quite taken with you ever since the pageant," he said with that quivering frown that Nejire found charmingly adorable. She laughed daintily and flipped her periwinkle hair over a shoulder.
"Yes, it's quite lovely! Though, I do wish they would show as much appreciation for the other contestants. I won, but everyone is deserving of praise!" she smiled radiantly. Nejire wanted to avoid all the compliments from rushing to her head, of course, but that didn't mean her statement was fluff. All those who participated were brave for putting themselves out there. Thus, she made a point to say so every once in a while just to remind people.
"Yep, yep. Very true," Mirio quipped as he scrolled through his social media feed. The blonde's favorite pastime was brushing up on the latest hero news; he and Izuku often spiraled into in-depth, enthusiastic discussions about various articles. Nejire thought it quite endearing. Mirio suddenly stopped walking, frowning at his phone screen. Nejire peeked over his shoulder to blatantly read it, finding that he was texting Mr. Aizawa.
"Aw! They're gonna be late?" Nejire pouted. She had been very much looking forward to painting Eri's nails, but it seemed Aizawa was hung up in a board meeting. He often took the child with him to his office hours and meetings; she needed a change of environment now and again. She usually sat at his feet, coloring the cat-themed coloring book Denki Kaminari had bought him for a joke. Mirio and Nejire had burst into laughter when they'd learned he'd kept it, for how else could he pass it on to the small girl?
"Yup," Mirio frowned and closed out of the conversation. Tamaki frowned and began to fidget.
"Sh-should we go to our dorms and wait for them?"
"Nah," Mirio shrugged and resumed his leisurely pace. "We're nearly there, so we can just bug the first-years until they arrive!"
"Ooh! Ooh! I call Bakugo!" Nejire trilled and lunged forward into a sprint. The volatile boy had caught Nejire's eye when she viewed the playbacks of the first-years' Sports Festival, but her interest had truly been piqued during class 1-A's musical performance at the recent school showcase. Nejire was simply dying to converse with the boy, for he seemed like he would be so much fun to tease and coddle! Oh, she could imagine the blush alighting his scowling face already…
Teehee! He's such a cutie! I bet he's got that big tough exterior but is a total softie inside! she thought giddily, sticking out the tip of her tongue as she hopped up the steps of the dormitory. She pushed the doorbell buzzer, holding it for a few seconds, before unabashedly throwing the front door open. "Hellooooooo, everyonnnnne~" she sang jubilantly and spun on her foot with a flourish. Twenty pairs of eyes peeked at her from the common room couches.
"O-oh! Nejire!" Izuku finally squeaked and hopped up from his seat in the armchair. Mirio and Tamaki had finally caught up, and so Izuku's pine green eyebrows crept further up his forehead. "Oh! You're all here! Mr. Aizawa and Eri are hung up in a faculty meeting…"
"We know!" Nejire smiled as she skipped over to the sofas, clasping her hands behind her back with a gleeful bounce of her body. "We were already here, though, so we thought we would check how our cutie-patooties are doing!" She giggled. Izuku flushed and fiddled with his fingers as he delved into anxious mumbles about training and grades. Mineta leaped from the couch to cling to her thigh, drooling, and Nejire discreetly flung him into the kitchen. No one seemed to react to his pained scream or the sound of several boxes tumbling on top of him. Beaming, Nejire raised her hands to press her fingertips together. "I was so very impressed with the concert you all put on! It was a smash hit!"
"Really? That's awesome!" The adorable little electric boy, Denki, grinned as he draped himself over the back of the couch. He nearly fainted when Nejire patted him cutely on the head. He was as much of a skirt-chaser as Mineta, but at least he had some sense of social etiquette and boundaries.
"Mhmm!" Nejire nodded as she skirted the coffee table, blue eyes locked on a certain blond ignoring the conversation. With a disinterested frown, the boy tapped his phone screen repeatedly, obviously playing some sort of mobile game. "In fact, I was most impressed by your talented drummer!" She smiled. Katsuki's crimson eyes slowly drifted to her as she perched herself on the arm of the sofa closest to him. Daintily crossing her legs and resting her cheeks in her hands, she fluttered her eyelashes demurely. "I would be oh-so-honored if he could teach me how to play!"
Wearing a concerted frown, Tenya Iida leaned in to whisper in Mirio's ear, "Is she… flirting?"
"Nah. Nejire's just like that," the blonde shrugged nonchalantly. Then, a second later, he narrowed his eyes and frowned. "At least, I don't think she's trying to flirt," he added uncertainly. Katsuki continued to glare silently at Nejire, while she just stared brightly back.
"Can I help you?" The ash-blond growled gruffly.
"I said-"
"I heard what you said, Tinkerbell," Katsuki snarled, dropping his phone into his lap and sitting up to bring his face close to hers. Nejire did not retreat from his boldness, only smiled wider.
"If you heard me, then why'd you ask?" The corner of his mouth twitched, and she wasn't sure if he wanted to scowl or smirk. His red eyes traveled the planes of her face for a few brief seconds before he snorted seditiously and stood from the couch to start heading for his room. Nejire dourly pursed her lips, thinking him to be annoyed. She raised her eyebrows when he glowered over his shoulder at her.
"Well? You comin' or not, Tinkerbell?"
Squealing with delight, Nejire hopped down from the couch and scampered after him. Her periwinkle hair swished behind her as she scuttled along, flashing Mirio and Tamaki a victorious wink as she passed them. The other first-years were in various stages of shock as they watched Katsuki lead Nejire upstairs. As she turned the corner of the landing, she heard Mina cry, "Pardon my French, but what the hell just happened?!" followed by Aoyama muttering, "That wasn't French." Nejire snickered and hopped up a few of the steps so that she walked in pace with the explosive blond. He clicked his tongue and glared at her out of his peripheral vision.
"What's that look for?" she inquired innocently.
"Enough of the cutesy act, Tinkerbell. What's your game?" Nejire blinked puzzledly. To be honest, she hadn't thought she would get this far; although flustering had been her initial motive, the new development certainly wasn't unwanted. Nejire loved to try new things, so her pleas to play the drums were honest.
"There's no game!" she insisted with a serene smile. "I really was impressed by your skills and just want to try it out, that's all." Katsuki stared at her a moment, searching her face for a lie, but of course, he couldn't find one in her pretty visage. With a small tch, he stopped to push open a door with a sign that read, "Keep out or die!"
"Whatever. Let's just get this over with." Trilling while she bundled past him, Nejire began messing with various things in his room. She found his All Might tee-shirt collection particularly cute. "Oi! Stop snoopin' in my closet and get over here!" He growled. She looked over her shoulder to find him hunched by the drum set in the corner of the room, pink-faced. He seemed equally embarrassed and irate, and it put an adorable little pout on his face. Obediently, Nejire dropped the tee-shirt she had been admiring to skip over. With pink cheeks, he gestured to the small stool seated among the large drums. "Well, go on."
Nejire plopped down in the seat and picked up the sleek black drumsticks neatly laid over the set. She experimentally clacked them together a few times, remarking their thin yet sturdy structure. She then slammed one down on the cymbals, making Katsuki curse loudly and jump nearly a foot in the air.
"I've always wanted to do that!" She beamed. The tapped the end of the drumstick lightly on one of the drums. The deep bass tune that followed made her eyes widen in admiration. "This is so cool!" she squealed and wriggled about on the seat.
"You are remarkably easy to impress," Katsuki remarked with an amused smirk. "But come on, I said I was gonna show you how to play properly, so, shaddup and listen." His voice carried that hard edge that was notably Katsuki Bakugo, but it also possessed a soft undertone that hadn't been present before. Patiently, he instructed her through a simple beat, explaining to her when to push the pedals or strike the drums. She stumbled a few times, and though Katsuki would click his tongue and chastise her, it wasn't without a degree of amusement and affection. After some time, Nejire was able to play the tune with no guidance. She grinned animatedly as she drummed the sticks across the set to produce a joyful, energetic sound, finishing it off with a strike of the cymbals.
"Ahaha! Look at me!" She squealed. Katsuki leaned against the wall beside her, arms crossed and smirking warmly. She whirled in the chair to smile brightly at him. "Thank you! It was enjoyable!" A pink haze rose to his cheeks, and he scratched at the stubby hairs at the base of his neck.
"Not like I had much choice. You woulda relentlessly nagged me about it." The words seemed harsh, but the delivery cushioned the angry connotation with soft fondness. A smile tugged upwards on the corners of Katsuki's lips. I think he really enjoyed this too! she thought giddily and hopped up from the chair.
"Yup! I sure would have."
"Pushy, aren't'cha, Tinkerbell?" She smiled and pushed one of her cheeks inward with her index finger.
"Yep! That's me, Little Drummer Boy!" Katsuki bristled at the ad-libbed nickname.
"Oi! Who're you callin' 'little'?" Nejire ignored his fuming to resume poking around his room, poring over his surprisingly articulate class notes and flipping through the channels on his radio-slash-alarm clock. Katsuki followed her around the room, scowling and loudly chastising her, but he made no physical move to stop her. It was only when she wriggled into one of his hoodies that he actually questioned her. "I showed you the drums, so why're you still here?" He whined while tugging on the hood of the jacket in an attempt to tease it off her shoulders. Nejire slid her arms out of it and darted to his desk, picking up a pencil and putting it atop her pursed lips like a mustache.
"I'm trying to kill the boredom waiting for Eri, and you're very entertaining!" she explained while twisting the end of the pencil like a cheesy comic book villain. Katsuki scowled and plopped down on the edge of his bed.
"Oh, that's nice. So I'm Tinkerbell's little toy, huh?" Nejire blinked and let the pencil fall to the floor, surprised by his tone of loathing and hurt.
"No, of course not! You're my friend, right?" He stared up at her, taken aback. Nejire beamed and skipped over to throw herself down on the bed beside him. She laid on her stomach with her heels kicked up over her back. She plucked at some of the fuzzy fibers on his comforter. "I like you!" The bold and unabashed statement made his cheeks flush red. "I think you're interesting, so I want to get to know you. The perfect opportunity has presented itself, that's all." She rolled onto her side, holding up her head with a hand. "Teasing you is just part of the fun! 3"
"You're a diabolical woman," Katsuki snorted, but Nejire was relieved to see that the tension had melted from his shoulders, and that snarky smile was back on his face. The blue-haired girl giggled and stuck out her tongue playfully. She then whined loudly when he pinched the end of it between his thumb and forefinger.
"Nnnh! Nnh! Le' go, Ka'suki! T'at feelth weird!" she protested, shaking her head back and forth a little. Katsuki laughed loudly and tugged on the pink organ.
"Ha! Not so fun when the tables are turned on you, huh?" he chided playfully. Nejire slapped at his biceps and shoulder with another keening whine. After another tug, he released her. She wiped away the drool that had pooled in the corner of her mouth.
"You big meanie!"
"I'm only givin' ya a taste of your own medicine, Tinkerbell!" he shot back, grinning challengingly. His cry was muffled when Nejire grabbed his pillow and whacked him in the face with it. Hurriedly, she tried to scramble from the bed and flee, but he yanked her back by her ankle and made her belly-flop to the floor. She giggled piercingly when he lobbed the pillow at the back of her head. "You're a handful! How do those two put up with you?"
"They find me charming and endearing!" She answered as she hugged the pillow and rolled onto her belly. Katsuki rolled his eyes and lounged back against his headboard with his hands behind his head, ignoring the sheets Nejire had tousled in her escape attempt.
"You're like a toddler."
"You're still putting up with me, though!" A blush rose to his cheeks, and he chittered his teeth, gaze sliding away from her. Still snuggling the pillow, Nejire jumped up and glanced at the clock on his bedside table. "I betcha Eri and Mr. Aizawa are here now!" She said and unceremoniously tossed the pillow at Katsuki. He caught it with a surprised look. "Can I come back again to learn more about the drums, Little Drummer Boy?"
"Uh, sure, but-" he began as she ran to his bedroom door to throw it open. She paused when he shouted at her to wait. Blinking, she stood in the threshold. He tossed the pillow aside and crawled off the bed to walk towards her. He hesitated for a moment, grimacing, before he reached up to gently tuck a piece of her periwinkle hair behind her ear. "... See ya around, Tinkerbell," he muttered in a small voice. His face burned red as he trained his gaze on his sneakers.
"Teehee! See ya later!" she smiled and, on a whim, leaned in to peck him on the cheek. He sputtered a surprised obscenity and jerked back, pinwheeling his arms. He lost his balance and landed on his rump. His face burned the crimson color of his eyes, and he held his palm to the cheek she had kissed. "Toodles~" Nejire trilled jovially and flashed him a wink before skipping off down the hall. She hummed contentedly as she jaunted down the stairs; she was quite pleased with the way everything had turned out. Now, however, she was switching gears to big sister mode. She had come here to play with Eri, after all!
Still, she thought with a coy smile and a glance up the steps, I definitely wouldn't mind coming back to see Bakugo again sometime soon! I knew he was a big ol' softie!
She retrieved the bottle of nail polish she had tucked into her uniform pocket just as she rounded the stairs to see Eri running up to Izuku and Mirio. But first, very important business to attend to!
Sorry, Little Drummer Boy! You'll have to wait your turn!