I couldn't meet Deku's eyes after coming out of the bathroom. "Kacchan?" He asked again. Once he had started cleaning himself, his depression subsided and he was able to move well again.
"Hey, I'm done so I'm going to go get dressed." I said, the towel on my waist again. After what I'd done, it felt so sinful to even look at Deku.
"What? Can't you say for a while?" He asked. "I don't want to be here alone. What if Monoma comes in here and-"
"He won't." I interrupted. "He's not queer." I growled derogatorily towards myself. Fuck, why would I even say that word out loud? Shit… fuck! It's so obvious that I was thinking about that! Dammit! I left the bathhouse immediately, full of self-hatred and confusion. That word repeated over and over and over in my head. 'I can't be… I'm straight as a fuck'n arrow!' I lied to myself. 'Dammit… dammit, dammit, dammit! I am not gay!' I tried to recall any gay people I knew of. 'Neil Patrick Harris… and um… Freddie Mercury… I'm not like those guys! I'm not like those guys on TV who curl their hair and wear Gucci and talk with funny voices! I'm not!'
I got to my room and locked the door, quickly changing. 'Of course there's something wrong with me… I knew it was weird that I sometimes compared Deku to a girlfriend. Wait, gay people get boy- OH HELL NO! I will never have a boyfriend! Never! I will never put on makeup or talk about handbags or tweet about the Kardashians! I can't be g-gay… it's just not who I am!'
There was a loud, hard, knocking on the bedroom door. I quickly opened it, assuming it was one of my roommates. I didn't want to lead anyone on to the fact that something was wrong with me. When I swung open the door, I found the short, green-haired boy standing there with a towel around his waist and a scowl on his face. His eyes were full of tears.
I was completely shocked by his appearance. "Deku!"
"Who told you that!?" He demanded harshly, barely holding back his tears.
"W-wha?" My lips stuttered.
"Who said I was… y'know…" He clarified.
"That you're what!?" I snarled back.
He took a deep breath, diverting his gaze. "Someone said something to you to make you think that I'm… um… queer. Who was it and what did they say?"
My eyes widened with realization. He had it all wrong, I wasn't trying to imply that, I just said it accidentally. "N-no, Deku, that's not…"
He sniffed, the tears finally breaking loose. "I'm so sorry…" He said, trying to control his trembling voice. His hands came up and covered his eyes. "I didn't want you to hear it through rumors. I wanted to tell you myself and be honest with you, there was just never a good time and I was always afraid you wouldn't want to be my friend if you knew…"
What?
My mind scrambled to comprehend what he was saying and then once it understood, it just stopped. I couldn't think anything, I just stared down at Deku in complete shock.
He kept mumbling something but I couldn't hear him. 'He's…wait… so…. Deku is… Deku is gay? What the hell? When… oh my God… oh my God, so what I said in the bath just now… he thought…'
I tore his hands away from his eyes and pulled him into a tight embrace. I had never been more sorry. He thought I had said that about him… it must've hurt him so badly.
I pulled him into the room and locked the door again so we could talk in privacy. "Deku…" I said. He was sobbing loudly. "Deku… you have it all wrong… Just stop crying for a moment and listen." I said. He reduced his sobs to whimpers. I sat him down on one of the lower bunks and got him my spare outfit. I really wanted him to be dressed for this conversation. I didn't care about my own inner turmoil at that moment, I just wanted to take back what he thought I had said about him.
He dressed, sniffling and wiping his face as he went. I politely looked away. "Kacchan…" He said when he was finished. "Kacchan, please don't hate me-"
"Shh." I silenced him. "Just listen right now, okay? I… what I said… it wasn't… shit, how do I say this? It wasn't meant for you. When I was… um… like, helping you right now with, y'know, washing up and everything… I kinda realized that I might… um… y'know… be interested in more than one body type, y'know?" I hated how stupid I sounded. I couldn't get my mind to synchronize with my mouth. "I said that because… well… I meant it for me. Don't get me wrong. I would never say that about you, even if you are… uh… anyways. No one told me anything and I definitely did not mean to call you that." I lowered my head both to apologize but also because I was so embarrassed.
"No one told you?" He responded. "So… just now, when I came to your door… I…. Oh my God, I am so stupid." I looked up to see that he was covering his face with embarrassment. "Oh my God… just kill me. Does this room have a window? I have to go."
A laugh escaped from my throat, surprising Deku. I held my fist to my mouth and tried to contain the giggles.
"Why are you laughing?" He asked in utter confusion.
"It's just funny." I said.
"Does this mean you don't hate me?"
"Why would I hate you?"
"Because we got so close but I never told you the truth…"
I wanted to ask if he liked me, that was the first question on the tip of my tongue but I couldn't bring myself to ask it because, in reality, I didn't want the answer. If he said yes, then that meant that when he had suggested going to the movies, he was deceiving me. It meant we'd have to talk about feelings and I'd have to let him down. It meant things would never be the same between us. If the answer was no… well… then I might feel my own heart break.
"I'll keep your secret if you can keep mine, okay?" I said, holding out my hand.
He smiled a little bit and shook it. "Okay, Kacchan."
"Hey…" I said after our hands had parted. "Can I ask you some stuff then?"
"Huh? Like what?" He tilted his head. Damn, that was cute.
"Like… when did you first know that about yourself?" I asked
"Um… probably as early as fourth grade or so when kids start having crushes. I read romance novels and the feelings that the protagonist would have for her crush were the same feelings I had. I liked the same aspects of a person."
"But like, specifically a guy person?"
He nodded, blushing. "Yeah. Girls didn't give me the same feelings. As you can tell, I still don't really know what to do with these feelings so I keep it to myself. Well, I mean, my mom knows too but it's not something I ever tell anyone. Since you asked a question, can I ask one too now?"
I nodded in response.
"Did you really just realize this about yourself today?" He asked.
I blushed and looked away. "I dunno… I guess…"
"And you realized it specifically from me?" he followed up.
"Hey, that's two questions!" I complained, my face completely pink.
"You asked two as well so it's only fair!" He countered.
I huffed and kept my head down. "I guess."
He smiled. "Then, Kacchan, please don't worry. Since we're so close, it's normal to feel affection for each other, even for each other's bodies. I can understand why that's kind of scary and confusing but you shouldn't take it seriously right now. After all, you feel affectionate when you think of your mom's arms or your dad's belly, right? So don't be scared, Kacchan. Feelings are difficult. You should wait for them to develop more before you conclude that it's attraction, not just affection."
For some reason, his words really comforted me. There was no pressure and no panic. He made me feel safe. I felt like I could finally let out my breath and smile sincerely. Deku would always know me and that wasn't scary to me anymore because I knew that he would always accept and support me, no matter what he knew. There was really nothing that I was afraid of with Deku other than losing him. "Thank you." I replied.
"I should get out of your room. Besides, I bet Iida-san is looking for me." Deku said, standing up from the bed.
"You're not going to go wearing my clothes, right?" I pointed out.
"You think they'll know?" He asked.
"Yeah, it's too big for you. At least change the pants." I said, compromising. I secretly thought he'd look really cute in my shirt. After I had that thought, I had to ponder it. Did I like the idea just because he was generally cute and wearing a big shirt would make him extra cute? Or because it was my shirt and wearing it would make it known, between us, that he was mine. I wasn't really sure what I meant by the suggestion. Regardless, he accepted the proposal.
"Will do. See ya later." He said, walking out of my room.
A few minutes later, I went downstairs to the communal room, looking for Iida or Mr. Mori. Everyone but Deku was down there, lining up leaves under microscopes, jotting down notes, and weighing twigs on electronic scales. They noticed my presence immediately and I was bombarded with questions. "Bakugo-san, were you really part of that landslide?" Someone asked. "Hey, Midoriya was with you too, right? Is he okay?" "Why aren't you guys in the hospital?" "Shit! Katsuki, your whole cheek is purple! How did that happen?" "Gnarly bruise, Bakubro!"
I tried to entertain everyone's questions but there were too many. One voice finally spoke out above the others. It made my skin crawl. "You just have the worst luck, Kacchan. Actually… no. Izuku has the worst luck because he's always caught up in your trouble." Monoma said.
"Hey Monoma… isn't it kind of rude to say that?" My classmate Mina pointed out.
"It's only rude if it's not the truth. Think about it. Kacchan was assigned to be Izuku's hiking partner so why did he let them get so far behind the group? If he had been more responsible, this never would have happened. And back when Kacchan got into that alley fight with some thugs, Izuku was with him and ended up getting really hurt."
My classmates gasped. "Thugs? Is Katsuki really that kind of person?" One person whispered to another. "That sounds really scary. To be honest… that's kind of the impression I got from him when he first transferred here." The other answered. "Poor Izuku, he is always getting hurt." Someone said.
I saw Uraraka nervously biting her lip, trying to decide if she should speak up about what actually happened. I shook my head no at her just before Iida put his hand on her shoulder. I turned my attention to Monoma, scowling. "How badly do you want to pick a fight with me, Monoma? You left out the rest of that story. You must have heard what I did to those thugs, right? I left them as trembling lumps of street trash." I walked up to him, making a show of our height difference.
"Are you threatening your classmate, Kacchan? Is that the kind of person you are? I guess you're scarier than we thought." He replied, smiling coldly at me.
"Oh, I'm much scarier than you thought." I growled, closing my fists tight. There was a pull at the back of my shirt. I turned around and saw Midoriya wearing my shirt and looking to me with those big, green, eyes. He looked really cute. I released my fist immediately.
"Hey, Mr. Mori wants to check on you." He said, eager to give me a distraction.
I nodded and walked off in the direction Midoriya pointed. I didn't want to leave him there with Monoma but I was fairly confident that he wouldn't try anything too scary. After all, everyone was there, including Uraraka and Iida who were good friends of Deku.
Mr. Mori was waiting for me in what looked like an office. It was probably used by the lodge's owner to book appointments and keep records. He had me recount everything that had happened and took record of it. "By the way," I said, "I lost my phone in the landslide. Not that I would ever press charges against my own school, but I can't afford to get another one right out of pocket so if the school would be willing to give me the money for that, then there really wouldn't be any reason to talk about legal stuff at all." I knew how to play this game. My mom was always the best at this. Should could threaten someone so politely you'd think she's giving them a compliment.
"Ah, well, I'll talk to the principal and see what I can do about that." He replied. After he took the statement, he asked to see some of my injuries then sent be back to the group. When I entered the communal hall, Monoma was back to minding his own business. Uraraka had Deku sitting right at her hip and she doted on him like a puppy. She played with his hair and chatted happily with him. Himiko was there too, examining and wrapping his scrapes. I really didn't know her. I had just heard that she was really into romance animes and TV dramas because she was constantly talking about them. Since when was Deku this close to her? I'd never seen them hand out before. I approached the trio.
"Hey, Katsuki." Uraraka greeted. "You've met my friend Toga, right?" She said. The blonde gave me a quick smile.
"Hey." I greeted. "So, do you, like, know how to wrap wounds and stuff?" What I mean by that was 'Why are you touching him?' I had been feeling especially protective of Deku.
"Yeah, I volunteer at the hospital." She said. "Here, this is the last one." She applied some Vaseline to a hot, red, gash before encircling his arm in gauze. She taped down the gauze under my watchful eye. "There! All done!" She announced, kissing the bandage. "That'll make it heal faster~"
I did not like that at all. "Great. Deku, Mr. Mori wants us to sign something. Just saying that we won't sue the school or whatever." I said. Deku nodded and obediently followed me. Instead of going to the office, I led him further down the hallway to a garage that was filled with snowmobiles and skiing equipment for the snowy season.
"Are you that jealous, Kacchan? You know, I remember you being that way when Todoroki bought me a coffee. Were you the kid on the playground who never wanted to share their friends?" Deku asked with chuckle.
"Shut up. I just don't like that girl, she creeps me out." I confessed.
"Because of that kiss thing? I think she was just trying to be cute."
I rolled my eyes. She wasn't cute, just annoying. "Monoma didn't give you any trouble, right?" I asked.
"No. What were you guys talking about anyways?" He answered.
"He was just being himself." I said.
"He really gets to you, doesn't he? Every time you talk to him, you get all tense and you clench your fists. Why does he bother you so much anyways? I thought he just wanted to get a higher placement in the class."
"His beef with me isn't about class ranking, it's personal. We take turns pissing each other off." I replied. "Look, Deku, he doesn't know about your germaphobia or your um…" I cleared my throat, "Preferences. No matter what, you have to keep those things secret. If he finds out, he'll use them as weapons against you. I really don't mind that I take up most of his attention. If you ever have to choose between standing up for me or keeping those secrets, keep the secrets. I can handle Monoma."
"Will I really be put in that situation?" The freckled boy asked.
"Maybe… probably. He wants to ruin my reputation at school so I have no doubt he's spreading rumors about me as we speak. Don't try to stand up for me or correct any of the rumors, he'll just drag you into it too and end up exploiting your secrets, okay?"
"Kacchan, that's not fair. You stand up for me all the time." He protested.
"Because there's very little that he can take from me so there's not a lot I can lose from it. I don't have much of a reputation anyways. You, on the other hand... He would dump trash on your desk every day and have people tease you about your preferences until you lost your class rank and were outcast by everyone."
"If that happens… we can still be friends, right?" He asked. My heart beat heavily. 'In that whole scenario… the thing he was most worried about was losing me? Why does that make me so happy? I guess… that's what I worry about most too. I've never had a friend like Deku, I want to keep him.'
"No matter what." I assured with a nod.
Deku smiled at me. When we entered the communal hall again, everyone was looking at me oddly. Deku didn't seem to notice, he just returned to chat with Uraraka. They were probably talking about ice cream or Christmas or something else childish like that. I sat down next to Kaminari and Kirishima, thought they both seemed a little uncomfortable. "Hey, Bakugo", Kaminari spoke up, "What kind of… after school activities are you into?" He asked.
I knew what he was implying. "Has Monoma been telling everyone that I'm part of a gang?" I guessed blandly. I pissed me off that he wouldn't just ask. I could tell by his nervous reaction that I had guessed correctly. I was getting kind of angry. Deku would never believe something like that, especially not from Monoma, so why did they? Didn't they know me or at least trust me a little bit?
"I've just never really asked you how you spend your free time. You never go to events that we invite you to." He pointed out. 'Because they're either really expensive or I have plans with Deku.' I thought. I was not about to use my poverty or my friendship with Deku as an excuse, though.
"The school I went to before wasn't as rigorous as this one so I have to study a lot to keep up." I explained, unable to hide the annoyed tone in my voice.
"Speaking of which," my classmate Sero interjected from across the table, "You never told anyone why you left that school." He said.
"Is it true you've been enrolled in more than seven schools?" Jirou asked.
What was this, an ambush? I was angry but also overwhelmed and nervous. I could have told the truth but my natural reaction to being cornered was to be defensive. "Why are all of you so nosy all the sudden?" I growled. "Do all of you really just stupidly believe rumors? Why don't you try thinking for yourselves for a change?"
There were a hundred other things I could have said that would have made the situation better but instead, I just confirmed everyone's suspicions that I was a cold-blooded thug. I wanted to bang my head against the wall in frustration. Monoma was still manipulating me without even being around.
My classmates nodded apologetically and turned away, mumbling to each other things like, "He's so scary" and "I bet he is in a gang." Kirishima nudged me lightly. "Dude, you gotta chill out." He whispered. I knew he was on my side but it pissed me off that he was so concerned about his image that he wouldn't raise his voice when talking to me. I got up from the table and went to sit with Deku and Uraraka. He was the only one I trusted to not annoy me with stupid rumors.
I looked around and realized that this was the nerd table. The table was occupied by Deku, Uraraka, Iida, Momo, Tsuyu, Shouji, and Ojiro. These were definitely not the cool kids I normally hung around, they were Deku's friends. The one redeeming quality of the table was that these students were either too smart to believe rumors or just didn't care to listen to them.
The brunette girl smiled at me when I sat down. "Hey, Katsuki." She greeted. "Wanna work with us on the project? Me, Deku, and Iida are a group and we can have one more member." She said.
I shrugged, still kind of pissed. She accepted my answer with a smile. "Great. Here. Take this notebook and start rewriting the notes on a separate paper in full sentences so it can be our observation log."
I took the notebook and worked silently. Deku got up and moved to my side of the bench, working beside me. Just that little gesture helped me cheer up. After all, Deku was so optimistic and joyful that being in his radius made others feel the same way.
We worked for about two hours before everyone was told to go to bed. My stomach growled as we packed up our equipment and papers. We had eaten before the hike but I was still hungry. I usually ate every three or four hours.
I went to my room and found that the clothes I had packed for tomorrow had been marked with a sharpie. My shirt read "Yamaguchi loyalty" and my jeans bore some symbols I didn't recognize, probably gang signs. I wasn't surprised, I knew Monoma would probably get to them so I had packed clothes I didn't like that much. Still, I was pissed because I knew my mom would definitely find out about it and be upset. She knew every item of clothing I had and inspected them regularly to fix torn seems and ragged edges before they destroyed the clothes.
Kirishima walked into our shared room as I inspected it. He clearly saw the vandalization. "Woah… dude…" He said.
I stuffed them back in my draw-string bag angrily. "I didn't buy them that way. In case you're too stupid to realize it, I'm not actually in a gang." I growled.
"I know." He said, closing the door. "Hey… if you don't want people to think that, you should just tell them the truth." He suggested.
"Why would I care what they think? Their thoughts are obviously worthless if they can be swayed so easily by stupid rumors."
"I know you're a good guy on the inside but when you talk like that, you make it really hard for other people to see that too." The redhead explained.
"Are you really going to act loyal now?" I snarled, cocking my head at him challengingly.
"You're right, I kind of wimped out back there." He admitted. "But it's not like you made it any better. How am I supposed to stand up for you when you self-sabotage like that? You're your own worst enemy, Bakubro."
"Oh, so we're back to that nickname? Why don't you try calling me that when we're out in public, huh?" I growled. "When we're hiding away like this, it doesn't mean shit so don't trouble yourself."
The redhead determinedly made his way to the window and opened it wide. I watched him in shock and confusion and he firmly held the ledge and jutted his head out into the cool night. "BAKUGO KATSUKI IS MY FRIEND!" He yelled, his voice carrying through the vast, empty, landscape. My cheeks went pink in embarrassment.
"Hey! Mine too!" I happy voice called back with less volume. Damn Deku.
"Close your windows and stop shouting immediately, please!" Iida's voice answered.
Kirishima leaned back in and closed the window, smiling at me. "There. You heard that, right?"
"Everyone in the whole goddamn lodge did." I corrected.
"Good. I think everyone should hear the truth at least once tonight because there hasn't been a lot of it going around. Are you going to forgive me now?" He held out his hand.
I smiled and accepted it. As soon as my palm met his, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into a strong yet short embrace, patting my back hard. I suddenly didn't care about the ruined clothes anymore, I had gained more than I had lost.
The other guys fell asleep as soon as they laid down but I wasn't as fortunate. My stomach kept grumbling, it was impossible to ignore Kirishima's snoring, and whenever I started dozing off, I would imagine the landslide and be shot back into consciousness, panting and sweating. I finally gave up and decided to walk down to the lodge's kitchen and try to find something to eat. I threw on a shirt over my boxers and snuck out of the room.
As I approached the kitchen, I noticed that the light was on. I proceeded cautiously, peeking around corners for Monoma. When I saw that happy green-haired boy sitting on the counter, kicking his legs and eating gummy candy, I relaxed. "Why are you still up?" I asked, entering the kitchen comfortably.
"Couldn't sleep. I kept having dreams about dirt." He replied. "You?"
"Kirishima snores like a whale." I said, making him laugh. He was still wearing my shirt on top of boxers and socks. He had just washed his hair so it was especially fluffy. Damn, he was so cute. 'Is this how he looks at night? At home when he's relaxing before bed?' I wondered. 'I want to see him when he's like that… I want to be with him in such a private setting so I can see even more sides of him. Wait… That's not a normal friendly thing to think about, right? I mean… I want to know Kirishima in his relaxed, natural, setting too but this is different.' I thought about relaxing with him in his room, reading and talking about nothing. I thought about watching him slowly fall asleep in my shirt, illuminated by the glow of the TV. I fanaticized about a really domestic situation.
Deku interrupted my thoughts. "Hey, you're hungry, right?" he asked. He showed me his backpack and dug out a package of wafer cookies. He extended them to me but I just stared at the offering, surprised.
"Huh? Isn't this the kind you like?" He asked.
I slowly nodded and accepted them. 'Deku… is kind of like a girlfriend, isn't he?' I thought. The greenette had done other stuff like this before but now that I thought about it in relation to my domestic desires, I was forced to wonder if I could possibly want Deku in that way. I mean… we already kind of acted like a couple. Always just hanging out for no reason, predicting each other's needs, sharing our deepest secrets…
Now that I was thinking about it, I was reminded of the fact that we were both inclined towards men so… was that an option now? I had never even considered Deku as a candidate for a relationship until today. I ate the cookies slowly, lost in thought.
"Hey, Deku." I finally said. The boy was also daydreaming, staring off into nowhere. He looked at me curiously. His cute gaze made my heart beat faster. "You said you've had crushes before, right? What's that like?"
He popped another peach ring into his mouth. "Having a crush? I think everyone feels them differently. For me… It's when I admire someone so much that I can't help it and I just want to hug them really hard."
"Admiration?" I clarified.
"It's not just that, though. A good crush is when you know even the ugly parts of a person but you still like them. And you're excited to learn more and more about them, even if you uncover stuff that's not so great." He explained.
I considered that. I was always curious about Deku. I often wondered what he was doing and what he was like at home. 'But is that a crush? I'm curious about Kirishima's personal life too. But that admiration thing… I suppose that's true. As stupid as I think Deku is, I also really admire him. He's so happy and dedicated and brave. And sometimes, I do just want to squeeze him tight. So… is this it?' I wondered. "So… who have you had a crush on?" I asked.
The question made him blush. "That's an embarrassing question!" He protested.
"Well… then do you have a type?" I countered.
"Wh-why did you think to ask that?" His face was so red, it was really cute.
"You don't have to answer it, I was just curious." I responded, smirking at his expression.
"Well… uh… I guess I usually prefer… um… strong people."
"You like really muscular guys? Like body builders?" I asked. That did not seem appealing to me at all.
"No! I- I mean… this is so embarrassing… I like some muscles, yes, but I meant personality wise. I like people who don't give up and are willing to suffer for what's right."
"Should they wear a stars and stripes leotard too?" I joked.
"Shut up!" He cried in embarrassment, covering his face and kicking his legs. I laughed at his behavior, clutching my stomach and hunching over as it erupted from my throat. He peeked through his fingers at me. "You're laughing?" He asked. "You're such an asshole! I told you all my best jokes but this is what finally makes you laugh!? You're a jerk!"
I dried my eyes and smiled at him. "I told you, you're funnier when you're not trying."
He gave up and smiled the smallest smile. "Fine. I'll forgive you because I wanted to see you laugh anyways, so we'll call this a win-win."
"Deal." I nodded in agreeance.
"Do you have a type?" He asked.
"No comment." I answered firmly, completely dodging the question.
"Hey! Not fair, you made me answer!"
"No I didn't." I smiled and took a bite of a wafer. "In fact, I specifically remember telling you that you didn't have to answer. I guess you just really want to tell me~" I teased.
He scowled cutely. "Hey! I- I didn't! I mean- I-"
"Cute." I said plainly, earning his silence.
"Huh?" He asked.
"That's my type. I like cute people. Don't go around sharing that, okay?" I instructed.
He nodded and motioned an ex over his heart, showing that the was locking away the secret.
'I think… That I could possibly like you, Deku.' I told him through my thoughts. 'You'd be a really cute girlfriend. I mean- you'd be a boyfriend, I guess, but that word makes me feel weird… so anyways, be patient with me for a while so I can figure this out, okay?'
Deku responded to my silent proposal with a smile.
We finished our snacks and went our separate ways. The next day, we all sat in the communal hall again and finished our projects, getting back on the busses by noon. I sat with Deku in our same bench.
"Kacchan~" Monoma's voice called from the seat behind me. I put in an earbud. "Hey, isn't that the same outfit you wore yesterday?" He asked. "That's kind of sad. Do you not own many outfits?"
"You could really benefit from learning to keep that big trap of yours shut." I suggested.
"Aww… are you upset at me because of what people are saying about you? It's not right to project your frustration on a classmate. Besides, all I did was say stuff. You can't possibly hold me accountable for the misconceptions people come up with."
I ignored him, scrolling through my music to choose a playlist. I had let Deku clean his earbud before getting on the bus so Monoma wouldn't see his compulsions. I handed it to him and he popped it in his ear happily. "You even listen to music together? You guys make a great couple~" He teased.
"Hey Monoma!" Kirishima's voice called out. "People share music all the time, stop picking on them." He said. A few students around him agreed, effectively silencing the blonde-haired antagonizer. I smiled at Kirishima and he smiled back. He was definitely my friend.
As we drove, the students quieted down and many fell asleep, including Deku. He was resting his head on my shoulder, his mouth slightly ajar and his hand limp between us. I smiled slightly. 'Please feel free to do this more often…' I told him silently. 'I don't mind… in fact… I really like it. It feels like you're mine and… that's a good feeling.' I gently wrapped my pinky around his as he slept. The hands were hidden between our forms, our blossoming affections a secret that only we knew.
