AN: Sorry this is shorter than usual (at least I think it is? IDK). A lot of this chapter is left to imagination honestly, so a lot of description was left out in a lot of parts, but I really enjoyed this chapter. The next two are going to be the ones I originally thought of when I first came up with this fanfic though. I AM SO EXCITED. Also, I am graduating college on Sunday (Bachelors in Kinesiology woot woot), so if the next chapter is late it's because I just finished the last college finals I will ever take and I'm celebrating with family. Anyway, enjoy~
Practice had been brutal at first.
"Guys, we're going for a performance like in Pitch Perfect or Victorious! Get your head out of those cliché Disney channel preteen musicals and move like you actually care whether or not Midori gets laid."
"Mina-kun!"
As if Izuku wasn't mortified enough. He was literally putting together an impromptu song and dance number in order to get his crush to take him seriously.
"Are you sure we can't sing the song we suggested yesterday?" Kirishima asked with puppy eyes, his bottom lip wobbling. Beside him Kaminari, Mina, and Sero were also looking at Izuku and Jiro pleadingly. "We even changed the lyrics to better fit your situation!"
Izuku almost caved in, but luckily for him Jiro wasn't as easily swayed. She knew this was about Izuku. As enthusiastic as the Bakusquad was about their idea, it just wouldn't fit the mood of the serenade.
By the time an hour and a half had passed they had made considerable progress. Everyone knew where they were supposed to be at what points during the routine, what they were supposed to sing and with who when the time came, and the minimal moves they were taught to support Izuku's own were pretty solid. Jiro and Izuku had their ear mics on, the speakers were in place, and Mineta was already seated in front of Izuku's computer ready to press the start button for the music. Koda was giving Jiro a thumbs up where he stood by the lighting control board. That meant all there was left to do was wait until Kirishima texted Mina that he'd successfully retrieved Bakugo and was on his way to the gymnasium.
"You feeling ready, Deku-kun?" Uraraka asked as everyone scrambled to get into position. Mina had just gotten a text from Kirishima saying they had left the dorms which meant they had about a minute to get in place.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
His voice shook with nervousness. While he was sure this would work, part of him was still terrified that he would mess everything up. The girl standing before him noticed.
Pushing aside the feelings she'd been harboring for him for some time, she took a deep breath before pulling him into a hug.
"You're going to do great," she spoke as he immediately returned her gesture. He didn't how much he needed that hug until he'd gotten it. "Just remember who you're singing to, okay? Don't pay attention to what anyone else is doing; we know our parts and are here for you. Trust us not to let you down."
"I will, Uraraka-kun. Thank you."
They pulled away a moment later, Uraraka walking away just as Izuku noticed Shinsou coming through the main entrance.
"They'll be here in less than thirty seconds," he stated tonelessly before going to stand on the sidelines next to Mineta and Tsuyu.
Izuku closed his eyes. After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down a bit, he opened his eyes and set his gaze on the door. When Bakugo all but kicked the door in a moment later hardened green met a surprised red.
It was now or never.
A few seconds before...
"Was that Zombie Eyes I just saw go inside?" Bakugo questioned the redhead next to him. Said friend shrugged like he hadn't seen the obvious purple-haired teenager go inside the gymnasium from across the way. At the lack of response Bakugo's eyes narrowed.
Something is off, the blond thought to himself. Kirishima is almost never this quiet, and for Zombie Eyes to be here for a supposed class rehearsal doesn't make any sense either since he's in the general education department. Not to mention everybody else in class was already there to begin with. This has that stupid nerd written all over it. He's planned something, hasn't he?
It didn't take more than a few more seconds to find out that he'd been right. The moment he kicked the door to the gymnasium open he noticed that amidst the low-light Izuku was standing center-stage in a plain T-shirt that read "tuxedo" on it. What caught him more off guard though was the fact that most of his classmates were set up as if in place to sing, which didn't make any sense at all.
Just as he opened his mouth to ask Kirishima what the heck was going on, Izuku cut him off… by singing, no less.
"Another day is going by, I'm thinking about you all the time," he began along with the music Jiro and he had spliced together the night before, "but you're out there, and I'm here waiting."
Jiro and Uraraka joined in then, either one of them at Izuku's side. The feeling of them standing beside him boosted his confidence immensely.
"And I wrote this letter in my head 'cause so many things were left unsaid, but now you're gone and I can't think straight. This could be the one last chance to make you understand—"
Suddenly Koda took his cue to flick up the rest of the stage switches in the back, illuminating the gymnasium and bathing it in light. Immediately his classmates started clapping along to the beat.
"I'd do anything," the trio sang and Izuku walked forward to the end of the stage, "just to hold you in my arms, to try to make you laugh. Somehow I can't put you in the past. I'd do anything just to fall asleep with you. Will you remember me? 'Cause I know I won't forget you."
The song switched then, the entire atmosphere changing as everyone stopped clapping. Jiro and Uraraka stopped singing in favor of Yaoyorozu's soft voice complimenting Izuku's. The lights dimmed again.
"Now there's gravel in our voices, glass is shattered from the fight. In this tug of war you'll always win, even when I'm right," they sang morosely. "'Cause you feed me fables from your head with violent words and empty threats, and it's sick that all these battles are what keeps me satisfied."
As Bakugo listened he felt himself tensing to leave, a part of him wanting to turn around and walk out before Izuku could finish whatever endearing, stupid mishmash of songs he'd decided to sing. A hand on his shoulder stopped him though.
Kirishima's red-eyed gaze bore into Bakugo's own, his usually aloof, happy face set in serious determination.
"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, but that's all right because I like the way it hurts."
The blond listening clenched his fists as he listened. Izuku knew what this song was about, didn't he? While Bakugo had apologized for what he'd done in the past the reminder still rubbed him the wrong way. The feeling of guilt that sprung to his chest had him tugging his arm away from the redhead only for his friend to harden his arm and grip.
"Just gonna stand there and hear me cry, but that's all right because I love the way you lie. I love the way you lie. Oh, I love the way you lie."
"Bakugo, please stay until the end." Kirishima pleaded. "I know this isn't what you expected, but at least hear him out entirely. Sero and I will make sure you listen otherwise. Whatever you need to say can wait until the end, okay? Please."
The threat and plea were clear as day, the former of which would have normally pissed Bakugo off. As it was something about it coming from Kirishima had him begrudgingly backing off. He supposed he could allow himself be serenaded. It wasn't like enjoyed listening to the nerd's voice or anything.
"So maybe I'm a masochist? I try to run," Izuku's eyes slipped closed, "but I don't want to ever leave. 'Til the walls are goin' up in smoke with all our memories."
Yaoyorozu faded out just as the music changed once more, Mina and Hagakure jumping in to stand by Izuku each with a microphone in hand. This instrumental was much livelier than the previous. The sound of violins filled the room, and Bakugo found himself really looking at Izuku as he moved in sync with the two girls singing with him.
"I swear, you're the only reason I keep breathing. I swear, you keep on giving me the reason to keep believing."
The three did a few simple one-armed movements as they stepped forward or side to side languidly. It was a bit in contrast to the passionate looks on their faces as they sang (although one could never tell with Hagakure).
"Finally I'm worth it, though I'm not perfect it still feels right, and I keep on giving, trying to make a difference in my life. I don't know another way to show everything I can be for you. You're all that I'll ever need," they did a slow spin before standing in place, "I'll give you the best of me."
Bakugo watched in stubborn silence as Kaminari was given the microphone Uraraka had been using in the first song. The guitarist seemed to be readying himself to jump in at a moment's notice.
"Oh I'm not leaving, no. I won't be turning around. I wanna know you now. Your love, it won't let me down."
Just as anticipated the two girls spun (literally) out of the way the same moment Izuku stepped back to stand shoulder to shoulder with Kaminari. The two locked eyes before quickly pushing away from each other, arms outstretched as if trying to keep themselves a certain distance apart.
"Please don't stand so close to me, I'm having trouble breathing," the duet performed. They brought a hand to their chests, simultaneouslymoving even farther apart from one other. "I'm afraid of what you'll see right now. I give you everything I am, all my broken heart beats, until I know you'll understand."
They turned to face each other from where they stood at either end of the stage. Opposite arms were thrown out towards each other before bringing their hands up to the side of their heads.
"And I will make sure to keep my distance. Say, 'I love you' when you're not listening. And how long can we keep this up, up, up?"
The blond standing next to Kirishima nearly blanched when he saw Todoroki grabbing a microphone from Mina. Just as a quieter guitar tune started up he and Izuku met each other in the middle of the stage.
"Oh no, this couldn't be more unexpected, and I can tell you I've been moving in so slow. Don't let it throw you off too far, 'cause I'll be running right behind you."
Bakugo huffed at the words. To him they had a double meaning. For one they made him think of how Izuku's been literally chasing his back since they were kids. He'd done it the day in the woods, the day of their final exam, and so many times in between. In another sense the lyrics made him think of how far Izuku had come since they were four. The timid, crying Izuku that defended the other weak children growing up was still there; however, he wasn't weak enough to find himself too hurt in the crossfire anymore. Unlike when he was quirkless he could defend himself. He was still timid at times, and his crying habit cropped up now and again, yet he was definitely someone Bakugo respected.
Even if Bakugo could still beat him in a serious fight after their scuffle during tag it was obvious it wouldn't stay like that forever. Izuku wasn't really running behind Bakugo anymore. They were leaping and bounding together, neck and neck, picking each other up along the way. Bakugo remembered their meaningless fight weeks ago when he'd thought Izuku had finally outrun him. That he'd been left behind.
For once in his life he'd never felt such relief at being so undeniably wrong. Izuku hadn't left him behind in the dust of his own improvement; he'd been standing just in front of Bakugo with a helpful hand outstretched. The greenette would never abandon him like Bakugo had growing up.
"Could this be out of line?" Izuku soloed.
"Could this be out of line?" Todoroki echoed.
"To say you're the only one breaking me down like this," they finished together. "You're the only one I would take a shot on, keep me hanging on so contagiously."
Bakugo was still deep in thought when he noticed Kirishima slip away from his side. The changing out from Todoroki singing to Shoji and Sato went mostly unnoticed since the two only really repeated the lyrics Izuku sang for emphasis. They stayed near the back of the stage where they had been the entire time.
"And I'll miss your laugh your smile. I'll admit I'm wrong if you'd tell me. I'm so sick of fights, I hate them. Let's start this again for real."
Izuku was just as lively as ever though. His face and body movements were rich with expression as he meandered around the stage. It was actually interesting to watch, all of Bakugo's attention following the other boy's movements without fail. He was so glad the greenette was up on stage and not doing something silly like running down to him. The blond wasn't sure if he'd be able to take it if he did.
"So here I am I'm trying, so here I am are you ready? So here I am I'm trying, so here I am are you ready?"
The music changed again, the instruments quieting down in an abrupt decrescendo.
"I will never let you fall," Tokoyami and Ojiro's deeper voices mixed with Izuku's, "I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all even if saving you sends me to heaven. 'Cause you're my, you're mine. My true love, my whole heart; please don't throw that away. 'Cause I'm here for you. Please don't walk away and please tell me you'll stay."
Then, completely throwing Bakugo off, Kirishima and Sero starting singing all by themselves. What was even worse was the fact that they were making their way towards him.
"Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile. The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yeah." The two boys sang pretty well as they closed in on their friend, but they were nowhere near as musically-inclined as several who had sung before them. "They're swept away and nothing is what is seems, the feeling of belonging to your dreams."
And then they were striking dramatic poses, entirely serious despite looking rather silly. Bakugo merely stared at them in mild second-hand embarrassment as they proceeded to sing their hearts out.
"Listen to your heart when he's calling for you! Listen to your heart; there's nothing else you can do," they clutched the area over their hearts passionately. "I don't know where you're going and I don't know why, but listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye."
Another abrupt song change later found Iida of all people gripping a microphone. He stood next to Izuku nervously, eyes glancing at his friend every few words like he was going to be told he'd messed up.
"Maybe I was wrong for tryin' to pick a fight. I know that I've got issues, but you're pretty messed up too. Either way I found out I'm nothing without you."
Of course Izuku was nothing if not reassuring, an elated smile on his face when he spared a look at Iida before launching into the next verse.
"'Cause we belong together now, yeah. Forever united here somehow, yeah. You got a piece of me, and honestly..."
"My life," Izuku sang with Iida echoing him, "would suck without you."
"Being with you is so dysfunctional. I really shouldn't miss you, but I can't let you go. Oh yeah…"
Aoyama swapped with Iida then, the blue-haired student looking relieved to be out of the spotlight.
"Made a wrong turn once or twice," Izuku and the sparkling blond began softly, "dug my way out, blood and fire. Bad decisions? That's alright. Welcome to my silly life."
As the song progressed they raised their voices and allowed some of the vulnerability to slip away. It turned out they are actually very good together when it came to performing.
"Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood. Mis-'no way it's all good'. It didn't slow me down." It really hadn't. "Mistaken, always second guessing, underestimated. Look," Izuku locked eyes with Bakugo as he prepared to jump down from the stage, "I'm still around."
As they went into the chorus all of the greenette's attention was on Bakugo. The words he was singing now were important.
"Pretty, pretty please don't you ever, ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect Pretty, pretty please if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing you are perfect to me."
Well, perfectly imperfect as someone could be.
"You're so mean," Aoyama echoed with flare, "when you talk," he added in some movements as well, "about yourself. You were wrong."
Izuku was now only two or so yards away from Bakugo. His nerves threatened to throw him off as he took in the full attention he was getting from the other, but he managed to keep his cool. He couldn't afford to mess up now.
"Change the voices in your head," he continued with his echo, "make them like you instead. So complicated, look how we all make it. Filled with so much hatred, such a tired game." He flung a hand out to the side. "It's enough. I've done all I can think of, chased down all my demons, I'll see you do the same. Oh—"
Suddenly the music stopped. Everyone's head turned to look at where Mineta was supposed to be manning the computer only to find Mina crouching down beside it instead. Mineta was a few feet away looking positively scandalized, shouting something about Mina having kicked him out of the way like a purple soccer ball. Jiro ignored the short boy as she attempted to cross the stage to intercept Mina before she finished what she was doing. Since Izuku was nowhere near them he could only wait for what he knew was coming.
With a sweat-drop he hung his head in momentary defeat. This is going to be so embarrassing, he thought sadly.
Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero grinned as they surrounded a confused Bakugo like sharks. Each of them held a microphone that they'd lifted off of a few other students just moments before, Mina rocketing off of the stage to join the rest of the Bakusquad just as the music to "Girlfriend" began.
"Hey, hey, you, you, you don't have a boyfriend! No way, no way, we think you need a new one. Hey, hey, you, you, he could be your boyfriend!"
The quartet all pointed at Izuku in sync. Said greenette was blushing a deep red while Jiro face-palmed hard at their antics, a few other classmates merely sighing. They should have expected them to carry out their idea anyway.
"Hey, hey, you, you, we know that you like him! No way, no way, no it's not a secret. Hey, hey, you, you, he wants to be your boyfriend!"
Then the three boys began circling Bakugo as they sang (some of them rather badly), Mina testing her chances of living by putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"You're so fine, friend of mine, you're so explosive. He thinks about you all the time. You're so ferocious! Don't you know his favorite hero is also All Might? Don't pretend, we think you know he's damn precious," Mina winked, and Bakugo took a step back at her bravado. A moment later all of them stopped to throw an arm in the air to punctuate the last word of the next sentence. "And hell yeah you're our Lord Explosion Murder! We can tell you like him too, and you know we're right."
They turned to each other then, rolling their eyes and waving their hands about as the sang the next lyric. "You're like 'so, whatever,' like you could do any better. We think you should get together now," they belted before pointing at Bakugo, "and that's what class 1-A's singin' about!"
"Hey, hey, Baku-bro," Kirishima serenaded with an arm thrown around him teasingly, "you don't have a boyfriend!"
"No way, no way, we think you need a new one." Sero grinned.
"Hey, hey, you, you, he could be your boyfriend!" Kaminari finished before all of them joined together for the last bit.
"Hey, hey, you, you, we know that you like him! No way, no way, no it's not a secret. Hey, hey, Baku-bro, make Deku your boyfriend!"
Mina was already back at the computer stopping the music before it could go onto the next verses. With a smile not unlike that of a content cat who'd just gotten its way she put the remix back on with a shout of "we're at stage eleven, people!" before going back to her original position.
Izuku pushed away any frustration and embarrassment he might have been feeling. He honestly thought what Bakugo's closest friends had just pulled off was pretty funny as well as well-executed overall. While Jiro seemed a bit more annoyed for her remix to have been hijacked momentarily Izuku simply continued with the plan. He was nothing if not adaptable.
A deep breath later he went on to sing with Jiro as planned.
"You're not alone, together we stand. I'll be by your side you know I'll take your hand. When it gets cold and it feels like the end, there's no place to go. You know I won't give in. No, I won't give in."
Bakugo couldn't help but want to punch something as he listened to the lyrics. So far all of the words had meant something; they had been carefully chosen, and Izuku was going above and beyond getting Bakugo to listen to them.
"Keep holding on 'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through. Just stay strong, 'cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you. There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do," they both knew this was true, "there's no other way when it comes to the truth. So keep holding on, 'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through."
A segment of music played then changing the tune and mood slightly until Bakugo realized the song had changed completely. He also realized Izuku was the only one singing now.
"'Cause something must have made you say that. What did I do to make you say that to me? Something must have made you so mad. What can I do to make you stay? Come back to me."
Suddenly Izuku seemed to grow a bit upset. He forged on nonetheless, but something about the somber expression taking over his freckled face made Bakugo think he was getting to the end of this serenade.
"Hoping for a moment that I turn around, and you'll be coming after me, after me, 'cause all that I can say is that it's obvious. It's obvious you're all I see, all I see."
"And I am feeling so small. It was over my head, I know nothing at all. And I will stumble and fall; I'm still learning to love, just starting to crawl."
Bakugo jolted then he realized there were two instrumentals layered on top of one another. While the beat changed into the recognizable song that had been popular a couple years prior, it startled him how well the music from the previous song melded with the piano of this one.
"Say something, I'm giving up on you. I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you. Anywhere I would've followed you. Say something, I'm giving up on you"
The greenette walked forward until he was standing less than a foot away.
"And I will swallow my pride. You're the one that I love," he sang while holding Bakugo's eyes, "and I'm saying goodbye."
This was it after all. Izuku had no idea what he would do if his crush rejected him after all of this. What else could he really do? He wasn't the sort of person to force his feelings onto another (okay that was a lie, but in this case he would need to face rejection honorably). Sure he would be absolutely heartbroken over it; however, they would eventually go back to the way things were. Their relationship had taken so much stress throughout the years that even one love admission wouldn't be able to ruin it forever.
"Say something, I'm giving up on you, and I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you. And anywhere I would have followed you. Oh, oh, oh, oh say something, I'm giving up on you."
Izuku gulped as the song came to a close. Would his plan work?
"Say something, I'm giving up on you. Say something…"
When the music died down there was only silence. Most of class 1-A had their rapt attention on the two boys on the far side of the auditorium, nearly everyone waiting in suspense as Izuku waited patiently for Bakugo to say something. Only Shinsou could school his face to pretend he wasn't holding his breath.
Overall, it was nerve-wracking for everyone.
Finally, just when Izuku's heart was readying itself for the final blow, Bakugo sighed.
"You really outdid yourself this time, didn't you, Deku? Not even I would have had the guts to pull something this elaborate off. Hell, you even got our classmates to help. I can't even be mad that you've completely out staged what I had planned."
Everyone in the auditorium save for Tsuyu found their minds reeling.
"What you had planned?" Izuku repeated in confusion.
His eyes widened comically as he turned around to see the green-haired girl standing off to the side the entire time under the guise of "keeping Mineta in check" do something to the computer that was hooked up to the sound system. Before Izuku could voice his plethora of questions as to what was going on though, Bakugo gently took the ear mic from him. The feeling of fingers brushing his ear had whatever he was going to say dying in his throat. His skin tingled where the blond had touched him.
A moment later the ear mic was in Bakugo's care.
"Unlike you I only picked one song," Bakugo stated nonchalantly. "I honestly didn't want to do that much, but after talking to Frog Girl this seemed like the best way to get across what I want to say after I screwed up the other night. You can think of it as a response to that little show you put together too."
Izuku could only gape, part of him wondering if he was dreaming. Or dead. Sure Bakugo could sing but that didn't mean he liked to. He also never thought the explosive teenager would sing in front of so many people.
"Also, I'm going to kick your ass for screwing up my original plan. It was only supposed to be the two of us and Frogger over there. Thanks to you I'll never hear the end of this from these losers," he complained as he gestured to literally everyone else in the room. "You heard me, right? If any of you interrupt me I'll rip you a new one!"
Once he was done threatening the entirety of the class (and Shinsou), another instrumental started up. This time Bakugo jumped in to fill in the lyrics. The entire time he sang his red-eyed gaze never once strayed from Izuku.
"The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting. It couldn't be that we have been this way before. I know you don't think that I am trying, I know you're wearing thin down to the core."
Izuku had to keep himself from crying. He knew this song, which meant…
"But hold your breath, because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you, over again. Don't make me change my mind, or I won't live to see another day. I swear its true. Because a guy like you is impossible to find. You're impossible to find."
Everyone became vaguely aware of the sound of gross sobbing coming from somewhere in the room (it was Kirishima), but no one could quite pull their attention away from the scene taking place.
"This is not what I intended." Bakugo had never been good at handling his emotions, and he really did need to think before he spoke sometimes. "I always swore to you I'd never fall apart." Their first two fights together came to mind. "You always thought that I was stronger. I may have failed, but I have loved you from the start."
The blond reached a hand out, grabbing Izuku's almost shyly as he forged on.
"But hold your breath, because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you, over again. Don't make me change my mind, or I won't live to see another day. I swear its true. Because a guy like you is impossible to find. You're impossible to find."
"So breathe in so deep," Izuku joined in then. "Breathe me in I'm yours to keep. And hold onto your words," they harmonized together flawlessly, "'cause talk is cheap. And remember me tonight when you're asleep."
"Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you, over again. Don't make me change my mind. I won't live to see another day, I swear it's true, because a guy like you is impossible to find…"
There was supposed to be another repetition of the chorus, but it was lost when Izuku couldn't contain himself anymore. The greenette cut Bakugo off by throwing himself at him shamelessly crying his eyes out in relief.
"Kacchan!"
"Deku, calm your crybaby ass down. It's not that big of a deal."
"Y-yes it is! Kacchan!"
Bakugo looked over the wailing boy's head at his classmates, eyes begging for someone to deal with Izuku for him. Instead he got sly grins, nonchalant whistles, a few finger guns, a wink, or was compeltely ignored in favor for quietly heading towards the exit. A minute later and the two boys had the gymnasium to themselves.
"Deku," Bakugo stated softly once they were alone.
Pulling away, Izuku looked at the blond with a grin brighter than any he'd ever seen before. Bakugo would never admit it out loud but his nerd's smile made him feel things. Fuzzy things.
"I'm so happy! I hoped you would reconsider, but I never anticpated you'd sing me a song. Kacchan, you were so amazing!"
Bakugo blushed at the praise. "Oh shut up. Of course I'm talented, which is why after some thought I'm going to sing that one part in 'Singing to the Sky' like you wanted. We can't let the other classes hear nothing but perfection during the finale, right?"
The kiss Bakugo received was all the answer he needed.
In order of appearance:
I'd Do Anything by Simple Plan
Love The Way You Lie Part 2 by Rihanna
Best of Me by The Letter Black
Distance by Christina Perri
So Contagious by Acceptance
Always by Blink 182
Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Listen to Your Heart by Roxette
My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson
Perfect (clean version) by P!nk
Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne
Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne
Stay by SafetySuit
Say Something by A Great Big World
Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade
Songs that almost made it:
My Escape by Ravenscode
My Dearest (Guilty Crown Opening) Cover by AmaLee