[PSL -- For Superchill] -- Confrontation

[thunderingpeace]

Part One
Part Two

 

[It had been a week since that time in Kacchan's apartment. A week since the kiss, a week since they'd had breakfast together, and a week since they parted on an almost too-casual note, Izuku walking out the door ahead of his friend so as not to embarrass them both.

Also, to...well. To give Kacchan some room. Some breathing space.

Because they weren't anything, not really. Friends? Definitely. Lovers? Possibly someday. They'd definitely enjoyed kissing each other, and spooned each other when they slept for fuck's sake. Izuku had wanted something more, but Kacchan needed time, and he was perfectly willing to give him time.

No. Really. Don't give him that look. Just because he'd had a rocking dumpster fire of a romantic life before this didn't mean that he was going to make this go in flames because of his own awkwardness and thirst.

And then...well. One thing led to another. 

Specifically, his mother happened. She'd collapsed one day while at work -- after Izuku graduated, she'd taken to working again in order to fill the gaps left by her son's absence, and her own loneliness -- and he'd left immediately to go and see her. 

Her heart was weak. They weren't sure if it was her weight, the anxiety of having her son out of the house and her husband overseas, a deeper issue, or a combination of all of them, but couldn't do as much as she used to. She needed help.

Izuku had jumped at the chance. Taken strange hours -- mostly graveyard shift -- and had to cancel his social plans so that he could be with his mother during the day, work at night, and get what little sleep he could before he had to wake up and do it all over again.

This went on for a week.

He hadn't texted or called anyone. He hadn't had the time. He had to talk to his superiors to switch his hours, he had to commisserate with the doctor about his mother's medications and how long she would need to be supervised before she could start living independently again (his father hadn't even been contacted -- but Izuku had enough issues with his father, and really didn't want to think about him right now), had to start putting aside money for both her rent and his, had to move himself into his old room with the too-tiny, uncomfortable bed and always made sure to keep the door open in case she needed him.

He was a wreck.

His eyes were sunken in, he'd only eaten the bare minimum that he needed to function, and while coffee and energy drinks got him through his shift with minimal effort, he knew he wasn't at the top of his game. He'd planned on telling someone, really, but he didn't want to make anyone worry until he was settled, and by the time things started rolling he was so caught up in the wave that he couldn't stop.

He shook when he woke up, some days, and had to force himself to stop the exhausted tremors. His two off-days a week were the only days when he could sleep, but it was restless and short, so he spent his time working out or taking extra hours at the agency just to fill the time.

He missed everyone.

Most of all, he missed Kacchan.]

Comments

[superchill]

[ He doesn't pick up on anything at first, of course. He's too... angry? concerned? relieved? to hear Deku's voice. Fucking finally. ]

What the fuck Deku? What the hell is going on?

[Yeah, he knows he asked for time to think about things, but that's not what this has been at all. This has felt like straight up avoidance.]

I'm at your fucking place right now and you're not here. I asked at work and they said you switched your shifts around. At first I thought you were avoiding me like a little asshole because you didn't even fucking tell me about your shifts, but you can't be that much of an idiot, can you?

So what the hell is going on, huh??

[thunderingpeace]

I'd never avoid you, Kacchan!

[That came out too fast, too raw, too loud. Izuku's head was spinning, probably from the exhaustion, but also because God, it had been too long since he'd heard Kacchan's voice. It wasn't a doctor, or one of his mother's reassurances that she was going to be fine, or his own internal voice that read out every single possible scenario like a mantra.

He'd had many friends and loved ones laid out like this, in even worse shape, even. All Might had been hospitalized due to his weak body, and he'd been there at the bedsides of Uravity, Ingenium, and Shouto when they were hospitalized, full of smiles and good cheer.

Everything changed, though, when it was his mother.

His mother was safety, closeness, home. She had been his rock and foundation for years upon years, and gave him so much love that he didn't even know how to begin paying her back for that. The thought of losing her...

The only person whose departure would hurt worse would be Kacchan's.

God, Kacchan. Even yelling at him, even furious as he was, it was something that wasn't the constant worry and lineup of tasks that took over his brain day after day, moment after moment.

He owed him an explanation. An explanation? Yeah.

His heart felt like it had been ripped open. Why hadn't he gone to someone before?!

Oh. Right. No time.]

It's...Mom.

[Something wet can be heard on the other line, like tears being choked back.

He didn't need to cry right now.]

I'm at her place right now. Have been. For the past week.

[superchill]

[ Bakugou stops pacing in front of his door. He stops moving completely and he's pretty sure he's never gone quiet this fast in his life.

Shit. Fucking shit. ]

Fuck, Deku. What happened? She okay?

[That's when he hears the wobbliness in Deku's voice and something else completely. This aching agony and and overwhelming tiredness.

He feels shitty for thinking all the crap he was thinking, and for yelling at Deku right off the bat.]

Why didn't you tell me? I could've... I don't fucking know. I could've helped or something.

[thunderingpeace]

[There's a loud thump on the other line. As though the person in question had slumped, hard, onto the ground.

Silence.]

She collapsed last week. I went to see her, and...

[That wet sound again. A loud swallow.]

She's okay. She'll be okay. She'll be okay.

[Who was he trying to reassure: Kacchan, or himself?]

It's just her heart. She can't really have much stress or move herself around for a while, so I've been taking care of everything. Cooking. Cleaning. Money. Look, I'm sorry, I should have said something to you, I would have, but--

[A pause.]

I wanted to wait until I got settled in, but then things just kept piling up, and I just...

[superchill]

[Bakugou pinches the bridge of his nose and gets moving. He runs down the stairs and heads out of the building, heading for the train.]

Deku. Christ. I can't believe you didn't fucking...

It's okay. You're right, she's gonna be okay. Listen, I'm coming over there, okay? I'm gonna catch the next train home.

[Their home. They lived so close to each other all their lives and played at each other's houses. It's been so damn long, but Deku's mom... she's pretty damn important. And hell, so is Deku. ]

Do you need me to grab anything? I'll grab some shit on the way over there. And don't say no.

[thunderingpeace]

[Man, how long had it been since Kacchan had come here? Years. And yet, it was all to see him like this, in this situation.

God, he was just so...tired. He wanted to sleep, but he knew he couldn't. Or at least just. Rest. For a while.

Hearing Kacchan's voice was relaxing; man, he didn't know that he would ever hear the day when he'd admit that to himself. Bakugou Katsuki was many things, but most wouldn't call him a relaxing presence, or a comfortable rock in an unstable storm.

But, hell, he always had been for him. Even when their relationship was strained, he always looked at Kacchan, wanted to walk beside him.

Then, they walked on parallel paths, as heroes, staying just out of step with each other, but close enough to watch each others' faces.

And, now, Izuku stumbled, and it was Kacchan that was holding him up, even if he didn't realize it.

He chuckled, softly. His voice had a little more life in it than it did before.]

Some coffee would be nice. I'm going to need all the caffeine I can get for work tonight.

[superchill]

[ It has been years and truthfully, just like he had told Deku, he wasn't sure his mother even liked him. After everything that had transpired between them, he always imagined Deku's mother couldn't stand him for being so awful to her son.

But Deku said it wasn't like that. And that he would still talk about him all the time.

Bakugou may be a Pro-Hero, sure, but he's never really been there for anyone like this- or like how he's gonna try to be. Instead of yelling and getting mad, he wants to help. ]

Deku, you can't go to work like this. You can't run into the middle of some shit while exhausted and over caffeinated. Is that what you've been doing?

[There's tension in Bakugou's voice. He knows Deku would push himself no matter what. Hell, he gets it, he'd probably do the same- but he'd also have people telling him to cut the shit. He'd be mad about it sure, but he remembers when he was forced to take off from work- it ended up being better for everyone in the end.]

The Agency knows what's going on, right?

[thunderingpeace]

[What was he even supposed to say to that? No? Yeah, sure, you try lying to Kacchan and live to tell the tale, I dare you. As much as Izuku wanted to save face, he wanted to keep things calm in this apartment and not cause an argument more.]

It's worked so far.

[He sighed. He knows Kacchan's worried, but what else is he going to do?]

No, I usually get...some sleep. The Agency knows what's going on, but money's tight right now, since I'm going to be paying for my apartment and hers, so I've been taking some extra hours...

I just had a bad night last night, really. I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me.

[superchill]

Like hell it has!

[Can this train go any faster? Really? Fuck, he could probably make the train go faster. No, wait, he can't do that. That would be bad. Goddammit. He just wants to get over there already. This concern? Yeah, it's not often he feels it, but now he definitely does.]

Fuck off, Deku. I'll do whatever I want.

[And if that includes worry, then he'll begrudgingly admit to that too. Look at him, he's growing.]

What do you need that's not caffeine?

[He'll bring that too, of course, but he's sure there's some items Deku has forgotten. Food for himself, probably. Ugh, if he had known, he would have made something and brought it over. Now he's gonna have to get take out or convenience store shit.

Oh, but he knows some good places around where they live, that are open late. He remembers them from when they were younger and he wasn't all that into cooking just yet.]

I'm bringing dinner. I'm sure you haven't eaten. And don't say no or I'll kick your ass.

[thunderingpeace]

No, really, I do get sleep. Like...around...three to four hours or so a night? It's not ideal, but I'm adjusting, really!

[Adjusting as well as someone does sleeping in a bed of nails, especially considering the more strict sleeping schedule he had when he started his career.

But...

In no uncertain terms, Kacchan just said that he was worried about him. As though his actions weren't giving that away, but--

Was it appropriate to feel a warmth in his stomach right now? After all the cold emptiness and stress, it was a nice feeling. It was...honestly, it was needed.

If he wasn't already in love with this man, he would have fallen harder.]

Ummm...Hmmm. Let me check.

[There's a lot of shuffling, Deku's grunting, and then the soft click of a refrigerator door.

There's a bit of soft mumbles, and the clinking of things being moved around.

A pause.]

Milk, it looks like. I used the last of it making Mom's dinner. She's on a strict heart-healthy diet right now, but she's also low in calcium so I've been asked to add milk to meals whenever I can.

[Izuku yawns, despite himself. Long, deep, and tired.]

And dinner sounds great right now. Really. I--

[Another pause.]

Thank you. For this.

[superchill]

Three to four...!! Deku! You little shit! That's not enough sleep for what we do!

[He raises his voice, he just can't help it. He's worried and angry that this little asshole that he actually gives a shit about is going to get himself killed.

People on the train are looking at him now and he glares at every last one of them. Fuck his PR image right now, they should all know he's an asshole anyway.]

Milk and dinner. Okay. Does she need anything else? I can grab anything on the way, Deku.

[He hears that yawn and he can't believe Deku is just going to caffeinate himself and go to work like this. No fucking way. After he gets off the phone with Deku he's going to call the Agency, have a few words with them and fix this shit. Deku can thank or yell at him later.]

Don't worry about it. I'll be there as soon as I can. Go lay down, broccoli head.

[thunderingpeace]

[He's not even going to argue right now about sleep. He only had so many hours in the day, and it's not like there was anyone else. Who was he going to ask, his dad? Oh, right, he was halfway across the world doing God-Knows-What while his wife and son were left to their own devices in their own country.

And it wasn't like he could ask Kacchan to help him. He was already doing so much right now as it was. He was really going out of his way, and he wasn't sure what to feel about that.]

No, I think that's about it.

[And if he remembered something, he could just go get it after his shift tonight. He was going in, whether Kacchan liked it or not. He needed the hours.

Though you know? The nickname "Broccoli Head" was really starting to grow on him. It was almost...cute.

He was too tired to filter himself.]

Okay. The spare key's taped to the bottom of the mat like usual. See you when you get here, Dandelion.

[And before Kacchan could rip his ears off over the phone for using that nickname, he muttered a quick, fond 'bye' before ending the call.

Izuku stopped leaning on the fridge and set his phone on the table, wobbling over to the couch where he at least tried to lay down. He could never get comfortable, and he was too tired to sleep, too tired to stay awake.

He was in his own corner of hell right now.]

[superchill]

Alright, yeah. I'll be there soon.

[The dumpling place. He'll get an array of different dumplings and some good soup, some rice. He'd get Katsudon but he feels like that would be an insult to all their tastebuds after their last Katsudon together, and he doesn't need Deku to sit there telling his mother how much better his was than hers. Not that he would want to, but he knows Deku is honest. Too honest, sometimes.

Also not a bad thing.

Spare key is taped to the bottom of the mat, right. Dandelion??]

I told you not to call me that!

[He starts yelling into the phone, but by the time he does, Deku has said bye and hung up. Probably for the best. Yeah, he'll show Deku a fucking dandelion alright.

True to his inner dialogue, he calls the Agency right after and has a talk with them about Deku taking off tonight and tomorrow- and then they'd go from there. He switches his shifts around as well, making sure he can get as many of them the opposite of Deku's. It sucks, and maybe they won't see each other as much, but... they haven't been seeing each other this week anyway and at least this way he can help. At least this way Deku won't be busting his ass and getting his ass extra busted when villains kick his tired ass into oblivion.

Bakugou sure as fuck isn't having any of that.

Once he's off the train he quickly goes to the grocery store and grabs some milk and some vegetables while he's at it. One can never have too many veggies, especially if Inko has to keep to a strict diet. He hopes she's okay. He really hopes she'll be okay. He can't even imagine what... no. He's not thinking like that. Fuck that. They're all gonna be okay.

Once he grabs those things and oh yeah, some coffee, he goes to the restaurant and grabs everything else he had planned. His hands are full by the time he gets to Deku's childhood home and he considers kicking the door open, but that would be incredibly rude, so he sets everything down again and fishes the key out from under the mat.

He opens it and peeks his head in, then goes inside with all the bags, kicking his shoes off before making his way through the house. Oh god, he hasn't been here since he was tiny.]

Deku?

[thunderingpeace]

[He'd tried laying down after the call with Kacchan. Scout's honor, he tried. He flopped on the couch, rolled around, but he kept feeling more and more tired...but couldn't even relax.

He was so exhausted that his body was refusing to sleep. This was, admittedly, not a good sign. But what could you do with one hour of sleep and too much caffeine running through your system? Too tired to be conscious, too wired to sleep.

When Izuku heard the door click shut, his heart leapt in his throat. Seeing Kacchan shouldn't be a big deal -- after all, they used to see each other pretty rarely, and would go weeks without speaking back in UA. It wasn't the time, or the distance.

It was the circumstances.

Kacchan was in his childhood home again. Helping him when he -- as much as he didn't want to admit it -- needed it the most.

At the sound of his name, Izuku started to sit up.]

I'm in here.

[Something that vaguely looked like Midoriya Izuku stumbled off that couch and towards Kacchan's voice. Really, it looked like death just warmed over and used Midoriya's body as a vessel; his eyes were dark and sunken in, with hints of concealer and makeup dotting his face in an attempt to cover everything up. His clothes were rumpled and worn, and his hair was stuck up in all directions and frizzy.

Yeah, he looked a sight all right.]

[superchill]

[ Bakugou follows the sound of Deku's voice, emanating from the living room. He rounds the corner, heading inside and then stops when he sees the other man.

Oh, he definitely looks a sight. Like death rolled over, or something.

Bakugou frowns deeply, feeling his blood pressure rising the longer he looks at Deku. This time it's not due to irritation or annoyance, but anger that Deku even looks this worn out and hollow around the eyes. That he'd drive himself into the ground without even asking for help. Sure, Bakugou would never ask for help either, but Deku is different. He's not one for cutting himself off from others like this.

So yeah, it angers Bakugou, but he really tries not to get heated. He really, really does. ]

You're a idiot. You look like shit.

[He turns and heads for the kitchen so he can put all the heavy bags down, already glancing around to see what Deku needs help with around here. Cleaning or whatever. He puts the milk and vegetables away, sets the coffee out of sight and puts the food he brought for dinner on the table.

Then he turns to Deku who he knew would follow and grabs him by the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. ]

I'm gonna hug you now, but I've never hugged anyone in my whole fucking life, so... don't give me any shit.

[And then in the most awkward way possible, he pulls Deku against him and bends his arms around Deku's back, sort of patting him. He figures Deku will do the rest.]

[thunderingpeace]

[He had expected...something. He wasn't sure what, but when he saw Kacchan's eyes on his, and the way he stopped, Izuku had braced himself, waiting for the inevitable.

He'd followed -- it was an ingrained habit at this point, born of years upon years of practice.

He waited.

For what?

An explosion? Even Kacchan wouldn't yell at him when his mother was laid out, but Izuku had no excuses. He knew he'd fucked up, and that he should have told someone, or at least told him, and he would talk to everyone later--

--but then he was grabbed by the front of the shirt, he was pulled closer, and then wrapped in the most awkward hug he'd ever been in in his life. Kacchan's arms were stiff, his back was straight, and his hands patted him in the single most stiff way he'd ever been patted in his life.

He wasn't sure if his heart mended or broke in that moment.

Both. It both mended and broke and he didn't even need to think. He wrapped his arms around Kacchan's waist, gripped the back of his shirt, and pulled him close, closer, closest--

He was shaking, but he didn't care. Kacchan was warm, hugging him, and he could let go for just a moment, he could be that scared little boy for just a few minutes, could let himself go...]

Kacchan...I'd never.

[There was a bit of wetness in his voice, though he wasn't quite crying yet.]

[superchill]

[Yup, Deku definitely takes care of the rest of that hug.

Bakugou knows he's shit at this but maybe just letting Deku know it's ok is important? Seems like it, because Deku is hugging him to death right now.

When he starts shaking, Bakugou tries to make more of an effort to be less stiff, his arms relaxing a bit more around him.

He hopes he can radiate all of his warmth into Deku as well. He knows how much warm helps when you're tired.]

I know.

How's your mom?

[thunderingpeace]

Sleeping, for now. She was up for a while, but after dinner, she was finally able to get some sleep.

[as Kacchan's arms relaxed, Izuku found himself melting against him, the tension easing from his shoulders. He felt comfortable here, like he could be himself.]

She'll be mostly bedridden for a while, but she has to do some light exercise every day to strengthen her heart. I've been leading her through that, since I'm home during the day now.

[His hold on Kacchan loosened just a little, and let out a soft exhale of breath.]

She's gonna be okay. I'll be there for her.

[superchill]

Do they know what caused it? Is she taking medications now?

[Bakugou doesn't actually know anything about this, but the basic idea is all the same. It's strange, having someone be sick for regular reasons. They've been around hospital beds to visit their friends and fellow heroes countless times, but he can't even remember if there's been anyone he's know go to the hospital for regular reasons.

He rests his chin on Deku's head and holds him a little tighter when his hold loosens. ]

She sure as hell is gonna be okay. She's strong, she always has been. I mean, she'd have to be to raise someone like you.

[In the past he probably would've meant that sarcastically, but this time he means it as the absolute truth. ]

[thunderingpeace]

The doctor thinks it's a combination of things. Stress and bad diet, mostly -- Mom's always been nervous, and with me out of the house and Dad never bothering to show his face or call, she's been a lot more stressed out.

[Part of him regrets moving out--if he'd stayed close by, maybe she wouldn't have gotten so stressed. He'd already put her through so much during his time at UA, and with him doing this as a full time job and still getting into regular scrapes with villains...well.

He was just thankful that heroes had amazing medical insurance.]

She's taking medication to help with her blood pressure and anxiety right now, and about four more for her heart. The doctor wants me to let Dad know, but you can probably guess how that turned out.

[No answer, and a message on voicemail. He hadn't called Izuku back--not that he ever did. If he hadn't been sending money in every so often and apparently talked to his mother once or twice, Izuku would have wondered if he even existed at all.

Aizawa and All Might were closer to him in this regard than his own biological parent. Not that anyone knew. Kacchan was the only one to really know about him, and Izuku avoided all questions with a strained 'it's complicated' that usually shut the questioner up.

But Kacchan's words have him pause. That was...probably the single nicest thing Kacchan had ever said.

His face heated up, his heart beat fast...

And his shoulders shook, almost violently, as he began to sob in Kacchan's arms.]

Kacchan...!

[superchill]

You better not be blaming yourself for this, shitty Deku. It's not your fault, you know. Our lives can be stressful as fuck, yeah. But it's what we wanna do and they know that. Your mom knows that.

[ He can already see the blame spiral Deku is probably in. All the shit that went down at UA, moving out, being pro heroes. It can wear at someone, but wouldn't it have been worse if they never did it at all? ]

Yeah... I can guess.

[But that means Deku has to take all of this on, on his own and clearly that's not working either. He wonders if Deku had even talked to All Might about this. Probably not. For some reason Deku really is trying to take all of this on by himself and it's not right.

He should have known the waterworks were gonna be a thing, but he's never had Deku literally cry in his arms before. It twists in his gut in such a weird way and he knows the anger that slams into him is just because that's always been his first reaction to intense emotional situations that were out of his league. But since then, he's learned that he doesn't have to let that anger take over. That there are ways to channel it away from the emotions he's actually feeling.

Right now those emotions are sadness. A deep ache. But also determination]

Deku... it's okay. It's gonna be okay. You're not... alone, you know? You're not. You don't have to do any of this alone. I'm gonna help you out.

[thunderingpeace]

[Of course he was. Had he ever done anything else when it came to others' wellbeing?

He took Todoroki's family issues onto himself.

He took the blame for Kacchan's kidnapping onto himself.

He was perfectly willing to fight Stain alone until the pros or his classmates got there.

He was willing and able to take care of this. It was the least he could do after all she had done for him. He was a grown man, he could handle this. These things happened; it was a natural part of getting older.

He just wasn't ready for a scare like this. Not like this.

Kacchan's arms held him steady; a warm, safe sanctuary from his feelings, his problems...hell, himself. He could spend forever here, maybe.

He'd wanted to fight back against Kacchan's insistence that he held no blame in this, because he did, even if it wasn't all of it, but his last words gave him pause.

"You're not alone."
"I'm gonna help you out."

Izuku pulled away, just slightly. Just enough to stare up at Kacchan, so many emotions swirling in his eyes.

There was a question there, relief, and longing.]

[superchill]

[ Yeah, Bakugou knows that. He knows damn well that Deku has always run out to save everyone else before himself. Always.

It's what makes him the best hero, but also lousy at taking care of himself.

He knows Deku can handle it to a certain extent, but then he'll still end up running himself into the ground. It's okay to ask for help, his counselor always tells him. At first he outright dismissed the entire thing, of course, but over time... well, he realized that maybe in some cases that might not be true.

He still holds fast to not asking for help in some areas- cooking for instance, or more personal thing (so yeah, he understands why Deku didn't ask, but still). But if he's in a jam out on the job? He knows better than to try and take it all on by himself anymore. That's just not what Pro-Heroes do.

When Deku pulls back to look at him, all tear faced and big eyes, Bakugou frowns, pushing his hair off his face. He wants to kiss him, he really does, but Deku is in such a vulnerable and emotional state right now, Bakugou doesn't know if it would be fair.]

I called the Agency on my way over here. I worked some things out. You're not going in for the next two days and don't you fucking even try to argue it. I was gonna push for longer, but I figured we'd see where to go from there. I switched my shifts around so when you're off, I'm on and vice versa, and you don't get all the shitty shifts, so you'll be able to sleep more. So we can take turns watching your mom and making sure she's okay.

Also, you're gonna let me help you pay for stuff so you're not working overtime. I have extra cash tucked away from all my sponsorships. I was saving it for a rainy day or whatever the fuck that expression is. That's what this is. Don't argue that either or I'll blast you all the way back to UA.

[thunderingpeace]

[His eyes widened, and he looked struck dumb -- because let's face it, he was. Kacchan had just offered to--

No, he hadn't just offered, he did--

He negotiated with the agency on his behalf, he'd done this for him, like it didn't mean anything. No skin off his ass, just telling Izuku to sleep the next two days, and then they would work everything out later. He wanted to alternate shifts, help take care of his mother, holy hell!

He was furious. What right did he have to decide this for him behind his back?!

He was floored. He did this without hesitation. Bakugou Katsuki did this without hesitation, just...hey, I'm going to take time and effort out of my day to help you, no questions asked.

He was completely and utterly in love with this insufferable, smug, handsome, emotionally constipated fucking firecracker of a man.

His eyes steeled with fire and resolve. His tears were not quite dry.]

Kacchan...

[his hold on him tightened.]

I can't believe you. You did that behind my back?! Without telling me? And you're telling me that they approved it?!

You're doing--you did--this! All of it! If I didn't love you, I wouldn't know whether to punch or hug you!

[He lets out an aggravated, frustrated sigh. But his eyes aren't angry. They're fond. Frustrated. A mix of liquid warmth and passionate fire.]

You--I--!

[He moves his hands away from Kacchan's waist to loop around his neck, staring into his eyes before pressing his mouth against his in an emotional, but gentle kiss.]

[superchill]

[ If it were him in Deku's place, Bakugou would be furious. Absolutely furious. So he gets it- it's a normal reaction.

He really did just do all of this without asking Deku first- because it's not an asking kind of situation. Sometimes Deku needs someone to tell him to stop. Whether it's All Might, Recovery Girl, or... now him. And he's damn sure Inko would appreciate it too.

Bakugou is sure she would be ten times more worried if she knew what Deku was doing so he could help her out. She's his mother, after all.

He can see that furiousness in Deku's eyes, along with a cascade of several other emotions. It's fine. He can handle all of it, whatever Deku says. It isn't going to change a damn thing. ]

Of course I did. You wouldn't have done it. You've been going on like this for a week without any help. You think I'm gonna just sit back and watch this? They agreed to. You have to give them the final approval, but you're gonna do that, so it's as good as set in stone.

[He wants to continue, but Deku's words don't go unnoticed and he stops. It all kind of slows down after that. Fond, frustrated, passionate- yeah, he's pretty sure that's exactly what this is.

If only he could get his brain to work again.

Before he knows it, Deku is kissing him and his eyes go wide for a moment before he snaps them closed and attempts to kiss back.]