"No."

"Aw, c'mon, Bakugou! It'll be fun!"

"I said no."

Kirishima sighed in exasperation. "Do me a solid, man! Sero cancelled on us and the only other dude there will be Kaminari."

The school day had ended and just as everyone was heading home Kirishima ran up to him asking if he would join them on a group hang out. "If you don't show it'll just be two guys and a bunch of girls," the red head pleaded.

"I said no, shitty hair. Now fuck off I've got shit to do," Bakugou spat back. He grasped his cell phone from his pocket to see that you had responded to one of his texts. He chuckled out a huff and sent back a witty reply.

Seeing this interaction Kirishima's brow quirked with curiousity. "You know, (l/n)'s gonna be there."

Bakugou's amusement melted into a frown. "The fuck? Why the fuck would she be there?"

"Mina said she was stopping by her house to pick her up after school."

"How the hell does she know where (l/n) lives?"

"She asked me and I gave her the address," Kirishima remarked.

Bakugou's perplexed expression deepened, this time with irritation. "And how the fuck do you know where she lives?"

"I was the one who walked her home when you two were fighting remember?" The red head said, his previous happy demeanor wearing off. A slight scowl dawned on his lips. "But I guess you were too mad at her to care."

Seeing no response from the blond, Kirishima sighed. "Look man, you don't have to go. I just thought I'd ask because (l/n)'s been going through a rough patch and it'd be nice for us to be there for her right now."

Since Bakugou had met Kirishima he never saw him get truly annoyed as he did right then. He would have blown it off as nothing, but the fact that he got so defensive over your situation made the blond question his intentions. Ultimately, Bakugou scoffed and rolled his eyes. "She's not some fragile little girl; she can handle herself."

He strode his way down the path but not far enough before he hissed out an exhale. "...But if you're that fucking concerned I'll stop by for a few minutes. If that'll get you to stop hassling me."

Kirishima's eyes went from guarded to confused in just one blink. Bakugou was infamous for his selfish, no-shit attitude however... Kiri always notice that things were a bit different when you were involved. He wondered if maybe he could find out whether this was true or not tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you heard the knock at your door you never would have guessed who was behind it. You chalked it up to it being a door-to-door salesman and went to your kitchen for food. But after an incessant amount of knocking you finally got fed up and begrudgingly answered. Upon discovery your eyes went wide.

"Mina?" You exclaimed.

"Hey! Oh my gosh, I haven't seen you in so long!" She immediately wrapped her arms around you, squeezing so hard you thought your lungs might pop. "Nice see you too," You managed to wheeze out. You then noticed the other two figures standing behind her. "Ibara? Itsuka?" They smiled cautiously and waved a hello.

"Before you ask! We're all here for our group date...thing. Honestly I don't know what to call it," Mina shrugged after letting you go. "All I know is that Kirishima was really enthusiastic about getting us all together to hang out."

You furrowed a brow. "Ejirou planned this?"

This made the pink girl gasp, giving you a scandalous look. "Ejirou? Since when did Kirishima turn into Ejirou?? Ooh I like that." She winked at you and excitedly ushered you all inside. "Where's your room, babe? I'm gonna find you the perfect outfit for tonight."

This was all going so fast you didn't even get to question everything that was going on. "Uh, upstairs," You replied.

"Great! I'm gonna go up there and see what I can find," Mina grinned and started for the staircase. "You coming?"

"Uh, I'll follow you in a sec," You nodded, looking back at your friends who were noticeably quiet. Mina glanced between you girls, reading the atmosphere. "Gotcha, hun. Take your time." She smiled encouragingly towards you before ascending.

After the pinkette left, the air became stiff around you three. They both looked at you and then back at the objects scattered in the room. You on the other hand watched them sadly having so much to say but not knowing how to put it to words. Finally, Itsuka broke the ice.

"You have a nice home."

You frowned solemnly but nodded. "Thanks...I've been the one taking care of these past few days."

"What have you been doing?" Ibara asked.

"Not much, just cleaning, watching youtube, sleeping. It stresses me out to think about how much I'm missing at school, but it's refreshing to have an excuse to take a break."

You rubbed the back of your neck nervously. "Listen, guys, I know the last time we talked I was being an asshole...I know that I should've said something about what was going on, but...I just didn't want to. I didn't want to get you involved in my bullshit," You explained, holding your shaking hands. "I didn't mean to push you away the way I did. I was...trying to take care of it on my own. And I'm sorry you got dragged into today's stuff too. I totally understand if you don't want to come—"

"(l/n)," Itsuka raised her hand. "Stop."

Your heart sunk. The normally cheery girl looked dead serious. Her eyes flicked up towards yours. "Just stop it."

"You hurt us, (l/n)," Ibara said quietly. "I know we've only gotten to know you this year but we have had so many memories together, the three of us."

"I-I'm sorry." You felt your own begin to water. "I'm sorry for being such as shitty friend."

"(l/n), stop!" Itsuka scolded coldly. "Yes, you were being an asshole when we were trying to help and yes you should feel bad that you treated us like that. We've been your friends since day one and yet you still don't trust us? You are the most stubborn, grumpy, reserved girl I have ever met!"

You blinked back your tears and let her rant. You knew you deserved it.

"You're right, you were being a shitty friend," Itsuka agreed through her glazed, emotional eyes. "And yet...you're still our friend."

You eyed her with shock. "Yeah, what you did wasn't right and hiding the truth hurt us, but...you're our friend. We know how you are. You're so independent you want to solve everything by yourself even if you don't know you can." Itsuka stepped up to you and place her hands on your shoulders. "We understand why you did what you did, we just wish you had handled it better. You can't go through everything alone."

She pulled you into a hug which Ibara joined as well. "We care about you so much, (l/n). Please learn to trust us more," the green haired girl sighed.

You let out a shaky breath and nodded into her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I really am sorry." The tears pricking the corners of your lids pooled on your lashes, threatening to fall. However, you mustered the strength to hold them back and embraced your dear friends. You were very lucky to have them.

"Guys, I'm so sorry. I swear I'll do better," You promised once they pulled away. But Itsuka merely shook her head. "I thought I told you to quit that, (l/n). We're good. We got everything off our chests so we can move on. Thank you recognizing that."

You smiled carefully. "No need to thank me."

"Now come on! Don't you have a date tonight?" Ibara jumped in, steering you up the stairs.

"A date!?"

"Yes! Mina was telling us that Kirishima organized this whole thing!"

"Yeah but that doesn't equate to 'date'! Ejirou is my friend," You said.

"Mina told us he did all this to cheer you up," Itsuka pointed out. "No guy would go through the trouble of arranging a hang out with people he doesn't know very well. Especially when you've been out of school for so long."

"He knows you two," You defended, causing Ibara to roll her eyes. "He knows of us, there's a difference."

You waved the two off just as you entered your room. You found Mina rummaging through your shirts and closet in a fixed trance. Items flew past your face as the pink haired girl tossed them onto the bed.

"Hey girls, you done with your talk?" She addressed once you came.

You sighed and threw yourself onto the bed. "It would seem so."

"Alright, well it was extremely difficult but I somehow found some clothes that didn't scream 'recluse'."

"HEy!"

She ignored your exclamation and bounced over to you. "Try this on! It's perfect!" She pushed into your arms not giving you a chance to look at the garments.

"What are we doing anyway? You never told us," Ibara questioned.

"Kiri said we were going to an arcade? I haven't been there."

"Absolutely not!" You shouted, eyes like saucers.

Mina jumped with a gasp. "What? What's wrong?"

"Where the hell did you get this? I've never seen this before," You said, flabbergasted as you held out the shirt before you. It was a white crop top held together with a laced front that revealed a little too much for your liking.

"Oh, haha, well I might I have brought my own things over," She chuckled nervously.

"I'm not wearing this."

The pinkette pouted. "Why not?"

"Kiri said we're going to the arcade, not the mall or party."

Itsuka shrugged and walked over to you. "I don't know, but you have to admit that top would really suit you."

"Oh I can practically see the heads turning if you were to wear this," Ibara chimed in mischievously.

You fought their smirks off with a glare. "Most definitely not." You handed it back to Mina who looked disappointed. "Oh but (l/n)! You would be such a snack in this."

"Exactly why I don't want to wear this. I'm not looking to stand out. Plus this is so last minute; I had no idea today was even happening."

"Yeah, I thought that too," Mina shrugged in agreement. "It was odd when Kirishima suddenly announced that we should all get together, but it seems like he's been wanting too for a while." Just then, her phone buzzed. "One sec."

While she was messing with her device, you scoured the floor for something to wear. You landed on a plain black spaghetti strap and the shorts she had given you along with some old sneakers you had lying around.

"This is perfect," You grinned, throwing on the items.

"Not so fast," Itsuka halted you. "You may have said no to the shirt but you are definitely not escaping the makeup."

"The makeup!?"

"Surprise!" Ibara exclaimed, holding up a bag which you could only assume contained your fate. You didn't dislike makeup but the fuss they were going through for one night out was causing your head to spin.

Before you could respond, Mina rejoined the conversation. "Huh, looks like Bakugou is coming."

You raised an eyebrow. "Was he not going to?"

"Well, Kiri didn't invite him. Said he'd probably say no."

Itsuka tsk'ed. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

"But still," You urged, "Wouldn't he have at least tried asking? I mean, Bakugou is one of our close friends."

"Actually, he's closer with you than he is with us," Mina clarified. "Maybe Kirishima wanted you to spend time with us instead?"

You frowned. That didn't seem like something Ejirou would do. Although to be fair you didn't know him well enough to conclude that. Perhaps there was something going on. He had been acting rather...differently recently.

Perhaps tonight you would find out why.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are they coming or not?" The impatient Bakugou said, tapping his foot against the pavement where they waited. He couldn't believe he had come out tonight. He wouldn't have even spared the thought if Kirishima didn't say what he did.

The red head was concerned for you. This led Bakugou to gripe about how shitty hair managed to pick up on something about you he didn't. How did he miss it? He thought himself as pretty attentive but it seemed like your recovery from your recent experiences weren't as quick as previously calculated.

Then again he hadn't seen you since that day in the hospital. Come to think of it, Kirishima hadn't seen you in a long time either. How did shitty hair know you were in a bad place?

"They said they're on their way," Kirishima replied with a glance at his phone.

"You said Ibara and Itsuka were coming too right?" Kaminari grinned enthusiastically. "I'm totally on my A game! I'm tellin' you, boys, by the end of the night I will get a girlfriend."

"Keep telling yourself that, short circuit." Bakugou rolled his eyes.

"Hey, bitches, we're here!" A high pitch squeal alerted their attention to the other end of the sidewalk. A pink girl waved at them as they approached. Beside her was the vine chick, the motherly girl, and someone else.

Bakugou was taken aback. He squinted to get a better look, but his jaw tightened when he recognized the way the girl with the (short/long) (h/c) hair walked. Her (e/c) eyes glanced up to meet his and her lips spread into a smile that was unmistakably yours.

"Hey, guys! Long time, no see," Your laughter bubbled. Bakugou stared with an unparalleled astonishment. Your cat eyes appeared rounder thanks to the sharp liner and brown smokiness around them. But what really pulled him in were the fiery red lips which played mischievously with your expression.

To put it simply, the blond, for once in his life, was caught off guard.

Once his daze finally wore off he noticed the other two males next to him were in complete shock as well. But out of all three, only one was able to speak.

"Well, hello ladies," Kaminari smirked and strode over. Even though he was addressing everyone his gaze never left you. "How's about we start walking to that arcade?"

Bakugou glared at blond Pikachu, wishing he could dunk his face into the pavement. And by the looks of it, it appeared Kirishima was thinking the same thing.

"Yeah, we should," Kiri said through grit teeth. He wrapped an arm around Kaminari and steered him away from you four. "Why don't we lead the way, buddy? It'd be manly of us to watch out for them from the front." Before the light socket could argue the red head forcefully pulled him ahead of the group.

That left Bakugou to join you on the outside of the sidewalk. The girls shot you a look and seemed to walk a little faster, giving you some space to talk.

You smiled at him but the blond was tight lipped, hands jammed in his pockets glancing across the street. Your earlier excitement dissipated with a sigh as you shifted to something else.

Bakugou took this opportunity to catch a glimpse of you and your ensemble. Your hair was down as per usual, but the outfit is what made it frame your face and figure so nicely. You wore a fitted black spaghetti strap which revealed a little more of your chest thanks to his height. The shirt was tucked underneath a pair of high-waisted shorts that curved along your lower body in very flattering way.

Bakugou questioned why he was being such a stickler for detail right then. Perhaps it was just because he had never seen you in anything like that outside of school. Despite his muddled brain being so confused, he tried committing the moment to memory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once you all arrived you started leading them down the many paths the arcade had to offer. By the way you talked, Bakugou could tell you were very fond of this establishment. How come you failed to ever mention this place before?

"These are mostly the fighting-based games. There's a whole other side dedicated to pinball machines along the wall," You spouted cheerfully.

Kaminari whistled. "Wow, you really know a lot about this place, huh?"

"Like the back of my hand."

"Ooh, what do you recommend?" Mina inquired. "I'm not super into games so I don't know if I'll be any good."

"Try Pac-Man. That's always a classic."

"I want to go do pinball!" Ibara joined in.

"How about we split up for a bit and meet with each other for different games?" Itsuka suggested to Kirishima. The red head merely shrugged. "Uh, if you guys want. Who's going with who though?"

"I don't mind the pinball idea," Mina compromised.

Itsuka wore an indifferent expression. "I'm down for anything,"

"I wanna check out first person shooter games!" Kaminari added. Kirishima seemed to prefer that as well.

"What about you, Bakugou?" You asked, turning to him. "What would you like to do?"

To be frank, Bakugou didn't know what to pick. He didn't consider himself a gamer but he wouldn't say he was oblivious to them either. However, he did know one thing. "I don't know; I'll do whatever you do."

"Looks like it's settled," Itsuka nodded. "We'll meet back here in a few."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You glanced around the arcade skimming the aisles for something both you and Bakugou could do. As your eyes wandered from the flashing lights to the drones of the screens you landed on the blond next to you. His hands were in his pockets while his gaze was taking in everything before him. He wore green jacket over a black graphic T-shirt and a simple pair of blue jeans. You had to admit green really was his color.

"That jacket looks good on you," You commented, bringing his attention back to earth.

He blinked and took a look at what he was wearing. "Thanks, I guess."

Despite your attempt to break the awkwardness your compliment only served to enhance it. You were biting your lip when Bakugou spoke again. "You look nice, too."

For some reason this made you laugh. "What's so funny, brat?" Bakugou growled. You could have sworn his cheeks were flushed pink.

"Nothing, I just never expected to hear that from you," You giggled at him.

"I'm never telling you jack-shit then."

"No! It's not a bad thing! It's just that I would never have thought you'd notice."

Bakugou rolled his eyes. He's glad he didn't have to respond to that because you had quickly moved on to something else. "Ooh you wanna play Donkey Kong?"

"What is it?" He asked, nearing the machine.

"Jump over barrels and get to the top to save the princess."

"Sounds simple."

"Arcade machines are usually like that," You shrugged and grabbed a hold of the joystick. After inserting some coins, the device whirred to life and the pixel Mario at the bottom of the screen was under your control. "It's been a while since I played this game. I hope I'm not rusty."

You then proceeded to absolutely demolish the game. Bakugou watched in awe as you expertly maneuvered the tiny man in and out of danger. He was so engrossed by the game he actually groaned in dismay when you were nicked by one of the barrels.

"Damn it," You hissed under your breath. "That sucked ass. I was so shit."

"What are you talking about? You nearly beat every level," Bakugou said incredulously.

"Yeah, but I used to be able to do it without missing a beat. And I passed the whole game with a high score! Speaking of which is my high score still here...." The screen flashed the players names but you found that your old score was beaten by someone named 'Noobmaster69'. You peered at the title with a simmering hatred. "That son of bitch."

"Still, you were good."

"Thanks. But anyway, your turn, baku-butt," You teased, stepping aside. He shot you a look, but came forward and took your place. "You ready?"

"Sure. How hard can it be?"

Very hard. Apparently, it could be extremely hard.

Bakugou barely got past the first level before a barrel ran smack into pixel Mario. The blond grit his teeth in annoyance. "Don't worry, you're getting it. You're just adjusting to the rising difficulty," You soothed. Despite your logical words, Bakugou only felt he was getting worse. Whenever he was just about to hit the top row a barrel would somehow enter his path.

"Fuck!" He shouted, shoving himself off the machine as sparks ignited in his palms.

"Wow, the one thing the Great Bakugou isn't good at?" You grinned. Although the way you could practically see the smoke rising out of his ears was enough to make you want to retract that sentence. "Alright, alright maybe we should try something else."

"No, I'm gonna finish this damn it."

"Bakugouoooo," You whined with an exaggerated sigh. You smushed your cheek into his shoulder in an effort to distract him. "We'll be charged for damages if you blow this thing up. Let's just go." The blond glanced down and found that you had puffed your cheeks full of air. You looked like a dork.

With a devilish smirk, he clapped both his palms over your face forcing the oxygen out. However this backfired on him when the air shot out at him causing you to erupt with laughter. "AHAHAHA!"

"You think that was funny you little shit!?" He pinched your cheeks painfully but he couldn't wipe the smile off your face. "It's not my fault you're a dumbass."

"What did you say!?"

You blew a raspberry at his face sprinkling him with saliva. He groaned in disgust and unintentionally let you got to wipe his face. "Haha! Who's the little shit now?" You were wide mouthed and giggly until you saw the rage dawn on Bakugou's face. "Uh oh."

You felt a chill wash over you as you immediately sped away from the area for dear life. "Hey! Get back here, brat!!" The blond barked after you.

"NooooOOOOOoooooo!"

You practically ran into the machines lined up against the wall as you whipped around the corner for safety. Damn, he was actually pretty fast.

That's when you noticed he was using his explosive hands as a boost. "You fucking cheater!!"

He finally caught up to you by throwing himself causing you to stumble and hit the ground hard. "Oww..." You moaned on the floor rubbing your sore knee. "Jeez Bakugou, was that really necessary?" You were still nursing your aching limbs when the blond grabbed you by the cheeks. "Ow!"

"Say you're sorry, night light, or else you can kiss these sweet cheeks goodbye," He scowled almost childlike. His hold on them were starting to pinch you.

However you were resistant. "Fuck you."

"(y/n)..." the blond warned.

"Shuck my dick," You managed to say as you bit one of his fingers. He pulled away quickly. "Why are you such an obnoxious brat?"

"Why are you such an arrogant asshole?"

He rolled his eyes and leaned against one of the machines, sitting next to you. His gaze went up to the ceiling whilst he shook his head. "How the hell did I end here anyway?"

"You walked."

He glared at you through the corner of his eye. "No shit. I meant why the fuck did I come here today?"

You pulled your knees to your chest and shrugged. "I dunno, maybe 'cause you like torturing yourself?" You gave him a cheesy smile but he merely looked exasperated. "You seem to be annoyed. Which, to be fair, is normal but you seem extra pissy today, what gives?"

"I'm fine," He grumbled.

You exhaled again and hugged your legs tighter to yourself. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad you came out today." Your eyes met his with a happy grin, but Bakugou rapidly glanced elsewhere.

"Let me ask you something," the blond suddenly said.

"Shoot."

"Why are you calling me that?"

You blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Why are you still calling me by my surname?" He inquired. "Last time we talked I told you that my first name was fine, but..." He weighed the shocked expression on your face and grew embarrassed by his own words. In a fit of bashfulness, he crossed his arms and looked away. "Nevermind, forget it."

"No, wait! I..." You bit your lip shyly.

Bakugou waited for your response but you seemed flustered. He let out a breathy sigh and shook his head. "I get it. If you don't feel close enough to talk like that it's—"

"It's not that," You interrupted, fiddling with a strand of hair. "It's just...it's been a long time since I was able to communicate with someone on that level, other than a family member I mean." Your gaze fell on your shoes, afraid to meet the blond's. "You're a really good friend of mine and I have no problem calling you Katsuki." Aw man, your face was probably set aflame by the heat of your embarrassment. Why did that intimacy making you so jittery?

Katsuki on the other was openly astonished by your honesty. His cheeks went hot and his chest sputtered when he heard your voice say his name. But his concern wasn't his appearance rather it was your restless figure which he had metaphorically backed into a corner.

The ash blond's brow dropped into a slight frown as he reached out for you. "Hey—"

"Yo! I finally found you guys," a cheery voice came from the other side of the aisle. Kirishima bounded towards you two but his expression dropped when he read the atmosphere. His face faltered pensively as he noted Bakugou's hand on yours.

"Ejirou?" You spoke.

This made the blond's face contort. "Ejirou?"

Kirishima smiled awkwardly. "Ah...you two didn't show up where we were supposed so I came to look for you...I was thinking maybe we could regroup and play some pool?"

Katsuki promptly removed himself from you and folded his arms. You glanced over at him to gauge his decision but he gave no indication. Instead you shrugged and agreed. "Sure, why not?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You know, if you two wanted to be alone you didn't have to ditch us," Mina said upon you three's arrival. You went tightlipped and glanced at her defensively. "Mina!"

"What? You know I'm right."

"And 'cause you guys are late we've already started a game," Kaminari whistled as he leaned on a cue stick. Itsuka yawned as she sat in the corner. "We're sitting this one out since we don't know how to play," Ibara explained.

"Who else is playing then?" You asked.

Kirishima raised his hand. "I am."

"I am too, but I'm really bad at it," Mina admitted.

"Which is why we will probably lose," Kaminari sighed.

"BOY, IF YOU DON'T—"

"Two person teams? Alright then, I'll join Kiri. That is, if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

Just then, Mina got a wicked grin on her face. "Say Bakugou, you're usually good at things...wanna join our group?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, you and short circuit here suck. Besides I think I'll find more enjoyment in watching you all flail around like idiots."

The pinkette glared at him. "Asshole. In any case, Kirishima it's your turn. Batter up, boi."

"You wanna take the first swing?" Ejirou questioned, handing you the pool stick.

You nodded and maneuvered it within your grasp. "Yeah, I'll take a crack at it. Does anyone know how to play pool by the way?"

"Sure, we do. You push the balls into the holes with the sticks," Kaminari grinned while motioning with his cue stick. Itsuka sighed and shook her head. "It can't be that simple."

"Yes, but it's too complicated for me so—"

"Yes, you're dumb, it's been established. Can we continue now?" Mina quipped although Kaminari looked offended.

"Alright, so I just hit a ball with another ball into the hole?" You questioned as you took your position at the table. "Yes, but stick to hitting the striped balls into the holes first. Stray away from the eight ball till the end," Ejirou instructed.

"Sounds like you know what you're doing," You mused, leaning over the green fabric.

"I'm no professional, but I know a little bit." He shrugged with a sharp smile. "Keep your back slanted and use your thumb as a post for the cue stick," He advised, adjusting your rigid stance. Katsuki's gaze drifted to the hand he had laid on the small of your back.

"Like this?"

"Yeah, but just a little more angled." The red head placed his palms on your bare shoulders straightening you out. Bakugou crossed his arms and exhaled softly in annoyance. "There you go. Perfect. Go ahead and take the shot."

You lightly struck one of the striped balls knocking it into another which bounced off the wall of the table and near the corner of a socket. "Ooh, good going!" Itsuka cheered.

You were pretty proud of yourself too. So much so that you didn't catch Kaminari's wandering eyes trailing down your shirt. This didn't escape Bakugou and Kirishima though. They knew their friend was a bit of perve but for some reason it bothered them even more that his lustful gaze was directed at you.

They both stared daggers at the golden blond, but he was too enthralled in his task. "Alright, let's keep going," Kirishima said tensely. He was quick to pull you upright when Kaminari shifted to look at your rear.

Bakugou glowered at the Pikachu. He had half a mind to call him out on his gross actions but he knew if he did that your fun would be ruined. Rather than cause a scene and upset you, he bit his tongue and beared through the blond's obnoxious behavior reluctantly.

"Guess I'm next," Kaminari chuckled as he stepped up. He targeted one of the whole colored balls but missed his aim entirely. "Aw, you'll get it eventually," You encouraged with a laugh.

"How are you supposed to stand again? I forgot."

You began to mimic your earlier move much to Kaminari's wide eyed anticipation. "Well you—"

"You put your back into it!" Ejirou said sharply as he took the golden blond's shoulder and shoved it down close to the surface of the pool table. He was so fast he nearly launched his head into it.

"Hey, dude! Watch it!"

"Haha sorry, I guess I don't know my own strength," the red head smiled humorlessly through gritted teeth. He harshly let go of his arm and backed away. "Why don't we just move on?"

Kaminari frowned at him and adjusted his clothing with a shrug. "Tch, alright, you weirdo." He made his shot and so went the game.

The next half hour went by like breeze with you and Ejirou coming very close to the end. You had only to knock the eight ball into a hole before you could secure your guys' win. You were ecstatic that you did so well for your first time playing.

On the other end of the spectrum, Katsuki and Ejirou were teeming with rage. Throughout the entire game Kaminari's eyes kept slithering up and down your figure leaving solely when your attention focused back. Kirishima continuously tried to maintain some kind of visionary boundary but it's not like he could stand in front of you forever. Bakugou had his arms crossed hiding the shaking fists he was aching to ram into the pikachu's face. But you were having fun; he biting his tongue and not saying anything.

However all of this went unnoticed by you. You were smiling from ear to ear and bubbling with laughter at the dumb banter bouncing between the group. You were next up with the cue stick ready to deliver the final blow that would crown you and Kirishima the victors.

You were about to line up your aim when Kaminari sauntered over with a sly grin. He hung an arm around your shoulder bringing you closer to him. "You know, we may lose today but we had a good game right?"

Your beam faltered a bit as you chortled nervously pushing away from him. "Uh, yeah...? It was fun." His hold on you was little stronger than you initially thought but he eventually released you on your second attempt.

But Bakugou had seen the whole thing go down. And he was livid.

His usual frown or scowl was nowhere to be seen. Instead he dawned a dangerous glower which fixed itself on the golden blond who made the stupid mistake of making you uncomfortable. A little voice in the back of his mind questioned his behavior but he paid it no mind as he trudged next to you defensively. "Let me try."

You blinked in surprise. "Wha? Now?"

"Yeah, hand it over."

You glanced over at Kirishima who merely shrugged. "Ok, sure..." You trailed off, still insanely confused. You passed him the cue stick which he swiftly placed between his fingers that rested on the lush green fabric. You watched as he steadied his aim, eyeing the eight ball and the direction it would be taking. He seemed tense.

That's when Bakugou suddenly thrusted the billiard ball sending it hurdling off the table and smack hard into Kaminari's face. The heavy thud was heard by everyone and was followed by a cry of pain.

"AHH! WHAT THE FUCK!" The golden blond stumbled backwards slamming into an arcade game which toppled him to the floor.

Itsuka gasped with hand over her mouth. "Bakugou! Oh my god!"

"Katsuki!" You hissed as well. You glanced over at him but he seemed deathly quiet and Kirishima seemed oddly in approval of it. The other girls went over to help Kaminari, but you were still dumbfounded by the explosive boy's actions. "What the hell was that?"

"This is boring. Let's leave," Katsuki replied simply. You would have told him off right then and there, however you followed his gaze which rested on Kaminari rubbing his nose viciously. The golden blond appeared to be furious at first but that quickly subsided when it met the red eyed bomb next to you. Bakugou was staring him down like a lion to an antelope, so full of untempered power that one false step could unleash something unfathomable.

"Katsuki?"

He blinked and looked back at you. "Yeah?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Let's go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After making sure Kaminari was okay, you all decided the night was still young and didn't want it to go to waste. You discovered a nearby park complete with wit its own playground dimly lit by a couple of street lamps. You all scampered over to the jungle gym laughing jubilantly as you ran around like idiots.

Mina was leading the front on storming up the slide which was being occupied by Kirishima and Itsuka when you resolved to settle onto one of the swing sets underneath a shady tree. You idly dipped your feet to and fro on the soft sand beginning a pendulum effect. Goosebumps shook your skin as a slight wind breezed through the still night.

"What are you doing?" A gruff voice came from behind you. You didn't need to look back to see who it was. "Aren't you supposed to be hightailing it with those dumbasses?"

"Just resting," You breathed cooly, wrapping your arms around yourself. Katsuki watched as your gaze drifted up to the shining stars in the sky; the freckles on your cheeks barely gleaming against your face.

You were admiring the glowing, pale moon when a heavy fabric fell onto your shoulders. "What's this?"

"Just take it, glow stick."

You hummed a chuckled and hugged the jacket around you tighter. It had a sweet scent to it, like a bundle of fresh flames being set upon firewood. You could only describe it as the comforting musk of Katsuki. "Thank you."

"Mm hm." Bakugou was glancing around with his signature scowl when you nudged and greeted him with a grin. "Push me."

"What? No."

"Pleeeeeaaase."

"No. You're not a child."

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaassseeeee."

"Ugh... maybe you are."

"Yes!" You cheered harmoniously as the blond rolled his eyes. He delicately placed his hands on your waist and pushed you forward on the swing set much to his vexation.

"So, tell me something," You mused, swaying to the rhythm of the Bakugou's pace. "How much wood can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck—"

"Ah, no see that's what we're not gonna do," He snapped immediately even going as far as to flick the back of your head. "Ow..."

He shook his head in disbelief as you rubbed your stinging injury. "You're so weird."

"But that's why you like me, right?" You beamed brightly at him. Somewhere deep down was something saying yes, but as for his body his eyes couldn't go any further back. "You're tolerable."

"Woooow. You hoe."

"I will send you flying, you little shit."

You sighed in content and flashed your eyes back at the sky. Your mind was freewheeling through a sea of thoughts when Katsuki cleared his throat. "So...Ejirou..." Despite him clearly wanting to know more, his words didn't sound like question.

"Yeah?"

"Kirishima's Ejirou now?"

"Yeah," You repeated with a slump of the shoulders. "He asked me to call him that."

The blond furrowed his brows. "You don't seem hesitant in calling him by his first name."

"Well, 'cause it's Kirishima. He's my friend," You replied, shyly looking down at the ground.

"And what the hell am I?" Bakugou retorted.

"You're different," You said exasperated. "You're...a very close friend. You're...special. Oh god, don't let that go to your head. What I mean is you and I seem to share a lot together."

"That's why I found it difficult to address you by your first name because it means our friendship is becoming, I don't know, more important I guess," You explained nervously. "If you think that's not true, I'm sorry. It doesn't have to be like that. I suppose that's just how I see it."

You dug your heels into the dirt making the swing come to a slow halt. You gripped the chains beside you as a silence settles over you and Katsuki. Maybe you shouldn't have said anything. What if you had freaked him out and he didn't want to be friends anymore? Of course, he was free to make that choice but something like an uncomfortable lump weighed on you at the thought of that.

You were sure you had scared him off when he came up behind you and placed his hands above yours, his fingers brushing yours ever so slightly. You glanced up and saw the soft, pale light above silhouetting his face. You could only catch glimpses of the color of his ash blond locks and piercing red pupils. You suddenly felt your heart beating thumping hard against your chest.

He softly swept a strand of hair away from your face, resting his palm on your cheek. "(y/n), I wouldn't mind that." His expression was earnest yet it hid a sense of tranquility just beneath the surface.

You reached up and gently placed a finger in between his eyebrows causing Bakugou's scrunch to dissipate into his skin. You smiled warmly and ran a thumb over his now serene brow. "You know, you have a very captivating face when you're not scowling. I don't think I've ever seen you this calm."

If you didn't know any better, you would have said that Katsuki looked almost shocked by what you had said.

His eyes held your gaze as you delicately touched his cheek. You never realized how incredibly good looking he was. You knew he had an attractive build, but seeing his face up close like this he was also very handsome.

Little did you know that the same thoughts were running through his own head. Your skin though quiet earlier was now glowing in hues of pink and purple fluttering across like embers. Your eyes were soft on his and your smile sent his heart beating sporadically for some reason.

Katsuki could have been there for hours without him noticing when footsteps jolted you two to your senses. You felt your cheeks burning with emotions which you quickly suppressed as Kirishima meandered over to the shaded play area.

Bakugou coughed roughly and puffed up his shoulders as he arrived. "So shitty hair, are we leaving now or what?"

"Yeah actually, Mina is gathering everyone up right now but..."

"But?" You asked.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you." Ejirou's glance briefly flitted over to Bakugou. "Privately, that is."

You looked up at the blond who was staring at the red head quizzically trying to size him up. But he did not move.

"Katsuki," You said, giving him initiative. He watched you, then Kirishima and nodded. "Alright, I'll get these idiots moving," He responded gruffly and sauntered over to the group hands deep in his pockets.

Ejirou let out a huff of laughter and took a seat on the swing beside you. Things were quiet as you met each other's gaze.

"So...did you have fun tonight?"

"Tons," You grinned. "Thank you for setting this up, Kiri. You don't know how much it helped."

He gave you a toothy smile and sighed. With his hands in jacket, he leaned on the chain of the swing. "You know, you look really pretty tonight. Don't think I got the chance to tell you that."

The abrupt redness in his cheeks made you giggle. "Thanks...the girls were practically forcing me into one of their outfits, but we compromised on this."

"Dressing up not your thing?"

"Not necessarily. I enjoy looking good every now and then but today seemed like a laidback situation."

Ejirou nodded as a silence started to linger. "I'm glad everyone had a good time though I wish I had spent it a little more with you."

"Mm, is that so? How come?"

"It's gonna sound stupid, but...I like talking to you. You're really fun to be around and, I don't know, you're just incredibly hilarious. You don't hold back when you're playing around and that's rare quality to find sometimes." He had cast his eyes down at the ground to avoid meeting your surprise. "Haha, sorry, that was really corny, huh?"

"No, not at all." You placed a hand on his arm causing his attention turn to you once more. A small, encouraging smile found its way to your lips. "That's so sweet of you to say. You're one of the few people I can count on and I'd hope to be the same for you. I want you to be comfortable sharing all this with me."

"Thank you, Ejirou." Your hand slipped into his with a prompt squeeze. The red head, though shocked returned the gesture with a soft expression. However, it transitioned to one of inquisition as questions began to storm within him.

"Hey, (y/n)?"

"Yeah?"

Kirishima swiveled his swing to face you, your hand still grasping his own. "I wanted to ask you about Bakugou."

You frowned. "What is it?"

"You and him...are friends, right?"

You opened your mouth to speak, but the enquiry was so spontaneous it had left you stumped. You faced away from Ejirou and allowed for the swing to dangle as you tried to recover your lost words. "Uh, y-yeah, we are. Um, why do you ask?"

"You two just seem close," He replied with a shrug.

Your brows knitted together, deep in thought. "Yeah, I guess we are. We've been friends for a while now but somehow it seems longer."

You chuckled to yourself. "God, I hated him when I first met him. He was such an asshole. Then I found out that that's just how he was, and maybe he wasn't too bad. He's kinda like my best friend now I suppose." You let out a hushed sigh and chortled. "I wonder if he sees me like that too."

The muted appearance on Kirishima's face lit up as he squeezed your hand lightly. He craned his neck to catch your glance and gave you cheerful grin. "I'm sure he does. He may not say it but from an outside perspective it's easy to tell."

The red head rubbed his neck anxiously, mulling over his next words. "Um, (y/n), I was thinking, if you aren't busy next Saturday, we could—"

"Hey." Bakugou suddenly emerged from the light before you two. "We're leaving now."

"Oh, okay." You nodded and stood up. You then turned to Ejirou with a look of curiosity. "I'm sorry, Kiri, what were you saying?"

His gaze landed on Katsuki's who was staring at him with a questioning eyebrow. "Ah, nothing. It's not important."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine," He reassured, though something behind his eyes made you think otherwise. But you wouldn't force him into anything so you dropped it. "Alright. Let's head home then."

"Now there's an idea. Could you take any longer?" Katsuki drawled in annoyance. Kirishima watched as he guided you away with a hand behind your back. You were glaring at him and clapping back with a remark of your own as the tiniest smirk tugged at Bakugou's lips. A heavy feeling in the red head's chest began to grow.

The air seemed clear about whether you thought of Bakugou as something more, but what of him? It hadn't crossed his mind what he would do if the ash blond himself had feelings for you. Bakugou was his friend and as his friend was it assumed that he should back off? In perspective, there was no reason why either of them couldn't go after you but was he inclined to essentially compete against his friend?

Kirishima glanced up at your fading figure. Your smile shining brightly on your face as you shoved Bakugou into the sand and zipped away howling with laughter. He chuckled, his eyes taking in your magnetic energy that bewitched him into contemplating these impending thoughts.

The blond quickly scrambled to his feet and chased you down the road where their other friends were idly talking. Ejirou could see that Bakugou did notice something that they had both staggered into, but whether he would act on it was another question.

The red head did know thing however, he was ready to speak to him about it. If so, by the end of the night.

So I had a bad case of writers block that made it so fucking impossible to finish this chapter. There were also so many things I wanted to add (which many of them didn't make it into the final result) that would have extended this already long ass chapter. In fact, I was thinking of breaking it into two chapters for fluidity reasons but ultimately I scrapped that in favor of getting this event out in one chapter. 

Next up, you're going back to school. What kind of things do you think will await you in your return?

As always thank you so much for your patience and support of this story :) and I'll see you in the next one!