Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jesus christ, these walls were thin. All Bakugou could hear was the noise from next door, the noise from Kirishima’s dorm. It was infuriating to be able to hear pretty much anything that came from that room at first, especially when he was trying to stick to his  strict sleep schedule.

Pro heroes aren’t born, they’re made, he was often reminded. Yeah, made by good sleep, a proper diet, a shit ton of exercise and training, a stupid amount of courage, and the ability to use their quirks properly.

So when he had pretty much everything else down, it was clear to see that he was not happy with his sleep being interrupted. There were only so many Prince songs that he could tolerate before they got stuck in his head, playing on loop endlessly as he tried and tried and tried to fall asleep with absolutely no success.

Not to mention the little gossip group between him and the girls— every now and then, he could hear bits and pieces of conversations and squeals from Kirishima’s dorm at some ungodly hour of the night. He didn’t really care for gossip, but the amount of shit he heard on accident provided him with more than enough leverage on anyone who wanted to fuck with him. That was nice, he supposed, but he’d rather not hear anything at all.

The one night he had finally decided to confront the stupidly loud redhead, he’d been completely stopped in his tracks. The music was blasting loud enough for him to physically feel the bass vibrating through his body, and he was this close to banging on the wall or just blowing a hole through it to wring that idiot’s neck—

And then it went completely silent. Was he finally done?

Curiosity got the better of the blond and he pressed his ear against the wall, catching the tail end of a muffled phrase from what sounded like... a phone?

“-cute, isn’t he?”

Was that Pinky?

“Nah, he’s not my type.”

That was definitely Kirishima responding, he could hear him clearly now. He sounded quiet, shy. Nervous.

Weird.

“Ooh,” that high voice could belong to no one other than Invisi-Chick, “so who is your type?”

What kind of idiot leaves their phone on speaker and full blast at this hour? Insensitive motherfucker. He could hear every single word, and he did not wanna know anything about Shitty-Hair’s shitty love-life.

Yet he continued to listen, body shifted uncomfortably against the wall. He was being as quiet as possible, silencing his breathing in order to hear the conversation clearly.

“Yeah, Kirishima! We’ve all talked about our crushes before,” that was undoubtedly Pink Cheeks talking, “now it’s time for you talk about yours!”

He could hear Kirishima sigh on the other side, then he heard a creaking noise right next to the wall. He was on his bed. Now Bakugou really had to be silent, unless he wanted to be caught eavesdropping through the fucking wall and labelled a creep by the one person he considered equal to him and his little gossip group.

“I won’t name anyone,” Kirishima began, and Bakugou found that his heart rate was beginning to speed up with anticipation, “but I could describe them to you, I guess.”

“Go ahead,” that was Jirou, “we’re all ears.”

“But we won’t tell anyone, of course! We’ll grant you the same secrecy and privacy that you give us.” And someone that concerned about keeping a stupid crush hidden had to be Ponytail.

“Okay, okay.” Bakugou’s heart definitely did not skip a beat when Kirishima started to speak again, because why the hell would it.

Still, he kept his ear firmly against the wall.

“They’re... nice. Not really in a conventional way, but they’re not nearly as rough around the edges as everyone thinks. And stupidly pretty. They don’t think so, but I do, I just love how they look.” He sounded flustered, like a little middle school girl gushing about the new boy and how she was already head-over-heels for him.

“But,” his tone shifted into something more melancholy and Bakugou frowned, “I’d never stand a chance with them. They’re focused on becoming a hero, and I don’t wanna take away from that or be a distraction. If they even liked me back, I mean, and I really doubt that they do.”

A piece of him swore to reduce the blind idiot making Kirishima sad to ashes. Who the hell wouldn’t want to date that walking ray of sunshine? He was strong, kind, understanding, funny, not too bad looking either-

Enough. The rational side of him took control again and pushed those stupid, weird, mushy thoughts far, far away where they would never resurface and bother him again.

Could he be talking about Todoroki, maybe? He was pretty standoffish, and everyone sure as hell considered him a pretty boy. Dead-set on besting his father as a hero and definitely not into Kirishima, at least in that way. It made sense.

“That sounds exactly like Bakugou, ribbit.” Oh, so Frog-face was there too. She was usually pretty rational, so why would she be spouting nonsense like that? There was no way in hell that-

“C’mon, Tsu, how did you know?” Kirishima whined, and Bakugou’s heart stopped as those stupid, weird, mushy feelings rushed back all at once, hitting him with the full force of a freight train.

What?

No way. He had to have heard wrong.

“It’s pretty obvious,” dear lord, Deku was in the call too, “you’ve been hanging out with him a lot more recently, and we all see the way you look at him.” That green-haired nerd had the gall to laugh as Kirishima sputtered in response, and that awful and sappy part of Bakugou wanted to know exactly how that idiot looked. Was he blushing? Hiding his face? Maybe he was making that stupid face that he always makes when he’s painfully passionate about something, grinning all wide and crimson eyes sparkling like rubies—

Christ, he needed to get himself together.

It took everything in him not to jerk away from the wall when Ashido and Hagakure squealed in tandem. Jeez, they were loud, but at least he was out of his thoughts now. “You two would be so cute together!” Mina gushed, earning a few hums of agreement from the others.

“It would be nice,” Kirishima’s voice was hardly loud enough to hear through the wall. “He doesn’t feel that way about me, though. I’m positive.” He sounded so hurt . “We’re just friends, that’s all we’ll ever be. But thanks, guys.”

Bakugou tuned out the rest of the conversation. Things had taken a sad turn and no one was really able to lift the mood, so they gave their reassurances and slowly left, one by one until Kirishima went quiet for the night.

Kirishima liked him.

Kirishima, who could probably pick anyone a million times better and nicer, yet he chose him. Him . And then he had the gall to think that Bakugou would never feel the same.

God, he was an idiot. Sappy Bakugou wanted nothing more than to blast a hole through this stupid wall and tell that shitty-haired fool how wrong he was, how wrong he’s been since the USJ incident and Kamino, but Rational Bakugou knew that such a scenario would end horribly. How would he tell Kirishima that he was wrong without revealing that he had been eavesdropping the whole time?

All he needed was a chance.

Chapter Text

Bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz

Kirishima glanced at his phone, then went back to applying his face mask. A nice, cool cleansing mask after a hard day of training. The perfect way to prep for a weekend of relaxation.

Bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz

Well, someone certainly wanted his attention. “C’mon, just a couple more minutes,” he muttered under his breath. Self care took priority, after all.

Bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz

Okay, okay, he was answering!

Alien Queen - *3 New Messages*

OMG (9:03 pm)

Eiji! (9:04 pm)

Answer me!! (9:06 pm)

Sunshine Boy

yeah??? (9:07 pm)

Alien Queen

Actually it’s too fucked to type this shit (9:07 pm)

Call me, I’ll tell you EVERY word (9:07 pm)

Actually I’ll call you, one sec (9:08 pm)

Curiosity was already tearing the redhead apart. He loved this routine. Mina would call him after classes while he went through his usual self-care routine, updating him on the latest gossip around the school. New relationships, rumors, other small things— nearly all of it came from Ashido.

Alien Queen - Calling

Part of him was scared to death at the knowledge that this girl couldn’t hold a secret for more than twenty four hours, but he quickly came to learn that she only divulged relatively harmless information, so his middle school secrets were still safe and sound. Phew.

Alien Queen - Calling

He wasn’t so keen on hearing gossip at first. After all, wasn’t it the opposite of manly to talk about someone behind their back? But Mina always assured him that no harm came out of their calls, so he would allow it until he found out otherwise.

Bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz

Alien Queen - *1 New Message*

Answer your goddamn phone! (9:12 pm)

Oh, right. Oops.

Alien Queen - Calling

“Hello?”

“Oh my god, oh my god, okay so-“

Kirishima flopped onto his bed, grinning ear to ear with his phone on speaker so that he wouldn’t ruin his mask as they talked. This had to be good if Mina was already squealing.

“-at the end of class earlier today, did you see Todoroki?”

Christ, who hadn’t? The boy’s left side randomly bursted into flames and he ran out of the classroom, face bright red with what was left of his shirt hanging off of him as the material burned to ash.

“Oh yeah, I saw him.”

“He was just insane , right? I’ve never seen him do anything like that, what do you think happened?”

Kirishima hummed, recalling the event. He didn’t really catch most of it since Todoroki sat at the back of the class.

“I think he was angry, that’s what Sero figured.”

“Right,” Mina started, “but he wasn’t angry.”

“What? He was on fire , Mina.”

“He wasn’t angry!”

“Are you sure? Sero seemed pretty convinced.”

A sigh from Mina’s end, then a deep breath. Here we go.

“Yeah, ‘cause I heard from Aoyama that-“ she paused and smacked her lips once. “Actually, lemme just add him.”

Brief silence. Then a small ding.

“ Salut ?”

“Aoyama!” Mina was back to squealing again, “I’m telling Kiri about what happened with Todoroki but since you were the one who told me, I figured you’d be able to tell him best.”

A giggle from his end, followed by a higher, feminine one. Was he with someone?

“I’d love to, mon amie , but I have Toru here with me and we’re bedazzling an outfit for her with these gorgeous pink rhinestones that were on sale!”

Oh, so that’s who he was with. It was a wonder that Hagakure wasn’t the one with all the information— her quirk made her perfect for digging up juicy gossip.

“Not anymore, now spill!” The invisible girl urged, quickly forgetting their little project in exchange for the conversation. Kirishima hummed in agreement.

“You want me to tell you?” Aoyama teased, and Kirishima swore that he could hear the smug smile in the blond’s voice.

“Yes,” Mina whined, “now come on!”

“You really want me to say?”

“Spit it out, man!” The anticipation was killing the redhead.

Another giggle, this one brimming with satisfaction. “Alright, listen up.”

Complete silence fell over the call until a small ding sounded, signifying that someone else had joined.

Ongoing Call - Alien Queen, Sunshine Boy, Disco-Ball, Problem Child

“Hello? Everyone’s oddly quiet.”

“When did Midoriya get here?” Kirishima wondered aloud, though his classmate wasn’t at all unwelcome.

Mina quickly piped up, “I added him! He is our resident ‘Roki expert, after all, he needs to stay in the loop!”

He supposed that was true, Todoroki and Midoriya were pretty close. It was a bit of an odd combination— the most emotional boy in the class and the most robotic boy— but he was certainly in no place to question odd friendships.

“ Ahem !” Aoyama cut through, his dramatic moment of suspense ruined by Midoriya’s entrance. “As I was saying , Todoroki’s scene today was trés dramatique , as you all know.”

Hums of agreement all around.

“And you also all know that the one who sits closest to the door is none other than moi .”

More hums. Where was he going with this, exactly?

“So I got to see exactly how our dear friend looked when he left the classroom. And I promise you that he wasn’t angry or feeling unwell— non, mes amis , he was undoubtedly blushing beet red with embarrassment .”

Gasps of surprise from all around, and Kirishima swore he could hear Midoriya flipping through the pages of his notebook.

“But what could he be embarrassed about?” Hagakure questioned, “I didn’t think he was even capable of feeling anything other than extreme teen angst.”

There was a beat of silence as Aoyama contemplated his words. “Well,” he began, “I think, and this is only a guess...”

“Yeah?” Mina was already chomping at the bit.

“I’m decently sure that Todoroki has a crush.”

More gasps, accompanied by some noises of confusion. That seemed like a bit of a stretch, at least in Kirishima’s opinion. Todoroki, crushing on someone? He just couldn’t see it.

“Are... are you sure?” Midoriya asked, the sound of flipping pages intensifying as he skimmed through his notes. If even he was in doubt, there was no way that Aoyama was right.

“Yeah,” Kirishima added, “what makes you think that? I don’t really know anyone who he’d be interested in.”

He could hear Mina laugh as soon as he stopped talking. “Ei, as emotionally smart as you are,” she started, “you’ve never been good at detecting crushes.”

“I agree,” Midoriya chimed in with a small laugh. “It took you forever to even realize that you had a giant crush on—“

“ Okay! So, guys, who do you think Todoroki’s got a crush on?” Kirishima was quick to deflect, and thank god this wasn’t a video call because he was nearly as red as his hair.

“I was thinking Momo!” Hagakure squealed, “They’d be such a cute couple! And stupidly rich, too!”

“Eh, I dunno,” Mina sounded unconvinced. “To be honest, I was pretty sure he’d like Midoriya, if anyone. I mean come on, you guys see it, don’t you?”

Kirishima could see where Hagakure was coming from, but Mina also made a compelling argument that was only strengthened by the flustered sputtering coming from Midoriya’s end. “M-me?! Oh no, no no no! He would definitely be more into Iida before me!”

Iida, hm? He supposed that made sense as well. They were together at Kamino, after all, but Midoriya and Yaoyorozu were there too. Slowly, the voices of his friends began to fade away.

“-ishima?”

But would that mean that Todoroki could possibly be crushing on him? No, they were hardly friends, much less anything else. Besides, Bakugou was at Kamino too, and there was no way that those two would get together as a couple.

“No, but-“

Unless he was wrong, of course. Like Mina said, he wasn’t the best at detecting romantic feelings, even when it came to his own. On top of that, he could be biased. He hated thinking of Bakugou having feelings for anyone other than, well, him. Selfish and unmanly, but the truth.

“-about Sero?”

The call went silent, and Kirishima was snapped out of his thoughts by the lack of background noise.

“Sero?” He echoed, and he thought back to the incident. Sero had been positive that Todoroki was angry without a hint of doubt, and he looked upset as well. Maybe a bit sad, even. Did he have something to do with what happened?

“Ugh, I’m sick of guessing!” Hagakure whined, “I just wanna know!”

A beat of silence passed before Mina quietly began to speak. “Toru.” Her voice was low, menacing. She had a plan. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Oh, hell yeah!”

Yet again, Bakugou was eavesdropping. He had made a poor habit of pressing his ear to the wall to see if Kirishima was gossiping just before he fell asleep for the night, and if he was— which was most nights and almost always on the weekends— he would get comfy in his bed and stay perfectly silent, listening through the wall until he either got bored and fell asleep or the call ended.

“-at the end of class earlier today, did you see Todoroki?” Pinky spoke from the other side of the wall, and he knew that tonight would prove to be pretty damn interesting.

While he certainly wasn’t one to start or participate in gossip, he couldn’t deny that some of this shit was kinda interesting. It all made for perfect leverage if he wanted something, and hearing the latest pervy thing that Mineta did always gave him the perfect excuse to punt the bastard the next day and get away with it, if the opportunity presented itself.

“Ei, as emotionally smart as you are,” Pinky again, “you’ve never been good at detecting crushes.” She was sure as hell right about that.

And while he wouldn’t admit it, Bakugou’s favorite thing to hear through the wall was Kirishima talking about himself or his ‘unnamed crush.’ It made him break into the most idiotic grin every time and his heart would begin to beat just a bit faster each time Kirishima mentioned the possibility of them being a good couple.

Hell yeah, they’d obviously be the best fucking couple in the whole damn school.

Well, they would be, if he could finally get the chance to tell that shitty-haired loser how he felt.

“It took you forever to even realize that you had a giant crush on—“

“Okay! So, guys, who do you think Todoroki’s got a crush on?”

Bakugou couldn’t help but chuckle. For such a self-proclaimed tough guy, Shitty-Hair sure got flustered easily.

The rest of the conversation passed pretty quickly. He didn’t really care for his classmates’ suspicions or theories as to who Icy-Hot liked, anyway.

That was, until Ashido and Hagakure started planning.

“-you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Oh, hell yeah!”

“Okay, here’s the plan!” Pinky continued, “Toru’s gonna do some reconnaissance for us.”

Reconnaissance, hm? So she’d probably be sneaking around for most of the day, trying to figure out what the hell’s wrong with Icy-Hot.

“I dunno, you guys. Isn’t it an invasion of privacy to just follow him around without his permission?” There was Kirishima, being the voice of reason.

“Yeah, Kirishima’s got a point. Todoroki’s got a lot going on and it would only make things worse to snoop around, I think.” And, of course, Deku had to agree with him.

Silence hung over the call for a bit as everyone thought over the consequences of following Todoroki and getting caught. Severe frostbite and third-degree burns simultaneously did not sound fun.

“Yeah, okay,” Mina finally conceded with a sigh, “no recon. Think you could just ask around tomorrow, Toru?”

Invisi-Chick hummed in affirmation and everyone began to say their goodbyes as they left the call for the night. Not nearly as eventful of a call as he thought, but now he had an idea.

If Icy-Hot did in fact like someone, he’d want to take them on a date, right? And Bakugou was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to ask Kirishima out, but he had no way of doing so without it seeming completely random. A plan began to form in his mind as he drifted off to sleep, and there was no room for a single error or a moment of hesitation.

Suddenly, he had his chance, and he sure as hell wasn’t passing it by.

Chapter Text

The next day came far too quickly for Bakugou, but there was work to be done and he couldn’t afford to slack off for even a minute. His bedside clock read 4:30 am and fuck, he had only gotten a pathetic four hours of sleep. How the hell did Kirishima and the others handle getting so little sleep all the time? That certainly explained why they all walked into class looking downright exhausted half the time, if they weren’t running late.

And speaking of running, he had a morning jog to get to.

His earbuds went in, already blaring his workout mix that definitely did not contain any Lady Gaga music at all, despite what Kirishima said he heard. So what if she was a badass that happened to make good workout music?

Poker Face was just about to hit the chorus when he reached the stairs to go down and he was this close to singing along until-

“Bakugou?”

His finger had never hit the ‘skip’ button so quickly.

“Icy-Hot.” Some random guitar solo now filled his ears, the sound spilling into the awkwardly quiet space as he pulled out an earbud to hear better.

“What are you doing here so early?” Todoroki asked, hand gently gripping the railing of the stairwell.

Bakugou huffed. He hated having his music interrupted and he hated small talk just as much. “I’m here every morning, dumbass. Why are you here?”

Todoroki immediately looked somewhat guilty. Huh, that was interesting. “To clear my mind.” He replied quickly, and suddenly Bakugou remembered that this loser was a vital part of his plan. He hadn’t planned on talking to him until after his jog, but maybe it would be best to just get it out of the way now.

Ugh, this was going to royally suck ass.

“What are you, uh, thinkin’ about?” He asked, and christ it was so awkward and he was horrible at this, but Todoroki was always pretty blunt so maybe it wouldn’t be awful for a terribly long time.

There was a beat of silence as Todoroki thought, and then he took a deep breath. “I received a... troubling ... note from someone yesterday. During class.”

“Is that what you freaked out over?” Bakugou asked, desperately attempting to come to terms with the fact that he was actually about to let the Icy-Hot bastard vent to him like he was Deku or something.

And, of course, honest little Shouto nodded immediately and Bakugou felt like retching when he saw the pink hue steadily developing on the boy’s face. He was blushing over this? Gross.

But he had to tough through the ickiness of this whole exchange. “What did it say?” He watched warily as Todoroki reached into his pocket and then pulled out a small, neatly folded square of stationery. He handed the paper over wordlessly before staring straight ahead, pink still evident on his face.

Aoyama had definitely been right, this idiot was beyond embarrassed.

Bakugou rolled his eyes and unfolded the paper, and holy shit he knew exactly who wrote this.

The handwriting was rushed, but he could still read it well enough:

‘I like you and I’m not sure how to tell you so I’m writing a note instead. Sorry if you think I’m a weirdo or a creep, if you don’t feel the same you can just burn this up and pretend nothing ever happened.’

The note was unsigned, but Bakugou knew that it was Plain-Face without a shadow of a doubt. The fancy paper totally matched the southeast asian vibe his room had going and that thin, slightly messy, half-connected cursive was something that only Sero could write legibly in.

Well shit, no wonder Sero thought that Todoroki was angry. The fucker bursted into flames before storming out and this note said to burn it if he didn’t feel the same, so that was like a rejection to the extreme.

And if Icy-Hot’s stupidly flushed face was anything to go off of, he was far from rejecting him.

“So, you haven’t burned it up yet.”

“That is correct.” Todoroki still wouldn’t look at him.

“Which means you like someone, and that someone may have written this note to you.”

“That is also correct.”

Todoroki was no idiot. He had to know that it was Sero, the two were next-door neighbors and they routinely exchanged manga. He knew his style, he knew his handwriting.

So he had to know who the note was from.

“Quit playing dumb with me,” Bakugou groaned, “do you like that plain-faced idiot or not?”

He could see Todoroki physically tense up at the question, and if the situation wasn’t so awkward he would have laughed at how impossibly red he was. That was more than enough to give him a solid ‘yes,’ which was perfect because it secured his place in his plan.

“Alright, Icy-Hot,” he handed the note back, “listen up. We’re going on a double-date. There’s a nice café nearby— we’re meeting there at five sharp, three days from now. Don’t be late.” The idea made him want to gag, and the half-and-half idiot’s eyes suddenly widened to the size of saucers.

Then he made a confused face and frowned. “Bakugou...” He started softly, hesitantly, as if Bakugou were some frail, wounded animal, “I’m sorry if I made it seem that way and I’m flattered, I really am, but...”

Oh, no. Nuh-uh.

“Shut it.” Bakugou was this close to blasting this idiot all the way down the stairs. “I don’t have a crush on your weird ass, I’m using you to ask out Kirishima. So go ask out Sero and tell me when he accepts, because it’s clear as day that he will.”

And with that, he was fucking done and ready to finally get on with his morning run.

Todoroki watched Bakugou jog down the stairs, still slightly confused and gripping Sero’s note tightly.

That was... certainly an unexpected encounter, but at least it gave him a bit of clarity on how he felt.

He had never considered that Sero, of all people, would have feelings for him. After all, Sero was fun. He was social and hilarious and was a great friend, he got along with just about everyone. Not to mention his looks— he had a unique charm to him that no one else had and the widest, brightest smile that Todoroki had ever seen.

So how could someone like that like someone like him? Todoroki knew very well that he was a pretty robotic person, simply because expressing excess emotion was never something that he routinely did as a child. At least, after his father started ‘training’ him.

Why smile and joke around when such behavior got him scolded for slacking off? Why cry and frown when he was in pain if it only got him called weak? He just had to suck everything up and appear neutral. Strong. That was how he survived being the son of Enji Todoroki, Endeavor, the new number one hero.

So how could someone as lovely as Sero find him worthy of his affection? He had no clue. But now that he knew about Bakugou’s little idea, maybe he would have the opportunity to find out for himself.

Now all he had to do was actually ask Sero out on a date. That seemed easy enough, just say that he returned his feelings and ask to go on a date.

How hard could it be?

Asking people on dates was very hard, Todoroki came to find, especially when the person you’re trying to talk to is going out of their way to avoid you.

That morning, after he came back up the stairs to his room, he happened to encounter Sero by chance. Both of them looked like deer caught in headlights, and Sero was quick to dart right back into his dorm room before Todoroki could even get a word in.

When it was time for class, Todoroki didn’t see him in the halls at all and noticed that Sero had arrived almost five minutes late. He had deliberately avoided the chance of walking together.

The entire day, Sero didn’t make eye contact with him once, didn’t say one word to him. Not one. If Todoroki looked at him, Sero looked away. If he came over to attempt to talk, Sero turned and was suddenly in the middle of a discussion with another classmate.

Slowly but steadily, Todoroki’s sureness began to crumble. Had he misunderstood the entire situation? Had someone else written that note to him? No, it had to be Sero. It couldn’t have been anyone else, even Bakugou knew that it was him. Maybe he was just joking, just pulling a prank. But even if Sero did joke around sometimes, Bakugou was no prankster.

Oddly, the feeling left a sting in his chest, rather than making him laugh like most of Sero’s other jokes did. He tried to ignore the feeling and focus purely on his work, an effort that seemed to be working well until class was dismissed for lunch.

Then, in the cafeteria, he had his chance. Sero was sitting at a table alone, waiting for the rest of his group to arrive. No one to talk to, nothing to deflect with. It was now or never. He had to ask now.

Todoroki walked over with determination in his eyes— he was going to ask this boy out on a date if it was the last thing he did. If not for himself, then for Bakugou and Kirishima. They deserved to have a chance to date and be happy together. He had seen everything that they had been through, and he felt that he owed them that chance as their friend.

Finally, after what felt like walking a mile, he arrived at the table, and it was the hallway all over again. Eyes widened and locked on each other, an almost tangible tension hanging in the air between them.

“Sero, I-“ He couldn’t even get a thought out before his throat went dry and a swarm of butterflies came to life in his stomach. What the hell was happening to him? Normally he was so sure of himself and articulate, and now his mind was going blank as he stared into a pair of onyx eyes that he couldn’t seem to read no matter how hard he tried.

Before he could gather his bearings, Sero gave him a look full of pain and shook his head. “It’s fine, man. Just... forget about it, okay? I’m sorry for being weird, I won’t say anything again. You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to anymore, I’m sure that I made you uncomfortable. I saw how you reacted.”

And with that, he took his lunch and walked right out of the cafeteria, leaving Todoroki dazed in front of the now empty table.

When Kirishima got his lunch and went to sit with Sero, who had volunteered to save a table today, he was quite surprised to see Todoroki of all people standing in front of the table, looking as if he had just seen a ghost.

More notably, Sero was completely gone.

“Uh... Todoroki?” He came up behind the boy, giving him a gentle tap on the shoulder. When the bicolor-haired boy turned to look at him, he had a neutral look again. His eyes still held something that Kirishima couldn’t quite place, though. Worry, maybe? Confusion?

All he knew was that he was pretty damn confused right now, and pretty damn hungry too. He took a seat, patting the empty one next to him as an invitation. Perhaps Todoroki knew about why Sero was gone and could enlighten him over lunch.

After a moment of hesitation, Todoroki sat beside him with a sigh. “What’s buggin’ ya?” Kirishima probed, keeping his voice low and gentle. “You looked pretty upset when I came over.” He only received silence in response.

After a full three minutes of quiet passed, he tried again. “Sero’s not here, do you know where he went?” He couldn’t help but smile when Todoroki nodded in reply, but that smile quickly fell when he saw that his friend was now frowning.

“Did something happen?”

A brief pause, and then Todoroki began to gently tap a slow, steady beat on the table with his fingers.

“Sero is avoiding me. He won’t let me talk to him.”

Okay, well that wasn’t good. Did they have a fight or something? That would explain how flighty Sero was acting, especially around Todoroki, and it would explain why both of them looked so down today.

Was that why he was so sure that Todoroki was angry after the incident? Did he say or do something to make him storm out? That would certainly make sense, but it would also put an end to Aoyama’s theory that Todoroki had a crush on someone.

Before he could push further, though, he saw Kaminari and Bakugou approaching with Mina, Jirou, and Yaoyorozu in tow. Or rather, he heard them approaching, because Bakugou was yelling about something while Kaminari was laughing hysterically.

Oh well, he could figure out what happened later.

Chapter Text

Bakugou was not happy to see Icy-Hot at his lunch table, seemingly chatting it up with Kirishima. For all he knew, he could be spilling their entire conversation from the stairwell this morning. That idiot did have a bad habit of sharing literally everything with everyone on a whim, after all, and Kirishima was a great listener who somehow had the miraculous ability to make anyone open up to him within minutes.

“Aw, is Kacchan jealous?~” Dunce-Face teased, and Bakugou was damn near ready to blast his ass to hell for unknowingly being a tiny bit correct in his teasing— not that he needed to know that— and for calling him that stupid nickname.

“Shut up!” He fired back, poorly hiding the subtle pink blooming on his cheeks. While he wasn’t the smartest kid in class, Kaminari was one observant motherfucker and he noticed right away, taking it as a confirmation of his teasing, and he began to laugh his ass off. And great, now both Icy-Hot and Kirishima were staring right at them.

Luckily for Bakugou, he was blessed with the quality of being one of the most intimidating people in the whole damn school, so all it took was the empty threat of a small explosion in his palm to quiet Kaminari’s cackling to a few muffled snorts almost instantly. The other three simply walked around the commotion, taking their seats and carrying on with their conversation regarding something that Bakugou really didn’t care about at the moment.

“The hell’re you doin’ at my table, Icyhot?” He asked less than kindly, and he topped it off by giving Todoroki a judgmental up-and-down look. The guy looked… sad. Which was honestly kinda weird, given that he kept a pretty neutral expression all the time. To his surprise, Todoroki stood from his seat without a word and kept his gaze down as he walked away. Kirishima looked like he wanted to go after him, but stayed seated and allowed Todoroki to leave before he could be pushed further. As soon as he was gone, though, Bakugou found himself being given an equally judgmental look from Kirishima.

“That wasn’t cool, man.” He said sternly, a slightly disappointed look on his face. “Todoroki and I were talking about something serious, and he was already feeling isolated, y’know?”

“Ooh,” Kaminari butted in, nosy as ever. “Someone made Kirishima mad!” He teased, and Bakugou only gave him an irritated look in response while Kirishima sighed.

“I’m not mad, I just wanted to make sure that he was okay.” He paused for just a moment, glancing in the direction that Todoroki left in. They weren’t really close enough for him to feel comfortable chasing after him at what seemed like such a vulnerable time. Slowly, his gaze returns to Bakugou. “…He’ll be fine, though, I’m sure. Wanna sit down?” Just like that, Kirishima’s disappointment gave way to his usual welcoming demeanor, and Bakugou had no choice but to sit right beside him where Todoroki had been sitting. If the other extras weren’t around, this would have been a decent opportunity to ask him out. Kaminari and Mina were too nosy, however, and he wanted the moment to be just right. As cheesy as it sounded, he wanted his confession to be romantic and special, something unforgettable that could make Shitty-Hair’s big heart flutter anytime he thought about it. The loud cafeteria simply wasn’t the proper place.

Sero felt stupid.

So incredibly, utterly, completely idiotic.

As he exited the cafeteria, lunch in hand and face bright red with humiliation, all Sero could think about was how big of a mistake he had made. What the hell was he thinking, impulsively admitting his feelings to his crush through a shitty note? Not only was it childish and weird, it created a whole scene and now he would have to hide his face until this whole thing blew over. On top of that, he had most likely just lost a friend as a result of his recklessness. A really good friend who, by some cruel twist of fate, lived right next door to him and wouldn’t stop trying to let him down easy.

Had it been literally anyone else, this whole situation wouldn’t be so embarrassing. But no— he just had to fall for Shouto Todoroki, the most handsome, most popular boy in class who could make just about anyone swoon in a heartbeat without even trying. That wasn’t the embarrassing part, though. It wasn’t unusual in the slightest for Todoroki to get notes expressing a crush or some other kind of romantic feelings from lovestruck students around the school. Those notes, however, never caused Todoroki to burst into flames and leave class. He didn’t know those people. He never tracked those people down, trying to delicately let them know that he could never feel the same.

The most embarrassing part was that Sero thought, for just a moment, that he stood a chance with someone like Todoroki. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like a fool. Of course Todoroki wouldn’t return his feelings. He was charming and handsome, unique with a powerful quirk that made him stand out.

As for Sero? None of those traits applied to him. He was average in every sense of the word. An average, easygoing personality, an average quirk, and a plain, average face that blended in with crowds. Nothing about Sero stood out. He had already come to terms with that fact, but now he had to accept that his mediocrity simply wasn’t good enough for someone as astounding as Todoroki. He was in a completely different league than Sero, and it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he would react so poorly to his confession.

Still, that powerful rejection hurt like hell. Sero had thought that they were decently close, after all. They regularly exchanged manga, hung out together every now and then, and seemed to get along well enough. They walked to class together and chatted about everything and nothing, and Sero even got to hear about Todoroki’s family every now and then. It felt natural that the amicable feelings he held for Todoroki had developed into something more, something deeper that left butterflies swarming in his stomach when his hand brushed against Todoroki’s in the hallway or his gaze lingered on him for just a second too long.

Now, thanks to his stupidity, Sero had lost the closeness that he had built with Todoroki. He could barely even look him in the eyes now, much less talk to him like a normal person.

All because of that stupid note.

So yeah, Sero felt like a total idiot. He had fucked up everything, and now he would eat lunch all by himself before spending the rest of the day avoiding Todoroki.

While Icy-Hot and Plain-Face were sulking, Bakugou was planning. He knew with certainty that Todoroki would hold up his end of the plan. If not for himself and his own love life, then for Bakugou’s sake since he was so adamant on them being friends. With that certainty, however, came the pressure for Bakugou to hold up his own end and ask out his best friend.

Despite his gruff exterior and foul mouth, Katsuki Bakugou knew a hell of a lot about romance. His secret stash of shoujo manga not only entertained him with the sappy, mushy tropes of teenage romance novels, but also taught him exactly what he needed to do to make this little mission of his memorable. It was well known that Bakugou did not just pass or win— he excelled, and he left everyone else in awe of that excellence. Such a principle applied doubly to romance. He refused to do what Sero did and write a note or send a text. His confession would not be whispered or ambiguous. His declaration would be just like him: loud, proud, and incomparable to what any extra could offer.

Bakugou had to make that shitty redhead swoon.

Lunch went quick, and the rest of the day’s classes went even quicker. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like any of Icy-Hot’s attempts at securing a date were successful. Even more unfortunately, Bakugou couldn’t ask Kirishima to tag along to a double-date that didn’t even exist yet. Still, he refused to stay put. There had to be something he could do to move things along.

Once classes were dismissed, Bakugou beelined to his dorm, took a seat on his bed, and set to work on preparing for the date. Sure, it wasn’t until a few days from now, but he refused to be some mediocre chump that put everything together at the last minute. There were several key elements to consider for this little mission of his, and everything had to be absolutely perfect for it to show Kirishima that Bakugou was deserving of his affection.

Location was arguably the most important detail. The atmosphere, the food, and the overall experience relied on where the date took place. Naturally, Bakugou already had each base covered. The atmosphere wouldn’t be too fancy for a first date, and it would be cozy enough to nurture a blooming connection with just the right amount of privacy to avoid awkwardness. A small, local café was the perfect choice, and he had already checked and double-checked the menu to make sure that they offered food that Kirishima would like. There was nothing that redhead loved more than meat, and the café had a nice selection of sandwiches that he would certainly enjoy. There were also options that he was sure Sero and Todoroki would like, which was important for making sure that they were happy as well. Bakugou knew Kirishima well enough to know that if even one of them was unhappy with the food selection, he would offer to switch plates or buy them something else, which would compromise his own enjoyment of the date and the overall experience.

Jeez, he sounded like Iida, but he wasn’t about to let his first date with Kirishima be anywhere near forgettable.

Still, even with all of that planning, it felt like something was missing. Bakugou glanced around the room. The café was casual, so his outfit wasn’t a concern, and he already knew that he was bringing flowers for the confession…

What was missing?

His carmine gaze soon paused on one of the drawers of his dresser. Hidden inside were his manga, the blueprint of his mission. What did they have that he was missing? He thought for a moment, idly tapping his knee until it hit him.

Anticipation.

In every shoujo manga, every sappy trope, there was always an element of anticipation. A deadline to be met, a final chance, an unbearable tension that could no longer be ignored. Something to keep both parties longing— that’s what he was missing. He knew that he only had a few days to get this together, but Kirishima already seemed resigned. There was no tension, or just not the amount that Bakugou deemed necessary for this date to be perfect.

Not yet, at least.

Chapter Text

Bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz

…

Bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz

Mina let out a soft huff, focusing on the mirror in front of her. She was almost done with removing her makeup and if whoever was texting her could wait just a second, that would be wonderful. No text was worth having raccoon-eyes in the morning, especially when Bakugou already had a tendency to call her that quite often.

KB - *2 New Messages*

pinky. (6:43 pm)

need ur help w something (6:43 pm)

Speak of the devil. Mina’s dark eyes widened as she looked at her phone and read the new messages. This was certainly odd. Bakugou hardly ever texted her, and when he did it was usually in relation to something going on in class. Never something this vague, and certainly never asking for her help.

Just as she began to type a response, another message came through.

KB

tell anyone about this and ur dead (6:45 pm)

Yeah, that sounded about right.

Alien Queen

Sup? (6:46 pm)

KB

have u been here (6:46 pm)

Attached to the message was a picture of a cute little café. Ashido had been there multiple times for study sessions with the other girls in class. Their sweets and pastries were to die for, and they had a nice selection of savory foods as well.

Her thumbs flew across the screen, typing a quick message.

Alien Queen

Yeah, why? (6:47 pm)

Immediately, Bakugou started to reply.

KB is typing…

The message showed up, then disappeared. Once, twice, three times and more over the span of several minutes. How interesting. Was Bakugou… struggling to find his words? Blunt, straightforward Bakugou, who never sugar-coated anything or gave a shit about how harsh he sounded? If he was having trouble getting the words out, it had to be serious.

Alien Queen

??? (6:51 pm)

Mina placed her phone down on her dresser and began to gather her makeup and beauty supplies while she waited for Bakugou’s response. If she didn’t distract herself, the anticipation would kill her. This whole situation was so unusual already. Why would Bakugou be asking her about places to eat, and why would he be so serious about it?

Bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz

Mina practically flew to her screen and immediately looked at the message notification. Finally, an answer!

KB

is it good for a date (6:55 pm)

…

No. Fucking. Way.

KB

dont start squealing. (6:56 pm)

Too late. Mina had already flopped onto her bed and begun to squeal, holding her phone to her chest and kicking her feet off the edge of the bed excitedly. Theories and questions were immediately racing through her mind. More than that, she was downright giddy to see Bakugou even considering a date. All that boy seemed to talk about was training and being number one. He actively rejected the idea of romance and relationships, claiming it would only get in his way.

What a liar.

Mina squealed again, typing out her response.

Alien Queen

OMG Blasty!! (6:57 pm)

KB

dont call me that (6:57 pm)

Alien Queen

It’s perfect for a first date!! Who asked you out 👀 (6:57 pm)

There was another pause as Bakugou struggled with his words once more. God, this was adorable!

KB

no one dumbass (6:59 pm)

im the one asking (7:00 pm)

Ashido thought that this couldn’t get any better, but then she read his response. It took everything in her not to dash to his room and shake him by the shoulders. Not only was he actually interested in romance, not only was he going on a date, but Katsuki Bakugou, number one tough guy and hater of all things mushy, was asking someone out himself.

For Mina, this was far more than a simple surprise. This was special. She had always adored the concept of love, despite never having fallen for anyone herself, and it made her heart soar when she had the privilege of seeing her classmates following their hearts and having their own romantic journeys. Their happiness was her happiness when it came to romance, and she was more than happy to give any and all advice that she had to Bakugou. First, however, she wanted all of the juicy details.

Alien Queen

When!! Who!! Details, NOW (7:01 pm)

More hesitation on Bakugou’s end. Then, a response.

KB

listen. (7:05 pm)

im trusting u and if u betray that trust ur dead (7:05 pm)

Mina was over the moon. 1-A’s sweet little Blasty had come so far when it came to divulging anything personal to others, and she swore to never set back that progress. Was she a gossip? Absolutely. A monster? Never.

Alien Queen

Lips are sealed 🤐 (7:05 pm)

One more pause, and the suspense was driving her mad.

KB

im asking shitty hair in a couple days (7:09 pm)

Somehow, it kept getting better and better. Mina swore that her heart was going to melt into a big mushy puddle right here and now— of course Bakugou was going to ask out Kirishima. Who else would it have been?

Alien Queen

BLASTY!!! (7:10 pm)

KB

now ur gonna help me (7:10 pm)

This time Mina was the one to pause. Her squeals settled and she typed out a quick response, taking a deep breath to quell her excitement and go straight into wingman-mode.

Alien Queen

Tell me what you need and I’m on it! (7:11 pm)

KB

good (7:11 pm)

i hear u and the others gossiping when u call shitty hair at night (7:11 pm)

tell hagakure u found out the date plans but not the person (7:12 pm)

she wont keep her mouth shut about it (7:12 pm)

dont care what u say as long as shitty hair buys it (7:12 pm)

There’s another brief pause, and Mina waits with bated breath for the rest of the instructions. So far, this seemed perfectly doable.

KB

he has to have some kind of suspense before i ask is what i mean (7:15 pm)

so it means more (7:15 pm)

And just like that, Mina’s heart was melting. What a sweet plan. He was really thinking this through, wasn’t he? He really wanted this date to be special. So much of Ashido was tempted to tease, but she just couldn’t. Not when Bakugou was being so honest and vulnerable with her about something to sensitive and meaningful to him. Instead, she smiled to herself and typed out a simple response.

Alien Queen

I’ve got your back, Blasty. (7:16 pm)

A moment passed before another message came through.

KB

thx (7:17 pm)

Chapter Text

Being invisible was a curse. One of the worst quirks out there by far. As a mutation quirk, it wasn’t something that could be switched on and off on a whim. There was no taking it away. It was just there, impeding everyday life. To avoid being run into, you had to dress in the most modest clothes that would make your whole body visible. God forbid you forgot to put on socks or shoes, otherwise your feet were being stepped on all the time, and some kind of mask or hat was necessary if you didn’t want someone to obliviously smack you upside the head. Even then, after all of that effort, there were idiots who would poke you in the eye just to see if you were “really there.”

That wasn’t even the worst part, though. It’s irritating, sure, but at least people tend to apologize after. The real trouble was the isolation. The loneliness. Forget about feeling invisible in a conversation— being invisible was an entirely different beast. Sometimes it was as simple as people forgetting you were even there, maybe leaving you out of an activity. Other times it was crude comments about how you could be a total pervert if you wanted, or about how no one would ever know if you were pretty or ugly. Those hurt.

That’s why, when Tooru Hagakure watched her very first vintage spy-flick at a middle-school sleepover, she latched onto their view on invisibility. In every stealthy thriller, every spy classic, invisibility was a deadly weapon. Whether it was a disguise or cloaking technology, the guys who were invisible always had the upper hand. From then on, Hagakure would make sure that she did, too.

It started simple enough. She would lurk around the school, listening for all kinds of drama and gossip. Everyone’s crushes and relationships, their opinions on teachers and vice versa, very harmless details that made for fun, juicy sleepover stories.

It was only when one of her friends had come to her about being bullied that she considered using her quirk for more than just gossip. It was the first time she really got serious, stripping down to just her shoes as she followed her friend to the confrontation. With her phone in hand, it was almost too easy to record the entire exchange from around the corner, and the evidence was irrefutable when presented to their teachers. The only thing Hagakure wished was that she could have actually done something other than standing and watching as her friend was shoved around.

That wish alone was more than enough to motivate Tooru to take up a more rigorous exercise routine and some defensive combat lessons. The more time passed, the more she felt drawn to using her invisibility— the quirk that she once considered a curse, the very thing that made her feel so alone in the world— to help those in need. Catching school bullies was the start, but what kind of advantage would she have as a real spy? Instead of school gossip and rumors, she could be listening in on confidential conversations with her target none the wiser.

What was once a curse became a blessing, one of the best quirks Tooru could have ever imagined being born with. While it certainly came with its drawbacks, they were nothing in comparison to the good that she was capable of— the good that she was already doing as a hero in-training.

Right now, however, the good she was doing happened to be brightening her friends’ day with juicy gossip. Today was extra special as she joined the ongoing group call, already eager to share the latest tea.

Ongoing Call - Sunshine Boy, Disco-Ball, Problem Child, Aux Cord, Yaomomo, Sgt. Frog, Zerovity, Sue Storm

“Hey, guys!” She greeted cheerfully, lying back on her bed. Everyone but Mina was here— that was fine since Ashido was the one who tipped her off— which was perfect for revealing the big news. A chorus of jumbled hellos and greetings met her in response, bringing a smile to her lips. “What are we talkin’ about?”

Midoriya, kind and compassionate soul he is, was the first to speak up. “We were just theorizing about Todoroki’s crush again! Hear anything new?”

Tooru could practically see him, pencil and notebook in hand, poring over every last detail to figure out who had his friend so flustered. She giggled, rolling onto her stomach. “Nothing new about him, no. I do have some juicy details about someone else, though…”

“Spill!” Aoyama immediately exclaimed, and Tooru couldn’t help but grin at his enthusiasm.

“Okay, okay!” She laughed, “Listen up, and listen close, ‘cause I promise none of you are gonna see this coming.” She paused a moment for dramatic effect, then made good on her word. “So… Mina and I were chatting, and she wanted me to relay a little something she found out about our very own Bakugou…”

Silence fell over the group call as everyone took in Hagakure’s words. This was dangerous and uncharted territory. Bakugou already disliked gossip, but he hated it even more when people talked about him in particular. If he caught wind of this, every last person in this call would be liable to have their shit throughly rocked.

“Hey, um…” The silence was broken by Kirishima’s soft, yet stern voice. “Bakugou doesn’t like people talking about him. At all. I don’t think it would be manly for us to involve him, guys.”

Mina had warned Tooru of this. She had accurately predicted that Kirishima would step in, because why wouldn’t he? Kirishima was an absolute sweetheart— they didn’t call him Sunshine Boy for nothing— and cared deeply about the boundaries of others, especially his best friend. Even so, Mina said that the group had to know about this, and she wasn’t going to disappoint her gossip buddy.

“Look, Kiri…” Tooru began, making sure to keep her voice soft and level, “it isn’t gossip, ‘kay? Just… news. We won’t speculate or anything. Sound good?”

There was a long silence. No one dared to speak for Kirishima, seeing as how he was the resident Bakugou expert, and there was a low sigh after a few moments.

“…As long as it’s just news. No rumors, no gossip, no speculation. Just an update on our friend.”

Tooru stopped herself from squealing as she beamed. Perfect! “Yes! Exactly, we’ll keep it down to the facts. Right, guys?” Immediately, the call erupted with promises and affirmative hums. While Kirishima wasn’t exactly eager to hear, he would at least tolerate it, and that was more than enough for Tooru.

“Okayokayokay— here are the facts. Bakugou has something big planned in a few days. Something completely unexpected for someone like him.”

Tooru paused dramatically, building the tension until it was nearly unbearable, then—

“Bakugou is asking someone out on a date. I don’t know where, and he didn’t say any names, but he’s been planning like crazy already. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”

“What?” Nearly the entire call exclaimed in unison, though one voice in particular was absent.

Hagakure continued, “Yup, looks like he’s actually taken an interest in someone! I can’t wait to find out who the lucky student is— to catch his perfectionist eye must mean they’re incredibly special, right?” She wanted so badly to go on, to start theorizing and questioning, but she gave her word to Kirishima. Any gossiping would be done without him in the call, at the very least, or they would withhold altogether.

“Who could it be?” Midoriya began to wonder out loud, but Tsuyu was quick to cut him off.

“No speculations, ribbit. We’ll just have to wait and see.” She paused for a moment, noticing that the only one who hadn’t said anything, didn’t even react, was Kirishima. The two of them had gotten closer after Kamino, and she knew that Kirishima only got quiet when he was upset.

“…Kirishima? You still there, ribbit?” She asked softly, and the rest of the call went quiet. A couple moments passed before Kirishima responded.

“Yeah, I’m here. I heard.” His voice was uncharacteristically meek, and every single person in the call caught on, Tooru included. Hearing how small and almost defeated Kirishima sounded… it was overwhelmingly clear that he had already taken himself out of the running for Bakugou’s possible date. He sounded like he had already been rejected, and it was heartbreaking to see their usual ray of sunshine dimmed. Hagakure felt a little guilty, honestly. Even though Mina had told her to pass along the news since she couldn’t call tonight, she still felt like she was to blame for Kirishima’s ruined mood.

“Hey, um…” She began, but what could she even say? She didn’t want to rub salt in the wound and keep talking about Bakugou, but if she confronted Kirishima on his feelings he would definitely try to play it off. That’s how he was— he never wanted his friends to perceive him as weak or unmanly, and how unmanly would it be to sulk when your best friend had found such happiness? She just knew the guilt and sadness was eating him up inside.

Before Tooru could say anything else— not that she really had anything to say— Yaoyorozu cut in. “Kirishima, I want you to know that however you feel is fine. Whether it’s good or bad or somewhere in-between… it’s alright. You’re valid, and we’re all here for you.” Eloquent Momo, leading as always. Tooru couldn’t thank her enough. Emboldened by her leadership, others began to chime in as well.

“Yeah! This kind of stuff can be really complicated, y’know? Especially with the way you’ve told us you feel.” Uraraka’s sweet voice reassured him, and Tooru knew that she would be perfect to talk about complicated crushes with.

Jirou was next to offer her support, “Uh-huh. I mean, I’m not even super close with Bakugou, but even I’m feeling a bit weird about the idea of him wanting to be romantic with someone. It’s just… new. Unexpected, I guess?”

“And regardless of what happens or how you feel, we’ll always have your back, ribbit.” If anyone was sure to be reliable and loyal, it was Tsu.

“And!” Aoyama interjected dramatically, “Even if you do end up miserable for a while, at least you’ll come out a glittering diamond!” There was a beat of silence as everyone else processed his metaphor.

“Um…” Midoriya spoke up, “What I think Aoyama is trying to say is that you’ll come out of this stronger and wiser than you were before, even if it hurts. And you’ll have us there to help!”

There was another pause, then a soft sigh from Kirishima’s end. As he spoke, there was the slightest hint of a smile in his voice. “…Thanks, guys. You’re all great friends, y’know that?” Another pause. “I really appreciate the kind words. I’m gonna go to bed now. ‘Night.”

Each person bid the redhead goodnight before citing their own reasons for having to leave as well. It was getting late, there was homework to be done, and there was sleep to be had. One by one, the call dwindled, and then they were done for the night.

Hagakure sighed as she stared at her screen. That definitely didn’t go as she and Mina had hoped. She typed out a quick flurry of texts to Mina, updating her on the situation.

Sue Storm

Hey!! (9:47 pm)

Soooooo good news bad news (9:47 pm)

Good news, I told the group about Bakugou’s date!! :D (9:48 pm)

Bad news, Kirishima seems really bummed now :( (9:48 pm)

Just wanted to let you know (9:48 pm)

Almost immediately, she got a reply.

Alien Queen

OMG nooooo 😣 (9:49 pm)

I’ll make sure talk to him tomorrow, thanks for your help 🫡 (9:49 pm)

Sue Storm

Np!! See you in class tomorrow! :) (9:50 pm)

Alien Queen

Seeya then!! 👋💕 (9:50 pm)

Tooru sighed again. Being invisible was great for gathering info and sneak-attacks— both of which she was basically an expert in by now— but she still had a lot to learn about relaying it properly. This wasn’t the first time she had gone into a situation a little too eager to share the details and inadvertently ruined someone’s mood in the process. Well, at least she knew one of her next training goals. For now, she was off to bed. Mina seemed to have things under control. She was always much better at delivering harsh news with her amicable personality, and Hagakure trusted her to have it handled.