Chapter Text
Kirishima looked at the clock and groaned. 1:34 AM, way later than he had planned to stay up. He wasn’t opposed to enjoying his nights, but he had a project to present in the morning. Ironically, the reason he’d been up so late was to finish said project, one he was not too happy to complete.
Kirishima had selected one of his best friends, Kaminari, to be his partner for the duo assignment on their chosen topic: Hollywood & Fitness Magazines. Every time Kirishima read that over in his mind, his frustration doubled. He’d told Kaminari he could pick the topic, and now he was left to write an entire presentation about shit he knew hardly anything about because his friend blew the entire thing off. If he failed Public Speaking because of this, Kaminari would be short a few ribs.
Kirishima sat back in his desk chair, letting out a heavy sigh. He didn’t wanna take this stupid class, but he’d have to complete his prerequisites if he wanted to get through college. After 2 years, he expected Kaminari would change his tune and try a little harder, but he was once again disappointed. He’d done the same damn thing in highschool, barely scraping by and graduating with thr absolute bare minimum. How he was even still enrolled here was beyond him. Kirishima tapped his fingers against his temples, letting out deep breaths. He could do this. It was partially his own fault for believing the lazy, reckless dunce he called his friend would lift a finger for this.
No. Kaminari didn’t deserve all this. Kirishima had been the one to convince him to enroll here, Kaminari only agreeing because it was the party school of Osaka. But still, Kirishima felt life he deserved a little more respect.
”You still up working on that stupid presentation?”
Kirishims spun around in his chair, startled by his roommate. He met his eyes, the smaller mane’s body leaned against the door frame of his room.
“Oh hey Bakubro, didn’t expect you to be up this late.”
Kirishima had been living with another of his best friends from highschool, Bakugou. They’d decided to go to this college together because well, why not. It was Bakugou’s idea to rent out their apartment together. He’d said it’d be better than living in a dorm with a bunch of loud, drunk nobodies. Kirishima had no objections, so here they were.
Bakugou glared at the red head. “Your own damn fault for trusting that moron on his word. When’s the last time he ever followed up on a promise? Never? Yeah, that’s what I’ve been telling you for fucking years.”
Kirishima met the blondes eyes, pouting a bit. “Hey that’s not true. He’s inconsistent but he’s been there for me when I’ve needed him.”
Bakugou lifted an eyebrow. “That so? Why don’t you call him and ask him why the fuck he hasn’t done anything for the project he wanted to fucking do? How long has this thing been assigned? A fucking month?”
Kirishima winced, sinking back into his chair.
Bakugoi crossed his arms. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
The red haired man sighed. He loved all his friends but he was tired of making excuses for them.
”I’ve got this, ok?”
”Tch, I know you’ve got it, but maybe plan ahead next time. Waiting on nobodies to do their part has never gone well for you.”
And with that, Bakugou left his place on the doorframe and walked down the hall.
Kirishima knew Bakugou was right. He wasn't gonna get through college if he kept letting people walk all over him. The red head closed his eyes and let out a sigh, releasing his tension so he could get back to work. He stretched out his arms, took a sip of his energy drink beside him, and continued the project. He'd have to worry about being upset with Kaminari another time.
The project presentation went on without any problems, besides Kaminari showing up late, leaving Kirishima to start without him. It didn't really matter, though, because he had been the one to do everything anyways. Kaminari stumbled through reading the slides and charts Kirishima had compiled, but even as sleepy as the red head was, he read through his information with ease. At the end of class his professor pulled him aside and commended him for his work, but had some questions about his partner. Kirishima was honest, having no reason to lie. He told the woman about the situation, and he got the feeling she was not shocked by the news. Kirishima didn't want any trouble for his friend, but he really had driven himself into a corner, and without Kirishima, he would have no doubt failed his beginning year.
As the red headed man exited the classroom, he was waved over by Kaminari. He was standing with some friends they shared from highschool. Sero, more intelligent but definitely just as lazy as Kaminari, and Mina, a loud charismatic girl who was always the life of the party. He felt kinda bad, knowing full well he had just "told on" Kaminari to their Public Speaking professor. But, they wre still friends, and all he had done was answer a question truthfully.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Kirishima approached the cheery group.
"Kiri! Baby! I've missed you!" Mina ran and hugged the man as soon as he was within walking distance. Kirishima laughed, reciprocating.
"Mina it's been, like, maybe 24 hours."
Mina pouted. "Kiri you left me with these scrawny asses, I need a big man like you around to attract all the gym bros for me."
Kaminari and Sero gaped as Kirishima laughed, the despair within the other men being very apparent.
"We are not scrawny! Plus, Kirishima can't party like us!"
Kirishima punched Kaminari on the shoulder. "Don't act like I'm a stickler, I come party whenever I can. SOMEBODY has to actually do school work."
Kaminari crossed his hands behind his head, letting out a huff. "That shits lame man, college is the time to get drunk and get laid."
Mina laughed, almost hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. "Yeah you sure get drunk but I don't know about the second part!"
Everyone but Kaminari erupted in a fit of laughter, Kaminari left shocked, his color draining.
"Y-you don't know that! And besides, I don't see you guys getting any either!"
Sero wiped a tear from his eye. "Pal, listen, your odds are much worse off than ours. Your game is lacking man."
"Yeah, and I get dick whenever I want. I guess I've just got that kind of charm." Mina poked her cheek and fluttered her eyelashes.
"What was all that about Kiri getting you gym bros?" Sero cocked an eyebrow.
Mina crossed her arms. "Well sometimes it's nice to have a date with a hunky man instead of getting nailed by a drunk frat boy, don't patronize me."
The boys laughed, Sero waving his hand in defeat. "I guess that's fair."
"What about you Kiri?" Mina perched her head on her own hands, using his arm as a balance.
Kirishima was a little embarrassed by the question, not expecting the conversation to turn around to him.
"Well I-"
"Pssh Mina he's got blondie to fool with whenever he wants, don't go asking a taken man that kind of question." Kaminari said matter of factly.
Kirishima looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
The group all paused looking at the boy like he'd just dropped a bombshell.
Kirishima put his hands up defensively, suddenly feeling like he'd said something wrong. "What's wrong? What did I say?"
Mina took in a deep breath, triangulating her fingers like a guru, then releasing the air and pointing said fingers at Kirishima.
"Kiri, darling, sweetie. Do not tell me you and Bakugou have not hooked up yet."
Kirishima suddenly understood, his face burning red. "What?! What are you talking about?! Who said me and Bakugou were ever gonna hookup?!"
Kaminari and Sero exchanged glances, Kaminari looking suspiciously at the red head. "There is no way you two have not at least kissed yet. We are not that stupid, dude."
Kirishima was overwhelmed, he felt like he'd just been hit by a train. But his three friends were all looking at him like these were just normal things, a scenario that they genuinely thought was normal and current.
"Why the heck would we have kissed?! What are you guys talking about?"
Mina smacked her palm to the side of her face, looking dumbfounded.
“Kiri, you guys were inseparable in high school and now you live together?! You think we don’t know what happens behind those doors?!”
Kirishima shook his head.
“Mina, Sero and Kami are literally living together right now, did you ever ask if they’d kissed?”
Sero laughed, much to the red heads surprise.
“We’re different dude, besides, if we ever got curious, we’d own up to it.”
”Explain to me how you guys are different.” Kirishima was a bit annoyed at this point.
”Well for starters, Hanta is straight.” Kaminari pointed out.
”Hey, who told you I was straight?”
The other three friends looked at eachother, then back at Sero.
”You’re gay?”
Sero chuckled. “Hey, I might be a little bi-curious, ya know?”
Kaminari shrugged his shoulders to the gawking friends. “This is news to me too.”
Mina lit up. “So you’re both bisexual?! That’s crazy! We’re like a little fruit salad!”
This immediately cut the tension in the air, sending everyone into a fit of laughter.
After wiping away a tear, Sero looked back at the red head.
”But honestly dude, you’re two exclusively gay men, attractive men at that, living under the same roof. Has that ever dawned on you?”
Kirishima was a bit baffled, because honestly, he really had never thought of it like that.
“Guys please, we’re just friends.”
Now it was Kaminari’s turn to raise an eyebrow.
“Soooooo, you’ve neverrrr everrrr thought about Bakugou in any other way? You’re never admired him, never had a dream about him, never wondered what he’s like in bed?”
Kirishima felt his cheeks heat up at the sudden question.
”W-What? Of course not, why would I ever think about my friend that way? It’s unmanly to look at peoples lives like that!”
The trio before him all shot him an unimpressed glance.
”Seeing him shirtless while training never gave you a little *spark* in your heart or… the other place?”
Kirishima shook his head at Kaminari.
”Dude, we train to actually get stuff done. When we work out, we are working out. That’s it. Two bros helping eachother out.”
Mina smirked. “Oh I bet you’d lovvveee to help him out.”
Kirishima closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. What was up with everybody today?
”Hey, I won’t lie, seeing Bakugou in the danger zone has turned me on before.” Kaminari commented with a neutral tone.
Kirishima was ready to burst into flames.
“Guys! Stop! I’ve never kissed Bakugou, I’ve never thought about kissing Bakugou, and we are just friends.”
Sero smiled mischievously at the red head.
“Whatever you say, man.”
Before the conversation could continue, the warning bell rang out, sending the group on their separate paths to their respective classes.