Kirishima has always been on the thicker side, much to his dismay. His thighs embarrassingly wide, his ass a little too fat. His friends make jokes, grabbing hold of his love handles or commenting on his stretch marks despite him saying they are just from him growing.

"Yeah, growing that second chin there chubby boy," Denki says, laughing with the rest of their friends unabashedly. He's joking, they are always joking, but still, it hurts.

He kind of wants to cry.

There's a fist on a locker, right next to Denki's head and the entire locker room gets quiet.

"Shut your fucking mouth."

It's Bakugou, and he looks more murderous and usual. Thankfully, he's looking at Denki and not him.

"B-B-Bakug—"

"Buh! Buh! Buh! Quit sniveling before I give you something to cry about. Say shit about Kirishima one more time and I'll end you, got it?"

Denki nods quickly, gulping.

Bakugou turns quick, glaring at the rest of their friends who are staring speechless.

"Same goes for all you too. If one fucking word comes out of anyone's mouth about Kirishima and isn't about how fucking hot and badass he is, I will personally rip out your tongues, fry them up and force feed it back to you. Understand?"

The group nods together.

Finally Bakugou turns to Kirishima with a pointed finger, his expression still angry. "You. Grab your shit and come with me."

Slightly dazed, Kirishima does as he asks. Quickly gathering his things and then following after Bakugou who's waiting for him by the door.

He moves to let Kirishima past him but he turns back around in the doorway, "I fucking mean it I swear to God. One bad fucking word and it will be the last one you ever speak."

Suddenly there are fingers wrapped hard around his wrist and Bakugou is tugging him away.

He doesn't let go. Not when they leave the gym building, not when they pass by the classrooms, no. Bakugou doesn't let go of his wrist until he's dragged back to the dorms and into the kitchen. Finally he lets go, turning his back to Kirishima to stomp to the fridge.

"Sit," he says.

He can't think of a reason not to, so he does.

Bakugou is quiet as he moves around the kitchen while Kirishima stares after him perched on one of the barstools on the counter. Soon, a cup of tea is thrust in front of him.

"Drink it."

Kirishima takes a sip. Orange a honey, just a hint of cinnamon. It's his favorite tea, and he has to swallow down the lump in his throat as he watches Bakugou pointedly not looking at him as he goes back to work.

Kirishima drinks his tea, but his eyes don't leave Bakugou's back as he watches the other boy start to cook.

Before long, a bowl of ramen is gently placed in front of him. He doesn't have to take a bite to know that this too, would be his favorite.

Kirishima's heart is fixing to burst at how good of a friend his bro is.

"Thanks Bakugou," he says, doing his best not to cry.

"Fuck," Bakugou hisses, before careful hands are on his face. "Shh shh shh, don't cry. Shit, please don't cry."

But he does. He can't help it. It's unmanly as hell, and Bakugou is being so nice but it's like a dam breaks. The tears are unstoppable, falling down his cheeks in a rush.

Thumbs are brushing him away until out of nowhere, it's not fingers on his face but Bakugou's lips.

He kisses away one tear. Then another. Until finally Kirishima is staring up at him, wide eyed but no longer crying.

"That's better. Now eat your lunch."

Kirishima is frozen until Bakugou thrusts a pair of chopsticks into his hands.

"Eat I said."

Kirishima blinks, totally dazed.

Bakugou just /kissed/ him.

Holy shit.

"Fucking eat or I'm going to blow your fucking face off. I don't care how cute it is so help me, I'll do it."

"You think I'm /cute/?" Kirishima squeaks out.

Bakugou looks at him like he's fucking stupid. "No shit you idiot. Of course I fucking do. Eat your goddamn food."

Unknowing what else he should do, Kirishima takes a big ass bite and stares at Bakugou expectantly as he chews.

Bakugou looks pleased, finally.

Kirishima takes another bite when Bakugou gives him a pointed look.

"So uh," Bakugou starts, looking down at his hands. "Do you feel any better? When I'm all fucking sad and shit my mom makes me tea and soup and usually that makes /me/ feel fucking fine or whatever. So did it work?"

Oh.

Okay, this makes sense now.

Bakugou wasn't like, into him or anything. He's just doing what his mom does. It kind of sort of breaks his heart at the idea that Bakugou doesn't feel the same way about him, but he already knew he was way out of his league anyway. Bakugou was beautiful and he was, well /him/.

Kirishima slurps down his bite, forcing himself not to cry for a second time.

God, what he'd give to have Bakugou actually like like him. But still, he'd take what he could get. This was after all more than he could ever dream of happening anyway.

"I feel better, thank you."

"You need to not let those assholes get to you. Seriously, you're...fuck you're like fucking PERFECT. Okay? You better fucking tell me if those pricks every say anything mean to you again. I'm serious, I'll kick their ass."

Bakugou's mom must be really good at pep talks too.

Kirishima smiles at him.

"It's okay, I'm fine. They are...they are only joking."

It's hard for him to say it, but he doesn't want Bakugou to worry about him. It's unmanly to cry over a joke anyway. Plus, they /are/ right.

He's fat and gross. That's his fault.

"It's not a fucking joke if it makes you feel bad about yourself," Bakugou snaps. "Kir—Eijiro, you know you're perfect right? Just the way you are."

"...what?"

Bakugou audibly clenches his jaw.

"All that rude shit those extras say, you know that isn't true right? You better not be believing their fucking bullshit."

Kirishima shrugs, chest feeling tight. "It's fine. I mean, I need to lose weight anyway so it's a goo—"

"If you say them talking shit about you is "good"

I will fucking end you."

Kirishima jumps back when Bakugou is suddenly there, right in his face glaring at him.

"You don't need to "lose" anything. How you are is how you are. You, in any way shape or form is gorgeous. Don't you dare say anything against that."

Kirishima swallows, looking up at Bakugou trying to keep his hands from shaking.

Bakugou is so close. Closer than he'd ever been. This close, Kirishima can see the pink spreading across Bakugou cheeks, the smattering of freckles that dust across his nose.

He could count his lashes if he wanted to.

He sort of did want to.

But Bakugou isn't into him, he's just being nice. He's just doing this because he's sad. Nothing else.

"Your uh, your mom must be really nice?" Kirishima says, forcing him to say something so his lips will stop trembling.

"Huh?" Bakugou snorts in confusion, his breath fanning across his face. "She's a fucking bitch, what do you mean?"

Kirishima is the one confused now. "She's the one who taught you say all this nice stuff though...so she must be really nice."

Bakugou stares at him, his eyes narrowing. "You think I'm saying this shit because my of my /mom/? How fucking dense can one person be holy shit."

"...what?"

"I fucking /like/ you, you dumb asshole. I called you hot like seventeen times did that not fucking tip you off?"

"And you sort of kissed me," Kirishima whispers more to himself as his brain puts the pieces together. Suddenly he jolts.

"No no no," Kirishima reasons. "You can't possibly like /me/ not when you look like /that/."

Bakugou flinches. "What's wrong with the way I look?"

"Nothing! You are really good looking and fit and I am not so like it doesn't make sense for you to like me, duh."

"Okay now you are really pissing me off. If you don't like me back just fucking say. Don't give piss ass excuses. Jesus." Bakugou rubs at his face, and when he looks at Kirishima, there's hurt in his eyes for just a second before he looks away.

Oh shit.

Does he like, /actually/ like him. No fucking way.

"Finish your lunch or whatever. I'll leave you alone. Sorry for...you know, just doing what I did. Forget it okay."

Still too stunned, Kirishima can only watch after him as Bakugou grabs his bag and starts to leave.

He makes it as far as the doorway leading out into the common area before turning around. "I meant it though. If they say something mean to you, tell me. I'll still kick their ass."

He says the words in a rush, like he's trying to leave.

Shit he /is/ trying to leave.

"I like you!" Kirishima yells out.

Bakugou freezes.

"I do! I like you so much! I just thought...I don't know that I didn't have a chance because I'm too you know, fat or whatever."

"You think I'd be that fucking shallow? That I'd care about some dumb shit like that?"

Kirishima fiddles with his fingers. "It's not...you know, manly being big."

Bakugou scoffs. "You /literally/ are built like a tank. That's so fucking awesome? What do you think body builders and shit aren't manly?"

"That's... different?"

"It's really not."

Kirishima is quiet, thinking.

Suddenly, Bakugou is there again, too close to his face.

"Do you really like me?"

The freckles, the lashes. They are all so /close./

Kirishima nods as he swallows. "Yeah."

"Then I'm going to kiss you now and then later we are going to work on your fucking self esteem. Yeah? Sound good?"

Kirishima can only nod again. It does sound good.

Warm fingers grip on to his chin, tipping his face up as Bakugou leans down. His lips are soft, so soft as they press against his, gently. Once. Twice. Bakugou pulls back. He's smiling. He looks so pretty when he smiles, Kirishima heart skips several beats.

"Is this real?"

Kirishima has to ask. He feels like he's dreaming.

"I fucking hope so," Bakugou laughs and then he kisses him again. He feels solid under Kirishima's fingers, against his mouth. There's no way he'd be able to dream up the way his tongue tastes on his.

"I can't believe it," Kirishima says when he pulls back, panting. "How did /I/ get so...lucky?"

Bakugou's frown falters, his eyebrows creasing downward. "We really need to work on that shitty self esteem don't we?"

It takes work, but Kirishima does start to work on his self-esteem. He even starts to see a therapist at Bakugou's urgings, after all, he gets counseling too. Good mental health is manly!

He talks with his friends, sets boundaries about what's okay and not okay to joke about.

There's a lot of hurt he has to go through, a lot of feelings he needs to sort through about how he feels about himself. But Bakugou is there, holding his hand all the while as he does.

It takes time, but eventually he kicks his own brains ass.

He's proud to be who he is. His body is strong, capable and hell yeah tanks /are/ badass! He loves who he is and what he looks like.

And when he stands next to his beautiful boyfriend, he stands there proudly. He isn't next to him by mistake, or dumb some luck.

He's there because Eijiro loves Katsuki, even with all his faults, anger issues and imperfections just like Katsuki loves him perfectly, with all his imperfections too.

Eijiro knows he's loved, just as he is, and tells Katsuki one morning, proud as hell.

Katsuki grins at him, the same one he's been giving him for years now, and just says, "took you long enough."

But he kisses him after, like he's something special, like he's something treasured.

And for the first time, Eijiro knows without a doubt, that he is.