The best seat in the house

When Bakugou walked into the common room, he felt like every hair on his body stood on end. He bristled, hands balling into fists, as he stared at the big, comfortable sofa and the damn classmates who had taken up residence on it.

Midoriya tended to spend most of his nights in that room. Whether he was working on homework, watching the news, or just reading a new hero magazine, he could almost always be found on that exact same cushion.

His friends seemed to have realised that, too.

Midoriya was a weirdly social creature. No matter how many times people had torn him down, as a kid, he was still so damn nice to everyone. Still fighting for their affection and friendship. Still smiling that stupid smile with his damn freckled face.

Living apart from his mother had been hard on him, Bakugou knew. He suspected the rest of their classmates knew, too. He didn't like his quiet, empty room, despite the abundance of merch he'd carted in there to make it feel like home.

As much as he hated to admit it, Bakugou felt for the guy. He had the opposite problem with the dorms – he was used to just his mother nagging him, with the occasional attempt at conversation from his father. Having friends around twenty-four hours a day had ruined him – he was exhausted constantly, drained from all the damn social interaction, collapsing into bed at eight o'clock every night just to recharge for another long day of it.

So yeah, Bakugou understood – dorms weren't exactly the most normal living situation, and you had to find your own ways to deal with it, whether that was locking yourself in your bedroom ridiculously early and putting up with the teasing you got for it, or hanging out in the middle of the common room where people would interact with you enough for your liking.

What he didn't understand was how damn close he'd gotten with his classmates.

It had started with Round Face – Uraraka – and a cold, wintery day. Bakugou had walked down the stairs to get himself a drink, only to find the two of them cosied up together under a blanket. She leaned into his side like it was no big deal, and he – Midoriya Izuku, the most awkward, mumbly nerd in the world – had wound an arm around her waist just as easily, pulling her in for a hug. Bakugou nearly blew up his water bottle when he saw it, quickly wiping sweaty hands on his pants to avoid it.

A few weeks later it had been Frog Face. He'd thought, against his better judgement, that maybe Uraraka had coaxed Midoriya into an attempt at dating. Maybe it was just her, just the two of them. But no, he'd found that damn Frog, Asui, leaning on him just as comfortably, resting her cheek on his chest as they lay across the cushions.

And that was only the beginning. Even Bakugou's traitorous asshole friends had joined in, with god damn Shitty Hair draping himself over the nerd after a long day, while Midoriya rubbed his shoulder lightly; Ashido threading herself between his arms as he considered a fight on the TV, getting comfortable hugs from the stupidly thick biceps; and Kaminari whining as he fell into the warm chest, letting arms close around him and hold him sweetly while he complained about exam results and relationship problems.

But walking into that room with an extra bowl in his hand, ready to pass to the freckled idiot and demand that he eat it and take care of himself for once, then seeing the god damn halfie snuggled into Midoriya's side was beyond Bakugou's limits. He felt like a cat, arching and hissing at the intruder with his hair puffed out to make himself look bigger. The asshole with his condescending attitude and “better than you” expressions, was curled up with Midoriya in the corner of the couch like it was fuckin' nothing.

Not giving himself a chance to second guess his actions, Bakugou strode across the room, dropping heavily into Midoriya's lap.

The nerd tensed up a little, caught off guard, but Bakugou just shoved the bowl of rice and beef at him and settled himself in.

He didn't care that the room was full of their classmates, didn't give a shit that every eye turned on him with the move, he just sat back against Midoriya's broad chest and started eating his dinner.

“Yummy,” Midoriya praised, as he swallowed his first bite. “Thank you!”

“Whatever, nerd. I had leftovers.”

“I appreciate it!”

The room was silent around them, but to Bakugou's delight – no, that sounded stupid. Like he would ever be delighted by that shit – Todoroki sat up on his own damn ass, blinking a little in his confusion as he stared at Bakugou's stubborn scowl.

“B-Bakugou?” Kirishima stumbled out. “Are you feeling okay?”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean, asshole?”

“W-Well, you're not... You don't...”

“You're devoid of the emotional capacity for affection,” Todoroki finished flatly. “Are you trying to pretend Midoriya is so insignificant that you didn't see him? Because you ruined it by handing him dinner, if so.”

“Haaah?!” He demanded. “First of all, you stupid fuck, I make dinner for shitty Deku every Saturday.”

“I thought you said it was leftovers.”

“Shut the hell up. And second of all, you extras can demand his attention with your shitty cuddles but his best friend can't touch him?”

“Since when are you two best friends?” Uraraka asked, quickly clapping her hand over her mouth. “I'm sorry, that came out rude!”

“We've been best friends since we were fuckin' toddlers.”

Midoriya grinned, valiantly holding back the tears that glistened in his eyes, and wrapped an arm around Bakugou's waist to hold him in place.

“Don't worry about them, Kacchan! You can have all the attention you want!”

“Damn right I can, nerd. Now eat your damn dinner before it gets cold, I left out the spicy shit for you.”

“Thank you!”

With his bowl balanced on the arm of the couch, and a pair of chopsticks in his free hand, he dug in. Despite the slightly awkward angle, he never said a word about moving or shifting, he just let Bakugou sit in his lap like a dead weight, peeking over his shoulder to see what was happening on the TV.

No one dared to say another word, as they ate and watched their movie, and slowly Bakugou began to relax a little, letting the scarred hand stroke lightly at his ribs as he sank back into the warm, toned torso behind him.

Okay, he had to admit, there was something comfortable about the affectionate idiot. It had been a long time since Bakugou got a hug, unless the way his annoying friends grabbed him around the shoulders or neck counted. Those weren't affectionate hugs, though, they were just a bunch of losers pulling him in close purely to tease.

When was the last time someone had been so genuinely affectionate to him?

Maybe his father, when he was a bit younger. He and his mother had never had that kind of relationship, but his father had tried. Bakugou hadn't exactly been the nicest about it, so they'd trailed off over the years, but he was probably the last person he'd conceded a reluctant hug to.

He hadn't realised how much he missed it.

When they were kids, he'd dragged Midoriya around by the hand all the time. If the kid ever expressed any kind of nervousness or reluctance for one of Bakugou's genius plans, he'd just had to grab him by the hand or the wrist and lead him into hell. If Midoriya had fallen over, lips trembling as he tried to be brave in front of Bakugou, he had been so quick to clean it off and kiss it better for him. He'd even given the nerd piggyback rides sometimes, if he hurt his foot particularly badly, or occasionally if he was just in a good enough mood to indulge his friend.

When Midoriya set down his chopsticks, Bakugou slid out of his lap, taking the empty bowl along with his own to shove them in the dishwasher. The room tensed up again as he moved to leave, ready to bombard Midoriya with questions the moment Bakugou inevitably stalked off to his bedroom, and in a moment of weakness, he dropped his fist lightly onto a mop of green curls.

“Save my seat, nerd.”

“I'll be right here!” Midoriya beamed up at him. “I'll keep it warm for you!”

“Idiot.”

He could hear whispers flood the room when he stepped out to the kitchen, but still he left, rinsing out their bowls and slotting them into a dishwasher. With his cooking dishes added too, the drawers were comfortably full, so he dumped in a scoop of detergent and set it washing. He'd let someone else handle unloading it at the other end of the cycle.

The room fell quiet again when he returned, carefully avoiding his gaze as if he was oblivious to the gossip that had been going on just five metres away. Still, though, he returned. Even though it was half past seven, and he'd normally be showering and getting ready for bed. Even though the movie was boring as hell and he'd seen it before. Even though every single person in the room was debating whether he might have been hit by a quirk, or replaced by an imposter. Still, Bakugou returned, dropping a little more gently into Midoriya's lap and letting two strong arms wind around him.

He held on comfortably tight: Not squeezing the life out of him with enthusiasm, not lightly touching as if he were worried Bakugou would complain about it, just a calm, confident hug that pulled Bakugou snugly into his chest.

It was a good place to be.

Bakugou leaned back a little, resting his cheek on Midoriya's curls and draping an arm around the broad shoulders. It gave Midoriya a little more room to watch his movie, even though Bakugou suspected he wasn't that interested either – he was purely there for the social aspect. It also gave Bakugou a comfortable spot to lean his head, to huff a little sigh as his eyes sank closed.

He'd gotten used to going to bed early, and it had been a long day. He really should have just gone to bed.

“You tired, Kacchan?” Midoriya asked knowingly, his voice barely a whisper.

“Mm-hm.”

“I'll take you to bed.”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean,” Bakugou grumbled, not bothering to open his eyes.

“It's okay, Kacchan,” he giggled. “I'm tired too. Goodnight everyone! Have a nice sleep in, in the morning!”

Before Bakugou could think of moving, Midoriya's grip tightened, pulling him in close as he stood. When he opened his eyes, there wasn't even a hint of strain on Midoriya's face, and Bakugou was surprised despite himself. The nerd really had gotten strong.

“Are you getting sick, Kacchan? Do you need anything?”

“Hah? What's that supposed to mean?”

“Well you're not normally so affectionate,” he explained. “Don't get me wrong, it's super cute, but you don't often let people see you being cute.”

“Shut the hell up. A guy can't just want a damn hug for once?”

Midoriya stared up at him, their eyes barely meeting with their weird positioning, and the room was silent until the elevator doors slid open with a ding.

“I didn't know, I'm sorry!” Midoriya bleated, as he carted Bakugou into the elevator and still made no move to set him down. “If I knew you wanted hugs, I'd have given them to you more often! You must have wanted one for so long before you lowered yourself to doing it!”

“Shut up,” Bakugou grumbled, his cheeks flushed pink. “I just don't like seeing those assholes all over you constantly.”

“Aww, is Kacchan jealous?”

“Shut up.”

Midoriya giggled, but obediently ceased the teasing, instead occupying himself with carrying Bakugou down a long hallway to his room. Bakugou reached down to open it, and soon they were shut away together, alone in the dimly lit, plainly decorated dorm.

“You can hug me whenever you feel like it,” Midoriya assured him, as he lay Bakugou down on the mattress. “It doesn't have to be a big thing, it doesn't even have to be in public. Just come to my bedroom if you want, I don't mind.”

“I'm not a wimpy nerd, I don't need hugs.”

“I didn't say need,” Midoriya smiled. “I said if you feel like it.”

“Hmph.”

When he began to move away, Bakugou reached out a hand, blushing a little deeper when Midoriya blinked at him.

“Stay?” he asked, cursing himself for how pathetically the word came out.

“Of course!”

He switched out the light and shucked off his jeans, lying down beside Bakugou on the mattress and looping an arm around him. Bakugou huffed a little, letting himself be dragged in to Midoriya's chest, and cursed under his breath when he felt his muscles go lax. There was just something about the way the nerd held him, the way he felt, the way his fingers trailed up and down Bakugou's spine lightly, even the way he smelled. The combination was undefeatable.

“Maybe you had a quirk after all,” Bakugou grumbled, nuzzling lightly at Midoriya's shoulder. “Some kind of shitty relaxing affection thing.”

“I think I'm just a cuddly guy,” Midoriya giggled. “I like snuggling, it feels nice.”

“Mm-hm.”

They fell silent again, Midoriya's hand trailing over Bakugou's back, while Bakugou breathed long, soft breaths.

“I can do this whenever?” he asked faintly.

“Anything you want, Kacchan.”

“What if I want you to stop cuddling other people?”

“Then you'd have to ask me out,” Midoriya giggled. “Only boyfriends and girlfriends get to be that jealous.”

“Mm, be my boyfriend then.”

“W-What?”

“You heard me, nerd,” he grumbled. “Do you wanna or not?”

“Are you serious?”

Bakugou pulled back a little, meeting emerald eyes that glittered with tears.

“Do you like me?” he asked. “You must, right? You never stop watching me and following me and copying me and shit.”

“M-Maybe,” Midoriya stuttered. “Do you like me?”

“Obviously, idiot.”

“Really?”

“Don't make me say it again.”

“No wonder you were jealous,” Midoriya grinned, pulling the spiky head to his chest again and planting a kiss on his hair. “Yeah, I'll be your boyfriend.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Nervously, Bakugou let his arm creep around Midoriya's waist, hoping he might be able to return even just a little of the snug comfort he was receiving. It took a moment for Bakugou to feel the damp patch spreading across his pillowcase, looking back to see tears streaming from the idiot's face.

“What's this shit for?” he asked with a scowl, pulling at Midoriya's chubby cheek. “Cut it out.”

“I'm so happy, Kacchan!” he explained, choking on his words. “I've always wished we could be closer! I was so happy when you called us best friends earlier, that was more than I could have asked for! But boyfriend? This is the happiest day of my life!”

“You have such low standards,” Bakugou snorted, leaning in. “Um, can I...?”

“Anything you want,” Midoriya reminded him, sniffling. “What do you want to do, Kacchan?”

He wiped away sticky tears from the cheek, then pressed his lips to it lightly, smirking when it flooded with pink.

“I love you,” Midoriya bleated, the tears flooding out again.

“You're really saying that five minutes after I asked you out?” Bakugou snorted. “Isn't it a bit soon?”

“I'm sorry, I just do!”

“Yeah, I love you too, nerd.”

The pillow beneath their heads was already sodden, so with a sigh, Bakugou tossed it aside. He reached for his spare, dragging it across the bed to replace it, and gave Midoriya's cheek another little tug as he settled them in.

“No more tears, you hear me? I don't want to sleep on a shitty wet pillow.”

“No promises.”

“Idiot.”

With another little sigh, Bakugou looked away, his cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink.

“Close your eyes.”

“Huh? Now?”

“Yes now, you dolt.”

“Okay, okay!”

He squeezed his eyes shut obediently, eyebrows knitting together, and Bakugou scoffed quietly as he smoothed the creases out with his thumb. Midoriya was about to ask more stupid questions, but then Bakugou was leaning in, his warm, soft lips meeting Midoriya's with the gentlest touch in the world.

Midoriya squeaked, but Bakugou chose to ignore it, settling for another chaste little peck on his lips instead.

“Kacchan is the cutest!” Midoriya fawned, squeezing him a little tighter as his eyelids fluttered open. “Again!”

His confidence returning, Bakugou smirked, running his thumb across Midoriya's slightly dry lips fondly.

“You can hug people,” he said softly. “You can cuddle or whatever. But don't let anyone else do this.”

He kissed him one more time, his tongue sliding between the nervous lips and dragging the tiniest of moans from Midoriya's lungs. Strong fingers curled in the back of Bakugou's shirt, holding him tight, and Bakugou returned the desperate touch easily. He'd never thought much about kissing before, had sneered at it in stupid movies or when he walked past young couples in the streets, but something about Midoriya was just so addictive.

“I wouldn't dream of it, Kacchan. It's always been you.”

“We've always been together,” Bakugou smiled faintly, surprising himself with just how warm and light he felt, not to mention the damn butterflies in his stomach. “And we always will be, okay?”

“Forever, Kacchan. I'll be at your side for as long as you'll have me.”

“Well, I haven't gotten rid of you yet,” he snorted. “I guess you're alright to have around.”

“That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.”

“I fuckin' told you I loved you like thirty seconds ago!”

“It's still the nicest!”

“Dork.”

“I'm staying here tonight.”

Bakugou slid his hand up the back of Midoriya's shirt, feeling warm, strong muscles beneath his touch, and he smiled faintly as he laid his head on Midoriya's chest.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Damn right you are.”