Biases

Katsuki Bakugo thinks himself to be a wise man. He is academically gifted, placing top 3 in his graduating class, and his strategizing is 'top notch' if he were to go by his teacher's assessment. He is also emotionally intelligent, even if it took a year or two of talk therapy to get there. Point is, he is, factually, a pretty smart guy. So when his friends start pointing out how he acts differently around one Eijiro Kirishima, naturally, he's a little skeptical. He would've noticed by now if he had some sort of bias towards the man. He denies the claim at first, saying that any biases he may have are simply because Kirishima is his best friend, you're supposed to act at least a little differently with your best friend, right? Well, his friends don't seem to think so.
"Bakugo, I'm not talking about little things, like how you only let him influence what you make for dinner, although, I am still a little salty about that. You two literally sleep in the same bed. You both have your own rooms and from what I can tell, you rotate which room you sleep in every week. That's scheduled. That, my dear friend is a bias that goes beyond simple friendship." That- okay. Maybe she has a point. He would never admit this to anyone, except maybe Kirishima - another bias in hindsight - but every time they share a bed, he sleeps like the dead. Kirishima's presence wards off the nightmares that had plagued him for months. Nothing works. He should Google that later. For now, he just has to get Mina off his back.
"That's completely irrelevant, he's my best friend, I'm allowed to treat him differently."
"I'm not saying you aren't allowed, I'm saying maybe you should examine why you treat him differently. Just think about it."
So he does. Think about it, that is. He tells himself that Mina was just being ridiculous but the more he thinks about it, the more he thinks she might be right. Not that it's a bad thing but now, every time he would do something for Kirishima, he thinks about if he would do the same for his other friends. The results are astounding:
• He would make their morning protein shakes, or brotein shakes, as Kirishima would call it, and think about if he would make them for the rest of their friends. Maybe, if they asked, but Kirishima hadn't asked since 1st year and they still did it every morning. Oh well, not that big of a deal, it's just breakfast. Except it's not. It would be if he didn't feel immense pride whenever he would try a new recipe and Kirishima would like it. Not even pride about getting the recipe right, but pride in knowing that Kirishima would like it. Pride in knowing Kirishima as well as he did. If that wasn't damning evidence, he didn't know what would be.
• Kirishima returns from patrol, looking a bit worse for wear, and he immediately jumps up from where he's sitting. That's another thing, he wouldn't react so immediately to any of his other friends. React, sure, of course, but this is something more. Some instinctual need to make sure he was okay. Which he was, by the way. It had just been a long day and the press was a bit too eager to talk about him and his after-graduation plans. He was polite, of course. In fact, he could stand to be a little less polite in Katsuki's opinion. Maybe the guy interviewing him could've stood to be knocked down a few pegs. Maybe Katsuki was biased, is that such a bad thing? Right now, he thinks being biased is great. He loves being biased.
• The next day, Kirishima goes to pick a piece of fuzz off Katsuki's shirt. It's a little thing, a normal thing, but after, his hand lingers on Katsuki's shoulder for a good 5 minutes after the supposed fuzz had been picked off. That's not so normal. It's not uninvited, per se, but it's certainly not a common occurrence. He knew Kirishima was tactile, he'd seen it first hand with their other friends but Kirishima had always shown a bit of restraint with Katsuki, much to his chagrin. Maybe he should investigate why he was so eager for his touch but that's really not the point right now. The point is, Kirishima was being touchier than he usually was with Katsuki and somehow, that's more significant than anything else. More significant that the protein shakes, or the immediate, physical reaction when a Kirishima is anything less than 100%. Kirishima, an extremely tactile person who had initially repressed that physical touch impulse for Katsuki's sake, had stopped repressing the urge. That knowledge filled him with warmth, a warmth he had intimate knowledge of due to the frequency that Kirishima drew it out of him. A feeling only Kirishima could evoke out of him. So that's something.
Katsuki knew exactly what he would find if he looked just a little deeper into how Kirishima made him feel. He knew, deep down, that Mina was right. He also knew that if he told her she was right, she would rub it in his face. He would never live it down, she would never let him. The second he thinks maybe she would let him free of the torment, she would remind him. He wouldn't be able to handle that. She was relentless. As long as Katsuki doesn't inspect the emotions, he wouldn't have to deal with them and then Mina wouldn't terrorize him. It would all be fine.
---
It wasn't fine. Not at all. After the first time he hadn't blown up at Kirishima for his touch, it seemed a switch had flipped. Kirishima all of a sudden couldn't stop hanging all over him. Slinging an arm around his shoulder, pressed up against him on the couch, shoulder touching shoulder, thigh touching thigh. It wasn't like they'd never touched, there was a certain amount of physical contact they had to get comfortable with when they're sharing a bed but that in the privacy of their dorms and always after 8 pm. All of this was new to Katsuki and it scared him how much he was okay with it. Those emotions that he'd pressed down so firmly they'd soon become diamonds began to bubble to the surface. Despite his best efforts, he just couldn't shake the deep feeling of rightness that would emerge whenever he was in Kirishima's vicinity. It terrified him.
---
After training one day, he finally remembers to Google what it means when you sleep better in someone else's presence. He is now forced to face the exact thing he'd been repressing. Oxytocin, the love hormone. Of course. Of course that's the first thing he saw when he googled it. People sleep better when they are next to someone they love. It scientifically proven. Science itself is screaming in Katsuki's face, "Hey! You love him!" Great. Fantastic. He loves Kirishima and somehow the world hasn't ended. It doesn't even cross his mind that it could be platonic, he just jumps straight to in love with Kirishima and it doesn't scare him as much as maybe it should. He's in love with his best friend and the Earth still orbits the sun.
---
"Good Morning!" Katsuki rolls over towards the voice and sees Kirishima, wide awake and propped up on one elbow, smiling so bright it nearly blinds him. He doesn't know where that's coming from Kirishima himself or if the sun is shining through a gap in the curtains. Either way, he was being blinded but refused to move away.
"Morning. How long have you been awake?"
"Just about 5 minutes. How'd you sleep?"
"Fine, despite you basically laying on top of me the whole night."
"Ah, sorry. Happens sometimes."
"It's fine, kinda like a weighted blanket." If he hadn't known better, he could've sworn he saw a faint blush pass over his face. Unfortunately, he did know better and hauled his body up off the bed and gets dressed for the day.
Now that he knows, he can't stop seeing it in everything. The way he lingers on Kirishima's lips when he's trying the- the goddamn brotein shake. That is the absolute worst. Kirishima calling him bro or dude an every given opportunity. It kills him. It was so blatant that he was friend-zoned and he hadn't even gotten the chance to try. If Katsuki thought he had a chance with someone so unequivocally good, he would damn sure try but he has no shot. Eijiro Kirishima, the best person he knows, the embodiment of sunshine, and Katsuki Bakugo, a man who balances on the line between heroism and villainy. He has no idea what he did to deserve Kirishima's friendship, he'd be insane to ask for anything more. And yet here he was, still hoping. He must be insane.
"Ughh, dude, how do you always make it so good? It's totally unfair! What are you, some ancient eldritch kitchen deity? Greek god of protein shakes?"
"Oh totally. I've come down from Elysia just for you, Eijiro Kirishima, to make you breakfast every morning. No, idiot, it's a recipe, anyone can follow a recipe."
"Yeah, but somehow the recipes you chose are always the best. You just know me so well you can, what, sense when I'll like something?" Well, if that isn't right on the nose. He's either the least subtle person on the planet or Kirishima is messing with him. Probably the latter.
"I mean, yeah, kinda. It's super easy to read when you like something so based on what I know you already like, it gets pretty easy to figure out what else you would like. We've been doing this for years, I've got you figured out."
"I- dude! You can't just say that, you'll make me blush!" Oh. Did he really just say that? Jesus, Kirishima has to be hellbent on getting his damn hopes up. At this rate, he'll end up confessing his undying love and ruining the friendship. Why must his life hate him?
"Yeah, well, it's true. You're my best friend, it'd be a bigger issue if I didn't know you that well." He has no idea what had possessed him to say that. Kirishima just brings the sappy out of him. Screw you, Kirishima!
"Bro! You're gonna make me cry, man! Since when are you so nice?"
He had two options now: the normal option, brush off his question and divert the conversation, or, the fucking insane option, confess his undying love. Unfortunately, we've already established that Katsuki is insane. "Since I realized I was in love with you." Well fuck. He couldn't keep a secret for more than 15 hours? What a joke. That's definitely not how he had planned for today to go but he made his bed, now it's time to lie in it.
"...What?" Kirishima looked shellshocked, like he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He didn't look mad or upset so maybe, just maybe, Katsuki could still salvage their friendship.
"I am in love with you." Wow, just diving right in, not even trying to deny it. It was like Katsuki didn't have full control over his own body. He just kept saying thing without his brains permission.
"Oh my god. Mhmm. Sure. Of course this would happen today of all days. You really couldn't just hold off for a day?" Katsuki was officially lost. This wasn't even on his radar of possible responses. Currently though, he cant recall what would be on his radar.
"I- don't know what you mean. Elaborate please." He doesn't know what else to say. What could he say?
Kirishima sighs. "I was planning on confessing to you later today but you totally wrecked it. I was gonna be really romantic and shit, man. Well, there goes that plan." Now, he was smiling. This huge cheesy, happy grin over took his face as he rounded the kitchen island toward Katsuki. He couldn't stop himself from smiling back, a little smaller but not any less joyous. Kirishima took Katsuki's face in his hands and kissed him gently. It took him all of 1 second for his brain to reboot and for him to kiss back with just as much vigor as you would expect from him. Kirishima's smile intensified against his lips and so did Katsuki's. They were standing in the middle of the kitchen, in perfect view of anyone who wanted to walk in.
Their lips parted for air but they keep their foreheads pressed together, not wanting to separate any time soon. Kirishima was huffing out little laughs between them, both in disbelief and an incomparable happiness. That giddy feeling surrounded the air all around them. It was intoxicating. Katsuki never wanted to leave that moment.
"So, was that okay?"
"What the fuck do you think? It wouldn't've gone on as long as it did if I wasn't okay with it idiot." There was no bite, just utter fondness. You could hear the smile in his voice. Even while calling him an idiot, it just sounded like a pet name. "You can still do the confessing and shit later if you want. Don't wanna deprive you of that."
"Maybe now it can just be a date?"
"Sure." Neither of them have stopped smiling and Katsuki's not sure he ever would. His face would be permanently stuck like this and right now, he couldn't find a single reason why that would be a problem.