“What’s wrong, Kirishima-kun?” Mina asked, taking her seat.

Kirishima sighed. “You know what’s wrong, Mina.”

Her usual snarky grin spread across her face. “Ho-ho? Do I, now?”

Kirishima groaned and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with his hands. “I hate thiiiiis. I’m feeling all weird and shit. It’s not manly at all.”

“Whatcha guys up to?” Kaminari walked up to them, his bag slung over one shoulder. “And why does Kirishima look like he wants to throw up?”

“It’s Valentine’s Day,” Mina replied. Kirishima could hear the amusement in her voice.

“So?” Kaminari shrugged.

“It’s Valentine’s Day, and Kirishima-kun has a gift for a certain someone ,” Mina emphasized.

Kaminari looked at Kirishima and started snickering. “Dude, you’ve got it bad.”

“Shut uuup,” Kirishima moaned. He let his chair fall back and slumped over the desk, his hands hanging over the front. “Just let me die in peace.”

“Okay, here’s what you do.” Kaminari straddled his chair so he was facing Kirishima. “You sneak up behind Bakugou, drop the chocolates on his desk, and sprint outta there so he doesn’t know it was you.”

“That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard,” Mina deadpanned.

“Not to mention he’ll know it was me ‘cuz I signed the card in my name,” Kirishima added.

Kaminari’s eyes widened. “You wrote a card ?”

Mina shoved his face away, causing him to giggle. “Don’t listen to him, Kirishima-kun. Do this instead: tonight, knock on his door and say you have a surprise for him. When he opens the door, give him the chocolates, and he’ll be super surprised! It will be totally romantic!”

Kaminari snorted. “Have you met Bakugou? He’s more likely to say, ‘What the fuck is this, some kind of animal droppings?’ Hell, he probably won’t even answer the door!”

“To anyone else, he wouldn’t. But he’d answer the door for Kirishima-kun.”

Kirishima groaned again and planted his face in the desk. More of his classmates were trickling in, and there was an added layer to the usual buzz of the morning because of the special occasion. He could feel a few of his classmates' gazes on him, probably wondering why he was being so weird. Kirishima sighed. He’d do anything to get rid of this stupid, gross feeling in his gut. Anything besides actually giving Bakugou the chocolates, of course.

“Is Kirishima alright?” Kirishima looked up to see Sero leaning down to study his face. “You’re not sick, are you?”

“Yeah, he is,” Kaminari teased. “Loooove sick.”

Sero gave him a knowing smile. “Don’t worry, dude. The odds are in your favor, since you’re the only one Bakugou’s ever actually acknowledged as his friend.”

And that was what worried Kirishima. He didn’t want to fuck things up by telling Bakugou his feelings. Of course Kirishima was a dumbass when it came to romance, so he had no idea if Bakugou liked him back or not. The uncertainty was driving him insane. It was making him feel all of these mushy feelings, and he really hated them.

Kirishima looked towards the door at almost the exact moment Bakugou entered the classroom. He was slouching like always, which Kirishima had lectured him about many a time, and his face seemed to be stuck in a permanent sneer. Bakugou walked to his seat and propped his feet up on his desk, and Kirishima couldn’t help but watch. Dammit, if Kirishima didn’t think Bakugou looked good today. Well, he looked good every day, but that wasn’t the point.

Kirishima remembered when he realized he liked Bakugou. The two of them had been studying together in Bakugou’s dorm after they’d gotten kicked out of nearly every library, cafe, and family restaurant in town. They’d just kept running into people who pissed Bakugou off, and every interaction ended in swears and death threats (the majority of which came from Bakugou). They’d finally agreed to go to Bakugou’s room to get some actual studying done.

“So then you put this equation here, and that’s done,” Bakugou said. He’d been unusually well-behaved once he and Kirishima were alone.

“That makes so much more sense!” Kirishima exclaimed. He copied the equation into his notebook. “Every time Ectoplasm explains it I just end up confused.”

“That’s ‘cuz Ectoplasm sucks at explaining shit,” Bakugou replied.

Kirishima laughed. “Yeah, I guess that’s why.”

Bakugou grunted at something Kirishima wrote. “You’re still doing it wrong, Shitty-Hair. Are you sure you even passed elementary school?”

Bakugou scooted to the other side of the table and grabbed Kirishima’s pencil, scribbling in the correct answer. As Kirishima was watching Bakugou’s work he realized just how close they were sitting, and how Kirishima could hear Bakugou breathing from this range. Bakugou also smelled . . . kinda good. Not like anything specific, but just . . . good. Kirishima felt his heart speed up in his chest, especially after noticing that Bakugou was wearing a tank top that showed off his arms and shoulders.

Bakugou scooted back. “There. Just do it like I showed you and you’ll be fine.”

Kirishima took a moment to reply. “Th-thanks. For helping me study, I mean.”

Bakugou grunted. “Yeah, whatever. I just don’t wanna’ have to deal with your sniveling face if you fail. I wouldn’t do this otherwise.”

Kirishima grinned. “But you didn’t do it for anyone else that asked.”

The tips of Bakugou’s ears reddened and he averted his gaze. “Shut the fuck up, Shitty-Hair, and let’s get back to studying.”

Classes crawled by achingly slow, and by the time break came around Kirishima was ready to be done with the day. He wasn’t looking forward to hero activities due to the nervous pit of goop in his stomach. He just wanted the day to be over.

“Hey, I had an idea,” Sero said as he turned in his chair. “Why don’t you ask Midoriya about what he’s doing for Valentine’s? He could also help since he and Bakugou were childhood friends.”

“Midoriya?” Kirishima thought about that. “Okay. It’s worth a shot.”

Midoriya and Todoroki had been dating for a few months now, and although they’d tried desperately to keep it a secret they’d been discovered within the first week of becoming a couple. Kirishima had been one of the first to know, catching Midoriya sneaking away from Todoroki’s room in the middle of the night. He’d teased Midoriya for it so much at the time, and to this day Kirishima got a kick out of embarrassing him for it. He’d tried teasing Todoroki, but all he’d gotten was an unfazed stare from the guy. But for something like this, maybe Midoriya was the right person to go to.

Kirishima got up from his desk and headed over to Midoriya’s. Iida and Uraraka were already there, and the three were talking about something. “Hey, Midoriya. Could I talk to you one-on-one for a sec?”

Midoriya looked over and smiled. “Sure, Kirishima-kun. What’s up?”

The two of them walked out into the hallway, where a few other students from other classes were hanging around. Most people stayed in their classrooms during break, but if you had friends in other classes it was common to come out and spend time with them. Kirishima glanced around to make sure no one else could hear them and tried to calm his racing heart. Damn, he didn’t think he’d be this nervous to ask for advice.

“Um, so,” Kirishima started, “I need your advice on something.”

“Anything!” Midoriya agreed. “What do you need help with?”

“Well, uhhhh.” Breathe, dude. Being manly means communicating effectively. Kirishima took a deep breath. “Are you giving Todoroki anything for Valentine’s Day?”

Midoriya’s face instantly reddened, and if it were any other day Kirishima would have started making fun of him. “U-um, ahaha, well, I’m not entirely sure if I’m going to give him anything yet. W-we’ve only just started d-dating after all, haha. And, and even if I did give him something I’m not sure he would give me something in return especially considering that Todoroki-kun is more the kind of person to show affection with a-actions instead of words and—”

“Midoriya.” Kirishima put his hand on the poor kid’s shoulder. “That’s nice and all, but I need your help because I’m trying to give someone something for Valentine’s Day.”

Midoriya’s redness started fading. “Oh.”

“Specifically Bakugou.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah.”

Midoriya put his hand to his chin as he thought. “Hm. Well, I’m not really sure what kind of advice to give, if I’m being honest.”

“Well, to start, how should I give it to him?” Kirishima asked. “I already have chocolates, I just don’t know what to do next.”

“I think Kacchan would like something big,” Midoriya finally answered. “He’s always liked being the center of attention. Maybe you could try something like that?”

Kirishima thought about how that would go down. He would stall Bakugou from the cafeteria during lunch. Meanwhile his friends would make a huge banner with the words “I LOVE YOU BAKUGOU KATSUKI” in pink paint, with little hearts decorating it. The cafeteria was already decorated for the occasion, so that would help. Kirishima would bring Bakugou with him to the cafeteria and dramatically hand the chocolates to him. Then he would finally ask Bakugou to go out with him.

But then Kirishima tried to imagine what Bakugou’s reaction would be. “Uh, I could be wrong about this,” he said to Midoriya, “but wouldn’t Bakugou think I was pranking him if I did something super big?”

Midoriya paled and he bit down on his nails as a scenario—likely one far worse than what Kirishima had imagined—went through his mind. “Oh, man, you’re right. He’d get upset, and then we’d all pay for it.”

Kirishima sighed. “Thanks anyway, Midoriya. I’ll think of something.”

“If it helps, I think Kacchan would accept your gift no matter what it was,” Midoriya said. “He actually respects you. That’s a big deal for Kacchan.”

Kirishima didn’t know how to respond to that.

Kirishima tried his best to focus in class until lunch. He really tried. It was just unfortunate that when Ectoplasm called on him to solve for x, he answered with, “kisses”, like a fucking middle schooler. He’d played it off as a Valentine’s joke, but inside he’d been ready to sink into the ground. It didn't help that his friends were blasting him with shit-eating grins.

Once lunch rolled around Kirishima decided to ask someone else for advice. He walked to the cafeteria with everyone else, but split from them when he got inside. He surveyed the heads in the lunchroom, looking for that red and white one specifically. Finally Kirishima spotted him, and he inched towards the food line to try and get him alone. Todoroki was with Midoriya as per usual, so Kirishima didn’t mind asking the two of them together. He just hoped Todoroki’s answer was different from his boyfriend’s.

“Hey, Todoroki,” Kirishima said, feeling that same bout of nerves in his gut. “I wanted to ask your advice on something.”

Midoriya bounced a little on his toes. “Is this the Kacchan thing? I was talking with Todoroki-kun about it, actually.”

Kirishima blinked. “Really?”

Todoroki nodded. “I agree with you that making a big deal out of giving chocolates to Bakugou might not be the best course of action. So I thought of something else.”

Yes. Finally, Kirishima could get somewhere. “Okay, shoot. What should I do?”

“You need to get Bakugou alone to do this,” Todoroki said. “Otherwise he’ll assume you’re pulling a prank on him and attack you. Probably not lightly, either.”

“Alright, I get it,” Kirishima deadpanned. “The plan?”

Todoroki’s mouth twitched in a slight smirk. “Right. You guys usually walk back to the dorm together, right? When you’re heading there, look for any kind of alleyway or isolated corner. Quickly get him in there and, while he’s confused, that’s when you present your chocolates.”

Kirishima ran the scenario through his head. He’d walk to the dorms with Bakugou. Then as they’d pass an alley on the way there, Kirishima would use all his force to drag Bakugou in as quickly as possible without him realizing what was going on. Then, in a dark, abandoned alley, Kirishima would reach for something in his bag and thrust it towards Bakugou. All so that Bakugou would accept his chocolates.

“That’s even worse than what Midoriya suggested!” Kirishima complained, glaring at Todoroki. “Are you seriously suggesting that I forcefully haul Bakugou into an alleyway ? He’s gonna’ think I’m attacking him or something! Especially if I move to get something from my bag.”

Todoroki looked surprised. “Sorry, Kirishima.” He looked at his boyfriend with a somewhat confused expression. “I really thought that would work.”

Midoriya sighed. “I know, Todoroki-kun. I know.”

Kirishima sighed as well. “That’s okay. Thanks, anyway, man.”

“I do think Bakugou won’t really care where you give him the present,” Todoroki added. “He’s the kind of guy to focus more on the person than the location.”

Kirishima thanked the two of them again and went to the back of the lunch line. As he processed what each of them had said about Bakugou, Kirishima found an idea forming in his head. He needed to do something that would make it clear to Bakugou that he wasn’t pulling some kind of joke on him. And it needed to be in a place where the two of them wouldn’t feel overwhelmed from outside eyes. Kirishima thought back to what Mina had said this morning, and he grinned to himself. Of course. It was that simple. He'd be sure to thank Mina later.

That night Kirishima sat at his desk and prepared the final touches on his gift. He had the bow, the box, and the card all situated perfectly. The box was black with red and orange flames painted from the bottom up, and the “bow” was an extra sweatband Kirishima had had lying around (which he’d washed, of course). The card was a simple wave pattern like the poster Kirishima had in his room, and he thought it looked perfect. It was all of Kirishima’s essence poured into one object. Kirishima just hoped Bakugou actually accepted it.

Kirishima waited about fifteen minutes after lights out had been called to sneak out of his room. Luckily having Bakugou’s room right next to his meant that he didn’t have to go very far. He tiptoed over and quietly knocked on Bakugou’s door.

“I’m trying to fucking sleep,” Bakugou’s muffled voice answered.

“It’s Kirishima,” he whispered as loud as he dared. A few beats later the door opened, and Kirishima had to keep his composure in check at the sight of Bakugou in that stupid tank top again. Kirishima cleared his throat and held out the box to him. “Here.”

Bakugou eyed it. “It looks like crap. What is it?”

Kirishima’s heart hammered in his throat, and he could barely feel his feet. “Just open it. I promise it’s not a joke or anything.”

Bakugou narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but he took the box from Kirishima’s hands. Bakugou abruptly closed the door in Kirishima’s face, and Kirishima had to remind himself not to take it personally. He knew Bakugou wasn’t good with things like this, and anyway, he could hear Bakugou opening the box from the other side. Kirishima let out a shaky breath. What would Bakugou do once he read Kirishima’s card?

Kirishima had tried to go for simple. He’d scrapped the original card he’d written, and had instead gone with, “I hope you don’t hate my shitty hair when I give this to you. Will you be my Valentine?”

Bakugou’s footsteps retreated from the door, and Kirishima thought he’d ruined it, but a moment later a scrap of paper with Bakugou’s handwriting slid out from under the door. Kirishima picked it up and read it. Then he blinked, rubbed his eyes, and read it again. His chest swelled with happiness and he giggled as he clutched the note to his chest. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling even if he wanted to.

Kirishima knocked on Bakugou’s door again, and Bakugou answered with a slightly redder face. “I thought I told you to fuck off.”

“Yeah, but I ignored it. Can I come in?”

“Fine. But don’t touch anything or I’ll kill you.”

“I believe you. Did you like the spicy chocolates I gave you?”

Bakugou closed the door behind them, and the two of them played video games together until neither one could stay awake. They sat on the floor, leaned against Bakugou’s bed frame, and bundled up in a blanket together. Bakugou protested the entire time, but he didn’t seem to have a problem with it when he fell asleep on Kirishima’s shoulder. Kirishima drifted asleep eventually, with the image of Bakugou’s note playing over and over in his head.

I don’t hate your shitty hair, and yes I’ll be your valentine. Now fuck off.