Chapter Text
Kirishima can perfectly remember the first time he laid eyes on Bakugou Katsuki.
He’d just started college, moved a few hours from home, and was wandering around the cute town that his college was nestled into. It was starting to peak into fall, the leaves turning brilliant crimson and gold, and he couldn’t help but feel satisfied as he strolled down the street with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. He was looking for a coffee shop, out on a coffee run for his very exhausted friends who had moved up here with him that day.
Kirishima had been accepted to a few schools, but this one had offered a full scholarship ride if he joined the wrestling team. His friends from home had all applied to the same schools and three of them had actually gotten in to the one he ended up selecting. Sero Hanta and Kamanari Denki were going to be his roommates in the dorm, while their other best friend Ashido Mina was in the girls’ dorm with two girls from other districts.
They had road-tripped up together in Denki’s beat up van. Kirishima hadn’t been surprised to hear that Mina got into the chemistry course and Hanta into the business program, but when they found out Denki was accepted to major in physics it had been a shock to everyone. Hanta asked if maybe Denki was some kind of idiot savant and everyone but Denki laughed. He didn’t understand the joke, which only made them laugh harder. Either way, they were all in the same school, and had spent the entire day unpacking. The dorm was co-ed but separated by floors, which meant Mina was up a floor but in the same building. She had been STOKED about that – she’d been pouting the whole drive up that the boys would be rooming without her and she had to ‘bunk with some randos’.
Kirishima spotted a cute looking coffee mug sign swinging from an extended pole and his smile brightened. Perfect, and so close to campus! He detoured into the building, a small bell chiming over his head as the door swung open. There was soft rock playing and a few people lounging in oversized armchairs, all of them nursing mugs of warm liquids. No one looked up at Kiri as he walked in except the girl at the counter.
“Hey, what can I get you?” She gave him a small smile, which Kirishima returned.
“Hey! I would like, uh, two large coffees with cream and sugar...” he paused, thinking about Mina. She might not be back to their room by the time he returned but he’d better get her something anyway just in case. “One large caramel latte with whipped cream, and one large hot chocolate.” He fixed the girl – Jirou, according to her name tag – with another beaming grin.
“Sure thing. Name?”
“Kirishima.”
She punched in a few numbers on the register and gave him his total. He paid then moved down the counter to wait for the drinks. He pulled out his phone to scroll aimlessly through social media while he waited. His other friends from high school that stayed closer to home were already unpacked and partying it seemed. He was mostly hoping that his friends were still conscious when he got back to their room.
“Two regular, one caramel, one hot chocolate?”
Kiri looked up and open his mouth to affirm that the order was his, but the words died in his throat.
A sharp pair of red eyes stared back at him. They belonged to the most ridiculously handsome man he’d ever seen in his life. He was muscular, the coffee shop tee that they wore as a uniform unable to disguise them. He had shaggy blonde hair that fell in artful but haphazard spikes around his face, and one brow was raised as he stared back at Kiri gaping like a goldfish.
“Oi, shitty hair, these your drinks or not?”
That snapped Kirishima out of it. He frowned slightly, a hand automatically going up to finger one of the brilliant red spikes. “Uh, yeah, they’re mine.”
“Bakugou, you can’t say that to customers.” Jirou glared at him from the register. The blonde, Bakugou, rolled his eyes.
“Tch. Whatever, earphones. He should’ve been listening for his drink order and not staring at me with his jaw on the floor.” Bakugou’s eyes shifted back to Kiri and he grinned, that grin that people who know they’re attractive have when they catch someone staring. He sees it on Mina constantly. Kiri couldn’t help his face from coloring.
“Well, you taking your order or not?” Bakugou slid the tray closer, the arrogant smirk still on his face.
“Uh, yeah. Thanks.” Kiri mumbled a little and took the tray.
“No problem, shitty hair. Now get out.” The smirk turned into a smile and Jirou sighed from the register.
Kiri inhaled, but gave the blonde one of his trademark smiles. Kill them with kindness, right? “Have a great day!” Bakugou’s smile slipped and Jirou hid her smirk behind her hand. Kirishima turned and strolled out of the coffee shop. He would have to pretend that he wasn’t totally affected by the blonde’s smirk, that his stomach didn’t do flips when the red eyes slid back to him. That was stupid right? The guy was rude.
But damn if he wasn’t pretty. Kirishima sighed. What was wrong with him.
---
He made it back to the dorm without dropping any of the very full and very hot cups. Hanta and Denki were sprawled on their beds, Denki upside down with his gold hair skimming the rug.
“Rise and shine friends! I have coffee for you!” Kiri singsonged to the pair. They groaned in unison. Hanta sat up, Denki just stuck out his hand from his upside down perch. Kiri handed Hanta his coffee but raised a brow at Denki. “I’m not giving you it while you’re upside down, bro. I don’t want to get coffee all over the rug on day one.” Hanta chuckled, taking a sip from his cup.
“Ugh, fiiiine.” Denki began to struggle to sit up straight, almost falling over before pulling himself into an upright position. Kiri grinned and handed him his coffee.
“HEY BITCHES!”
The boys winced as Mina rocketed into the room, throwing herself on top of Kiri’s empty bed. She bounced a couple of times and then noticed the cups. “You went on a coffee run without me? What the hell!”
Kiri rolled his eyes and chuckled, pulling her caramel latte from the tray. “Of course I brought you something. How are your new roommates?”
Mina brightened and took the cup. “Aww, thanks babe! And they were okay. They both seemed a little vanilla.” She wrinkled her nose and sipped the latte. “Uraraka Ochako and Hakagure Toohru I think their names were? Hey, this is really good!”
Kiri took his cup from the holder and tossed the holder in the trash, taking a sip from his hot chocolate. He almost groaned, it was the best one he’d ever had. Damn it, now he was definitely going to have to go back there and face Bakugo again. Kiri couldn’t decide if he was more excited or upset about that prospect.
“So what do you guys want to do for dinner?” Hanta drained the rest of his cup and put it on his night stand. “There looked like there was a good ramen shop we passed on the way in.”
“Sounds good to me! I’m starved.” Mina jumped up from Kirishima’s bed as Denki dragged himself up to stand as well.
“That works for tonight, but we should really hit up a grocery store and get some stuff to make food. We can’t live off of ramen.” Kiri sipped his cocoa again as he glanced at each of his friends. Denki rolled his eyes.
“Ever the personal trainer. Yes dad, we’ll get groceries.” Denki was smiling though. Kirishima was used to their jabs. He was getting a health science degree to be a personal trainer so fitness and diet were really important to him. His friends knew that his advice came from a place of love.
“Ramen first though.” Mina skipped toward the door. “Come on boys, mama’s hungry!”
Kiri chuckled. He felt really lucky that he was taking this next step in his life with his three best friends.
Now if only he could get a certain red eyed blonde out of his head.