It was a rare moment of peace in the U.A. dorms. Most of Class 1-A had gone to bed after a long day of training, but three figures remained in the common room, spread out on the couch, facing the flickering TV screen.
Kaminari leaned back, feet up on the coffee table, a lazy grin plastered across his face as he tapped the buttons of his video game controller. "Hey, Kirishima, you think you can handle me this time? I'm on fire tonight!" He laughed, nudging his friend with his elbow.
Kirishima—who had been flipping through a magazine—looked up at the challenge with an eager smile. "You've been saying that for hours now, Denki. You really think you're gonna beat me?" He tossed the magazine aside, already getting into position. "Bring it on!"
Beside them, Bakugou sat, arms crossed, his back stiff against the couch as he scowled at the screen. He had been silent for most of the evening, but the tension in his posture said everything: he wasn't here for the game or the casual banter. His attention kept flicking between the two of them, especially when they exchanged that casual, easy back-and-forth that always seemed to make Kirishima smile a little brighter.
He hated it.
Kaminari was too much sometimes, with his teasing and that stupid grin, acting like he owned the place. And Kirishima... he was too damn 'nice'. Always laughing, always getting along with everyone. He made it 'too' easy.
Bakugou snorted, glaring at the screen as if it had personally offended him. "Idiot. This is a waste of time."
Kaminari shot him a grin from across the couch, unphased. "Oh, come on, Kacchan. Don't be such a buzzkill." His finger jabbed the controller faster, more aggressively. "I'm beating Kirishima this round, you'll see."
Kirishima laughed loudly, elbowing Kaminari in the ribs. "Is that so? You're gonna be eating those words in a minute, buddy."
Bakugou huffed, shifting in his seat. The whole interaction—Kaminari being his usual goofy self, Kirishima getting all caught up in the fun—made his stomach tighten. He wasn't used to this kind of 'peaceful' dynamic.
He wasn't used to feeling like the third wheel.
"Whatever," Bakugou muttered, already losing interest. He stood up abruptly, his boots thudding against the hardwood floor as he turned to leave. "I'm going for a walk. Don't break anything, dumbasses."
Kirishima glanced at him, frowning slightly. "Hey, Kacchan, you okay?"
"Yeah, whatever," Bakugou grumbled, though his eyes avoided Kirishima's. He wasn't about to admit anything. 'Not like this.'
Before anyone could respond, the door slammed shut behind him. The sound echoed in the room, leaving an odd silence in its wake.
Kaminari and Kirishima exchanged a look.
"Well, that was weird," Kaminari said, looking down at the game controller in his hands. It had been awkward for a while now, but seeing Bakugou storm off like that made the tension feel... 'real'.
Kirishima scratched the back of his neck, concern flickering across his face. "Yeah. Kacchan's been acting off lately, huh?"
Kaminari let out a nervous chuckle, trying to brush it off. "Eh, he's just Bakugou. He gets like this sometimes."
Kirishima wasn't convinced. He couldn't shake the feeling that something more was going on, something that he wasn't being told. He had been feeling the shift between the three of them for a while now, that awkward, unspoken something that hovered whenever Bakugou wasn't actively yelling at them. It wasn't the first time he had caught Bakugou glancing at him in a way that wasn't just "irritated best friend."
And Kaminari—well, Kaminari had been acting a little differently, too. The way his eyes would linger a little too long on Kirishima, how his usual jokes would falter when he looked at him.
It was confusing. It was like there was a secret no one was brave enough to speak.
Kaminari broke the silence, chuckling again as he grabbed the remote. "Well, since Kacchan's gone, guess it's just us now. How about we really show these game controls who's boss?"
Kirishima smiled at his enthusiasm, but there was a small crease of worry between his brows. "Sure," he said. "But I'm telling you right now, I'm gonna win this round."
Kaminari laughed, eager to keep the mood light, but it wasn't enough to erase the tension that lingered in the room. He quickly got sucked into the game, the two of them laughing and joking, but the unease was still there, gnawing at the back of Kaminari's mind.
As they continued to play, Kaminari couldn't stop glancing at the door Bakugou had stormed out of. He felt bad for his friend—he always did. But there was something else, too. Something that made his chest tighten and his mind race.
Kirishima was a good guy. Too good. He had this big heart, always wanting to take care of his friends, always being so unconditionally kind. Kaminari admired him. A lot.
But lately, it had started to feel like more than just admiration.
And every time he caught Bakugou looking at Kirishima—whether it was the way his eyes softened when Kirishima spoke, or how he seemed to go a little quiet when Kirishima was near—it made something twist in his gut.
Was it... possible? Was Bakugou feeling the same thing?
"Hey, Kirishima," Kaminari asked suddenly, his voice quieter than usual, "you ever get the feeling like... things are changing between us?"
Kirishima looked up, a little surprised at the sudden change in tone. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know," Kaminari murmured, not entirely sure where the words were coming from. "Like... the way we all act around each other? It's like there's this... space that's been growing between us. Like... we're not just friends anymore, you know?"
Kirishima blinked, processing the words. His gaze shifted to the door where Bakugou had just stormed out, and then back to Kaminari. There was something unspoken between them now. Something heavier than before.
"Yeah," Kirishima said, his voice a little uncertain. "I've felt it too. But... I don't know what to make of it." He scratched his head, trying to laugh it off. "I mean, Kacchan's always... 'Kacchan', right? Maybe he's just having one of those moods."
Kaminari nodded slowly, but something in his chest told him it was more than that. More than just a "mood." But how could he bring it up? How could he even say it, when he wasn't sure if Kirishima felt the same way?
The game continued on, but the easy camaraderie they had shared earlier felt a little more forced. The air between them wasn't the same as it used to be.
And somewhere deep down, Kaminari knew: things were about to change.
He just didn't know how—or if he was ready for it.
(Endnotes: yes they call him Kacchan in this don't judge
