Evil....Maybe Not

The Brutal Truth

Bakugo's POV:

I watched as Deku interacted with all of my classmates. Seeing him smile and enjoy himself made me feel oddly satisfied. It was a rare sight for me to witness him so relaxed and at ease. We spent the entire day mingling, talking with different people, and fielding a barrage of generic questions. Todoroki, the Half-and-Half Bastard, emerged from his corner of brooding solitude.

"I've been observing and connecting some dots," Todoroki announced with his usual air of self-importance. I glanced at him, bracing myself for whatever theory he was about to concoct. "You haven't connected anything!" I retorted.

"I've made connections," Todoroki insisted. "I wanted to ask if you two are dating."

I tensed, glancing sideways at Deku, who was blushing and avoiding eye contact. With a resigned sigh, I answered, "I thought Mr. Aizawa sent out an email about this. Yes, we've been dating for years, even if we weren't officially together."

The room fell into an uneasy silence.

I noticed Kirishima standing up and leaving the room. A pang of guilt twisted in my chest. Why do I always have to mess things up? Kirishima's sudden exit made me feel like I had ruined the mood for everyone, even if that wasn't my intention.

Despite the shock, Mina—Pinky—was ecstatic. "YESSSS! Bakubabe isn't a lonely single anymore! I can finally have a—well, what are your pronouns?" She turned to Deku, who seemed slightly hesitant.

Deku responded, "No one's ever asked me that before. Why do you think I might identify as a different gender?"

Mina chuckled softly. "It's not really that. It's more about respecting how you identify. Especially since you're an omega... I assume."

Deku smiled warmly. "I have a feeling we're going to be good friends. I just wanted to see how you'd handle that question. I'd say you passed the test! I personally use they/them, but I don't mind if you use he/him. Kacchan uses he/him for me, so either works."

Mina gave him a side hug. "Can't wait to get to know you better!"

As the hours passed, everyone began to disperse to their rooms to relax. Deku and I did the same, though Mina wanted to stay with us since she had nothing else planned. The two of them played games and joked around for hours, while I simply lay in bed and dozed off. I joined a few of their games but didn't want to intrude on their bonding time. Watching them have fun made me feel both content and somewhat nostalgic.

I was deep asleep when I felt the sheets shift. I turned to see Deku slipping into bed beside me. "Did Mina leave?" I asked groggily.

"Yes, she left a few minutes ago," Deku replied. I glanced at the clock and realized it was already 10 PM. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to like it here. I'm glad I met everyone. Mina seems really nice; I think I like her," Deku said, snuggling closer.

"That's nice. Mina and I are pretty close too. We can all hang out together, along with the rest of the 'squad,'" I replied, wrapping my arms around him.

Deku smiled and nestled his face into my chest. We drifted off to sleep shortly after, content and relaxed. The warmth of his presence was comforting, and I felt a deep sense of peace as we fell asleep together.

Deku's POV:

Life is fantastic! Living here with Kacchan and his friends after so many years of turmoil is a welcome change. Kacchan had already left for school, so I was left alone for the morning. I decided to head down to the common room, hoping to finally meet the red-haired boy from last week. I hadn't had the chance to speak with him before, so I didn't know his name. It was unusual to see someone here on a Friday morning, given it was a school day. I guessed he might be sick or dealing with something.

I approached him and gently tapped his shoulder. He flinched and turned around. I noticed his eyes were a striking, vivid red, and his broad shoulders gave him a rugged, dependable look. Despite his tough appearance, his face carried a sense of exhaustion.

"Hello," he greeted, his tone tinged with fatigue.

"Do you want some soup?" I offered, noticing how tired he looked.

He seemed puzzled by the offer. "Soup?"

"Well, today is a school day, and I thought maybe you were sick," I explained, trying to be helpful.

He forced a sour smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "No, not sick. Just a bit down."

"Do you need someone to talk to? Maybe not me, since I can tell you might not want me here, but one of your friends?" I suggested, hoping to provide some comfort.

He shook his head. "No, they wouldn't quite understand, and I don't think you'd like what I have to vent about."

I became increasingly puzzled. "Okay, maybe I can help in a different way. Just tell me the situation without giving names or specific details."

He shrugged, his expression conflicted. "Alright. I was involved with someone, but we weren't officially dating. They seemed to care about me more than just as a friend. I started developing feelings, but recently I learned they were seeing someone else the entire time. I feel bad for their current partner, who's unaware of the situation, and I despise the person who was with me while they were with them. I'm not sure how to handle this."

I thought for a moment, trying to consider his situation from his perspective. "Is the source who informed you about the other relationship reliable?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Then, I'd suggest confronting the person you were involved with and also informing their current partner. It's better for them to find out directly from you than to discover it in a more painful way."

He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping slightly. "That's the one thing I didn't want to do."

I placed my small hands on his broad shoulders, trying to offer some reassurance. "Nobody wants to do uncomfortable things, but sometimes it's necessary."

He managed a faint smile. "I'm Ejiro Kirishima."

"Midoriya Izuku," I replied.

Later that evening, Kacchan and I were preparing for bed when there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Kirishima standing there, his face a mixture of worry and resolve. "Kirishima? Come in," I said, leading him inside. We sat on the bed, and I asked, "What's wrong?"

Kirishima looked distressed, his usual cheerful demeanor replaced with a heavy seriousness. "You remember our conversation this morning?"

I nodded. "Yes?"

"Well, it was really about... how should I put this?" Kirishima hesitated. Kacchan was in the shower, and he usually took his time. "If you don't want to say this to Kacchan, he's in the shower. Don't worry, go ahead," I encouraged.

Kirishima took a deep breath, his eyes meeting mine with a mix of determination and apprehension. "The person I was talking about was Bakugou. And you're the one I wanted to talk to."

What the—?

_________________________________________

1150 words