I was the April Fool all along [Bakugatsu Day 1]

Midoriya woke to screeching from the rooms below, leaping out of bed and grabbing for a shirt. It wasn't until he heard the laughter that he caught on, groaning as he considered just going back to bed and feigning illness for the day.

Less than twenty-four hours ago they'd had the fateful English class, had listened to Present Mic explain the concept of “April Fools” and the mysteriously unknown origins of the holiday. He'd felt the wave of energy pass through the class, his classmates suddenly paying more attention than he'd ever seen before. He'd even gone so far as to ask All Might about it, hoping he might provide some enlightenment – either a form of protection, like the one time he'd recommended wearing green, or at least some way of avoiding the worst of the pranks. Instead he'd been regaled with stories of the glorious tricks All Might and his friends had pulled in America, and with a long sigh he'd given up.

It was only one day. Surely he could get through one day.

As he reluctantly padded down the stairs, he heard the yelling and laughter again, peeking inside nervously to find Kaminari drenched with water, chasing after a giggling Ashido, while Kirishima rinsed his hair under the kitchen sink. When he turned his head slightly Midoriya noticed it was stained with green, but he didn't dare to ask.

“Morning Midoriya!” Kaminari called, as he tackled Ashido to the ground. “Happy April Fools day!”

“Ah, y-yeah, you too? Um, you guys are only doing this to each other, right?”

“Yeah! Why?”

“No reason!”

“Oh, and the teachers,” Kirishima added, as he leaned over to look in a hand mirror laying on the counter. “Don't worry Midoriya, you're way too nice for anyone to pick on you.”

“Ah, th-thank you?”

“Yeah, I'd be too scared of making you cry,” Kaminari grinned. “That's why we're not picking on the girls either.”

“W-Wait, you think I'm soft?” Midoriya pouted. “I'm not! I just, uh, I think this stuff is...”

“Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you!”

“No! It's not that! Um, I just... I have plans! Yeah! I'm gonna prank someone too!”

“Really?!”

The trio shot up immediately, waiting eagerly for his plans, and Midoriya cringed. He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly, flooding red when Ashido shook him by the shoulders excitedly.

“On who?!”

“On... Uh...” he paused, glancing back toward the hallway. “On Kacchan! Yeah! I'm gonna play a prank on Kacchan!”

“Oooh! You're brave, dude, I'm not touching Bakugou!”

“Yeah bro, we came to a unanimous decision that we're not messing with him,” Kirishima laughed. “What do you have planned?”

“You'll see! I wouldn't want you to spill the beans!”

Midoriya cursed himself as he made his way through to the kitchen, resolving to come up with the most harmless prank he could possibly think of. As he began cracking eggs and cooking rice for breakfast he found himself doubling everything, putting together two matching plates as an apology in advance.

“Extra spicy!” he said simply, holding it out when Bakugou arrived. “Hot sauce in the eggs, spicy seasoning on the rice!”

“Why?”

“Just because!”

Bakugou raised an eyebrow at him sceptically, but accepted all the same, and together they sat quietly at a table to eat. Midoriya could hear more chaos going down across the building, but neither of them mentioned it as they ate in silence, occasionally glancing at their phones for news and weather updates.

“Eat lunch with me today,” Midoriya requested, getting another odd look from Bakugou. “It's been ages since we ate lunch together.”

“Whatever.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Only if you're buying.”

“Sure!” Midoriya grinned. “Looking forward to it!”

It was an easy out. All he had to do was hand him salt instead of sugar, or unscrew the lid of a bottle slightly. Simple. Bakugou would berate him, sure, but it wouldn't be offensive enough to cause a real fight, and he could always play it off as an accident.

He smiled as Bakugou left to clean his dishes, shovelling the last of his rice into his mouth with a sense of satisfaction.

What could possibly go wrong?

─────

As it turned out, a lot could go wrong. For one, Midoriya could be a big damn chicken and wimp out of even his tiniest plans.

“About this prank thing,” Kirishima began, draping an arm across Midoriya's shoulders. “Listen, all you're doing is being nice to him, that's not really a prank. I mean, yeah, if he was nice it would be kind of pranky, but you? You're always nice! I'm not sure you understand this, y'know?”

“It's part of the grand plan!” Midoriya insisted, blushing bright red. “You'll see!”

“You made him breakfast, helped carry his gauntlets, bought him lunch and made pleasant conversation with him, cheered him on at training – where are you going with this?”

“Wait,” Kaminari interjected, shouldering into him from the other side, penning him in. “Are you gonna tell him you love him?”

“Oh!” Kirishima gasped. “Are you really?! That's kind of genius!”

“Ah, y-yeah! That's it! You got it!”

“Oh dude, I'm so sorry, I underestimated you.”

Kirishima retracted his arm, grinning as he nudged Midoriya ahead, to where Bakugou was scowling in the common area. He sat draped across the couch, staring at a news report on the television that didn't seem to interest him in the slightest, and Midoriya paused when the scarlet eyes glanced up briefly.

“Bakubro!” Kirishima declared, when Midoriya didn't speak. “How's it going, dude?”

He fell onto the other end of the couch, flanked by Kaminari, both waiting eagerly for the next development.

“Ah, K-Kacchan, can we talk?”

“Whatever.”

“Um, privately?”

“Why?”

“I, uh...”

He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and leaned over, kissing Bakugou on the cheek lightly.

He expected yelling, expected cursing and explosions, but instead Bakugou just reached for him, pulling him into his lap. He squeaked a little, flushed, but Bakugou didn't even acknowledge the motion, still staring at the TV with an extra shaking body in his lap.

“Uh, K-Kacchan?”

“What, nerd?”

“Did, um, did they tell you already?”

“Did who tell me what?”

He glanced over at the boys on the other end of the couch, but they both shook their heads, wide eyed.

“That, I, uh, like you?”

“No one told me shit, but you're not exactly subtle.”

“Dude,” Kaminari interjected. “So your prank is that you finally confessed to Bakugou?”

“Prank?” Bakugou asked, almost disinterested. “Are we dating or not, nerd?”

“Uh... D-Do you wanna?”

“Sure.”

“This isn't, uh, an April Fools joke?”

“What the fuck is an April Fool?”

The room fell silent, and Midoriya turned to their friends for help.

“Present Mic talked about it,” Kirishima chimed in, taking pity. “In English class?”

“When?”

“Yesterday?”

“Oh. Wasn't listening.”

“Really? You always listen in class.”

“Been feeling shit for a few days,” he shrugged. “Was pretty much napping.”

“What?!” Midoriya demanded, leaping up from his new spot and pressing a hand to Bakugou's warm forehead. “You're sick?! Why didn't you tell me?!”

“You wanted to have lunch and shit, couldn't really take the day off.”

“You went to school for me?!” His vision blurred, blinking back tears. “Kacchan no! Come on, you're going to bed!”

He grabbed at a strong hand and dragged him off the couch, a little surprised when Bakugou didn't protest. Their hands remained linked as they rode the elevator up to Bakugou's floor, but neither of them questioned it, only sharing the occasional glance in the silence. When Bakugou was safely tucked in bed, a water bottle by his side, Midoriya leaned in and pressed another kiss to his cheek.

“It's a long story,” he explained, before Bakugou could lower himself to asking. “But I really do like you, things just got... Out of hand.”

“Then date me, dumbass nerd.”

“Okay,” he agreed, grinning. “Let me take care of you?”

“Whatever.”

Despite the uncaring response, he rolled over to the far side of the bed, pulling back the blankets. With a little smile Midoriya crawled in with him, tucking Bakugou under his arm.

“Get some sleep, Kacchan.”

“Uh-huh.”

Three floors below, Kirishima kicked his feet up into Kaminari's lap, leaning back to relax across the cushions.

“So are they dating now or what?” he asked, gesturing vaguely toward the elevators.

“Weren't they always?”