Squish ❤ | Katsuki Bakugou x Reader |

(1) Welcome to UA, Twins!

(Bakugou's POV)

I glanced around the room again, almost anxious for Shorty to get here. Kirishima had been worrying about it all morning, and it was starting to rub off on me. Most of the class was here when finally, Twin A dragged her inside.

Her hair poofed up and curled around her face making it seem like she had just woken up, and the slight shadows under her eyes hinted to her having barely slept. Twin A, however, looked just fine. Guess he's a morning person while she isn't.

The seats had been rearranged before everyone got here to make room for the twins, and Shorty looked relieved when she was sat in front of her brother and next to Kirishima. She tugged at a(n) f/c band around her wrist, which I realized was a watch. I frowned, wondering what kind of teenager wears normal watches anymore.

She smiled and shifted close to her brother in a way so perfectly natural that they were like two puzzle pieces, perfectly made to be right next to each other. It was annoying. One minute they were so close they almost could be dating, the next they were worst enemies.

Kirishima leaned into the group, like gravity pulled both boys closer to Shorty. It pissed me off for reasons I couldn't explain.

She seemed really nervous. She hadn't said a word all morning, and she hadn't stopped tapping, popping her lips, or wiggling her hands and fingers for the last ten minutes.

"Oi, Shortie. There's nothing to be so damn scared of, idiot." She jumped and looked at me, then giggled nervously.

"Yeah, I know... It's not my first time being a new kid, after all. But I'm like this no matter how long I've been in a school... Really panicky on the first day. I can't help it... it happens every year, no matter what I do to try and stop it." She tugged at a lock of her hair, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Whatever. Just don't puke or anything. You look sick enough as it is." She whirled around at my words and stared at Shitty Hair for confirmation. He grimaced, the only answer she needed. She frowned and stared at the ground.

She sat down and pulled out a book, flipping to a page and almost instantly tuning everyone out. Her brother took that as a sign he was allowed to go make friends, and Shitty Hair walked over to me.

"She's doing better than normal at least... Promise me not to comment on anything she does too much? She's already self conscious enough today." He pressed his palms together, but I just rolled my eyes.

"Okay, fine. It's not like I pay that much attention to her anyways." The second I said it I knew it was a lie. The fact it was a lie bothered me. Why did I pay so much attention to a dumb girl? Maybe it was because of how much Shitty Hair talked about her, so much I felt a strange sort of connection with a girl I hardly knew.

Or maybe it was the fact I didn't like that she was obviously scared of me. Why else would her tics only get worse when I was around? I wanted people to look up to me, see me as the best, not be terrified of me. I had grown out of that during my first and second year here.

Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. I did pay much more attention to her than I had any girl, ever. If I admitted that to anyone, even Shitty Hair, they would say something dumb like "it's love!" but it isn't. I don't feel all that mushy stuff everyone talks about around her. I just feel like she shouldn't be scared. I shouldn't make someone who already has it hard enough scared. That's not what a hero does.

A hero protects the ones who are scared.

Maybe that was why I wanted to protect her so badly.

(Y/n's POV)

When Mr. Aizawa arrived, the class quickly settled down. They respected him, that much was obvious. I decided I would too, if he could get people as talkative as Denki and Hanta this quiet. Mako's presence behind me was more comforting than I could have hoped for. The paranoia I normally felt was much lessened by only his eyes on my back, instead of many of our new classmates. It's why I liked sitting in the back of classrooms, or with someone I knew well behind me.

However, having Bakugou constantly nearby didn't help. I was so insanely worried about being a disappointment to this stupid blond boy that I felt embarrassed for myself, but I also knew that I craved being accepted, especially after junior high.

I had always believed myself to be likeable enough, and had never truly thought of myself as someone others disliked or bullied- until eighth grade, when suddenly I heard whispers about every little thing I did, about things I didn't even know how people knew.

It was part of why my brother was such a huge anchor in me for school, along with Eijirou. The two helped me through things quite a bit, and any class I had with either of them was much easier. The classes I didn't have with them were where it got hard.

Now that I had a new start with people who didn't know about those things, I just wanted to keep up my old reputation as likeable enough. Not stereotypically beloved, just someone who people were aware of and couldn't quite say bad things about. I had preferred things that way.

This was what I hoped for while Mr. Aizawa took us to a training ground. The way "the Bakusquad" shifted around me so we were all together mad me think I was already off to a good start.

I brushed my pinkie against Eiji's wrist and smiled, knowing my anchors were right here with me. Maybe things would be better here.

End of Chapter.