OOPS, WRONG CHAT
— poly!krbk x fem!oc
chapter 21 — EQUALS THREE
synopsis: you accidentally get added to the wrong class group chat during the start of the second semester (a class you aren’t even taking), but the people in it are weirdly entertaining so you decide to stay. what’s the worst that could happen?
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ chapter summary: the three of you finally stop dancing around your feelings
content: smau, college!au, eventual poly!krbk x oc, oc has a name
NOTE: and everyone cheered
series m. list
You and Katsuki sat together on the worn leather couch, tucked against the wall of the studio, close enough that your knees almost brushed but not quite touching.
Neither of you seemed willing to close the distance, but neither of you seemed willing to move away, either.
You glanced sideways.
Katsuki was leaning back into the cushions with his arms crossed, one knee resting over the opposite, mouth set in his signature frown. He looked the absolute picture of nonchalance. If someone walked in right now, they’d probably think he looked completely normal, relaxed even.
However you knew better—his foot had been bouncing for the last five minutes. Your lips twitched.
Cute.
The thought slipped into your mind so suddenly that heat immediately rushed into your face. You looked away before he could notice, tucking your face into your shoulder.
Seconds passed and you risked another glance.
He was already looking at you.
A sharp, almost high-pitched squeak came out of you and you whipped your head down so quickly your neck ached in protest. Your cheeks flushed a light pink, warmth creeping up your body from your fingers all the way to the tips of your ears.
A short, humored scoff reached your ears.
“Oi, dummy,” he drawled. “The hell’s wrong with you now?”
“N-Nothing,” you stuttered out, stretching your fingers out and smoothing your shirt down, a painfully obvious attempt to distract yourself from the pit forming in your stomach.
Katsuki snorted, uncrossing his leg and bumping his foot against yours, the gesture casual and light. “What? You confess to me and suddenly you’re all shy? What happened to all that bravado you had earlier?”
You huffed out a deep breath, smacking your hands on the top of your knees as you turned to flash the blond a heated glare. His face held the most smug smirk you’ve ever seen and you reached out, shoving his shoulder.
“Shut up,” you mumbled. “Don’t act like you’re unaffected by this too, Katsuki.”
At the sound of his name, he shifted slightly on the couch, and now his ears flushed a deep pink. The sight made you smile again, but this time it was impossible to suppress. He noticed the expression on your face and scowled once more.
“Whatever, idiot.”
Before you could retort back, a succession of rhythmic knocks sounded at the door. Then the comfortable warmth between you was replaced by a different kind of anticipation. You didn’t have to guess who it was on the other side.
Katsuki straightened beside you as you cleared your throat. “Door’s open, Kiri.”
The handle turned almost instantly, and in walked Kirishima, with the same easy smile he always wore when he saw the two of you. However, this one was a bit unsure at the edges, and you honestly couldn’t blame him.
His eyes moved from you to Katuski, then back again as he shut the door. For a long moment, nobody moved, nobody made the first step. Kirishima took this as an opportunity to properly study the situation more closely.
He noticed the little things first.
The tear tracks that still hadn’t completely dried from your face. The way you and Katsuki were sitting beside one another on the couch instead of opposite ends of the room. The crimson flush of Katsuki’s ears. And the fact that neither of you looked upset anymore, only nervous.
The tension eased from his jaw, one corner of his mouth quirking upwards. His shoulders began to relax, but he still shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other.
“So…” he trailed off. “What’s going on? Kats said you guys talked and we needed to figure some stuff out?”
The redhead made his way over to your desk chair, pulling it close enough so that when he sat down, he was right in front of you and Katsuki. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. His expression was relaxed and inviting, and a sharp pang hit you deep in the chest. You hadn’t realized it until now, when he walked in and it was the first time you’ve physically seen him in days, just how much you missed him.
Both of them really.
The guilt of brushing him off, even if it was only for a few days, continue to eat away at you. Kirishima had been nothing but kind and understanding throughout the entire time you’ve known him. You truly don’t think you know anyone else with a purer heart than his, so that made the shame of what you did much more intense and painful. Instead of reciprocating that kindness, you pushed it away, all because of your insecurities and lack of initiative when it came to admitting your feelings.
How ironic that your reason for choosing to run away from it was to prevent your biggest fear—losing them both—from happening, and yet if you had stayed steadfast in that decision, you would have lost them anyway.
Simply because you had no idea one of them harbored feelings for you in the same way you did.
You glanced over at Katsuki first, head tilting to the side, asking him a silent question.
Do you want to go first, or should I?
He met your gaze head on, unsure at first, with a touch of hesitance, but then he sighed deeply and uncrossed his arms. I held my breath as he scooted forward, matching Kirishima’s posture and leaning in as well. Once again, crimson met scarlet, and the two of them were gazing upon each other with so much mutual intensity that it made your head spin.
Kirishima spoke first, a whispered, “Katsuki?” which made said person grunt softly in response. His own voice came shortly after, softer than you’ve ever heard him.
“I’ve been keeping something from you…for years.”
Kirishima’s brows furrowed. Katsuki’s jaw clenched.
“I’ve loved you for a long time, Ei.” The words were dramatic, but the way they were delivered was anything but. It wasn’t some passionate, fantastical love confession that most people would expect, but it was so undeniably Katsuki that it didn’t matter. This wasn’t love finally boiling over the edge and spilling out in a messy, chaotic outburst. This was love, cultivated over the years and tucked beneath Katsuki’s fiery but devoted heart.
“I thought it would go away,” his laugh was hollow, and he shook his head once. “It didn’t. It stayed there—you stayed there. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was your stupid face and every time I opened them, that was the first thing I wanted to see.”
“I didn’t know what to do with all that,” he continued, “and you’re probably thinking, well the obvious thing to do was tell you, but I was fucking scared.” His voice tightened at the end. “You were—are—my best friend and I know I didn’t say it a lot, but I valued you and our friendship. I was scared that what I felt for you was going to screw that all up, so I figured…”
He trailed off, eyes drifting to the floor.
“...having you as my best friend was better than losing you entirely.”
The studio was so silent you could hear a pin drop, air thick with tension and anticipation. You watched Kirishima nervously, searching for some kind of reaction, expecting confusion, shock, or even anger.
But instead…
Kirishima blinked. Just once.
And then his entire body sagged in relief, a breathless chuckle escaped him, and a tiny, impossibly sad smile spread across his face. His eyes glistened.
“Oh, Katsuki,” The way he said his name was so tender and loving it almost didn’t sound real. “...I’ve always known.”
If it weren’t for the seriousness of the situation you were in, you would’ve cackled at the way Katsuki’s eyes bugged out of his head. But you were taken by surprise yourself, so you gawked at the redhead with the same expression.
The blond spluttered, “I—What are you—What do you mean you—”
Kirishima looked apologetic, smile turning shy. “This isn’t the first time you told me, yknow?”
Katsuki was completely and utterly flabbergasted at the revelation, and he began racking his brain, searching for that one specific memory his best friend just admitted. The look on his face must have shown what he was thinking because Kirishima quickly clarified.
“It was a while ago,” he said. “The summer before we started college, we went out and partied with the others at a bar. Denks kept handing you shot after shot and then,” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “you got pretty drunk.”
Katsuki remembered that. Mina had dragged all of them to the nearest dive bar to celebrate graduating. Brief clips of that night flashed across his mind, some he could recall with clear certainty while others were more warped and fuzzy. But he couldn’t remember anything past the last hour of the night.
Two years earlier…
Kirishima had laughed to himself as crouched in front of the grumbling blond lump that was his best friend. The sight was almost comical—Katsuki Bakugo curled up into a ball, sitting on the street curb, barely able to hold his own head up. He knew if Denki or Hanta were out here, they’d be howling with laughter and taking a million pictures.
“C’mon man,” he coaxed, reaching for Katuski’s arm. He mumbled something entirely unintelligible.
“Dude, you can’t fall asleep on the side of the road,” Kirishima chastised softly.
“Tch.”
“And you definitely can’t make it home on your own.”
“M’fine dumbass.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure you are Katsuki,” Kirishima’s voice was fond, as it often was whenever he was with his Katsuki. He waited exactly three seconds before he shifted, hooking both of the drunk blond’s arms around his shoulder, and hoisted him up on his back.
Katsuki didn’t do much but groan at the sudden movement, then proceeded to plunk his head down on Kirishima’s back. They stumbled out in the cool night air.
“You good back there?” The redhead looked over his shoulder, snickering lightly when Katsuki’s head drooped slightly to the side, grumbling quietly.
Then—
“S’warm,” he slurred. Kirishima had only laughed and lifted him up higher. He passed by another street, following the familiar path back to his house. Normally, he would’ve taken the earlier turn down to Katsuki’s but he knew his mom would have a fit if she saw her son like that, so he figured it’d be best to have him stay the night at his place.
Katuski shifted again, tightening his arms around Kirishima’s shoulders without realizing it. His voice came softer this time.
“...You’re always there.”
Kirishima grinned. “I try.”
“You idiot.”
“I know.”
He took another few steps, humming a soft tune under his breath.
“....Love you.”
His footsteps stopped. It was so abrupt that Katsuki groaned, complaining., but Kirishima didn’t notice. His heart was impossibly still.
“What?”
His best friend only sighed, cheek pressed against Kirishima’s shoulder.
“...Said love you,” His words were slurred by exhaustion and alcohol, but they were unmistakable.
He kept going, mind fuddled with so much liquid courage that his tongue slipped out more than he meant to.
“You make…everything better. Been in love with you…for years, idiot.”
Kirishima’s heart lurched almost painfully inside his chest and he stumbled for a second, instinctively gripping Katsuki’s thighs a bit tighter, not wanting to drop him.
“Katsuki…”
He stood beneath a flickering streetlight, his entire world shaken up in that one moment. His best friend—the proudest, most stubborn person he’d ever met—had unknowingly handed him the most fragile part of himself.
Katsuki’s breathing became deeper and he knew he had fallen asleep. Kirishima smiled then, watery and tender, and he adjusted his grip and started walking again. He knew Katsuki would most likely not remember anything once he woke up the next morning, but instead of feeling sad over it, Kirishima’s heart swelled.
“I love you too, Katsuki…” he whispered, confession falling onto deaf ears.
—
The memory finally dissolved and Katsuki blinked back to the present. Kirishima was there again, and the amount of love and heat that he stared back at him with was enough to knock the breath from his lungs.
All those years, all those carefully hidden glances—every moment he’d believed he was carrying this alone—Kirishima had seen him, and he’d loved him through it all. He’d simply loved him enough not to force the confession before Katsuki was ready to make it.
Tears gathered in the corners of Katsuki’s eyes before he could stop them. He whipped his head around immediately, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
“Tch,” his voice crumbled. “You’re a piece of shit, Eijirou. Made me look like a fool.”
Kirishima’s laugh was fond. “Pretty sure you didn’t need my help with that,” he teased, laughing louder when Katsuki reached over and shoved his face away, his own lips twitching into a small smile.
Throughout all this, you remained silent, not wanting to interrupt the intimate, fragile moment between the two of them. But that was promptly shattered when Kirishima turned his pretty red eyes onto you, sending a flash of heat straight to your stomach. Your tongue felt heavy in my mouth as he gazed at you expectantly, head cocked at an angle.
“Sparks?” Your name fell so tenderly from his lips that it made your knees weak even though you were already sitting.
“You expect me to go next after all that?” you laughed weakly, feeling the sting of tears welling up.
From beside you, Katsuki scoffed. “S’not a competition, dummy.”
“You are the last person I want to hear that from Katsuki Bakugo.”
“Then hurry the fuck up and say something. Quit stallin’.”
You faced Kirishima again, breathing deeply to settle the wave of nerves crashing inside you. He waited patiently, eyes never straying away from you.
“Well, first I want to apologize,” I started. “For avoiding you the past few days. That was really shitty of me to do, especially since I knew Katsuki was already doing the same.”
Kirishima’s expression fell slightly at the reminder, but he didn’t interrupt and nodded instead, encouraging you to go on.
“Long story short, the girls told me about you two—that you loved each other—and I just felt so…guilty? I know it sounds stupid, but I—at the time it made sense to me. That the reason Katsuki was avoiding us was because he loved you and seeing you with me…” You paused briefly, regaining your composure. “...that’s why I did what I did. I thought that by distancing myself from you, it would bring you guys closer together. And I tried to tell myself that I’d be fine putting my feelings aside if it meant that you two would be happy—”
You cut yourself off as the lump in your throat grew bigger, making it difficult to continue without practically choking out the words. But you owed it to him to be honest.
“—but I was wrong. Of course I want you guys to be happy, but I secretly hoped I’d be a part of it too.”
You laughed shakily. “Then I thought I was being selfish, wanting both of you, but then I also thought who wouldn’t?”
You glanced over at Katsuki, sending him a gentle smile to which he grumbled and looked away, but the flush of his ears gave him away. “I already kinda told Katsuki his part,” you turned back to Kirishima, “but you Kiri…how could I not want you? Since the beginning you’ve treated me so sweetly, and you were always so supportive of everything I did. Your happiness was infectious, and I wanted to surround myself with it all the time.”
Kirishima’s eyes were shiny now, lips trembling as he listened to you.
“We never really got to talk about what happened here a few weeks ago,” you bit your bottom lip, gnawing on it nervously, “but I wanted it, whatever it was, I still do. And I hope you do as well…”
You trailed off, ending your piece there. Everything was out in the open now, both yours and Katsuki’s feelings laid out bare. Kirishima was silent for a moment, but his face said everything.
“If only you guys had said something sooner, we could’ve prevented all this shit,” He huffed out a watery laugh, reaching up to wipe away the tears gathering in his lashes. “God, what am I going to do with you two?”
You blinked. “So..does that mean…?”
Kirishima rolled his chair closer so now he was within arms reach. He hunched forward, placing his hands on your knees, trailing them around so his fingers wrapped around the bend of your legs, thumbs rubbing against the side. The proximity made your heart race, flutters spreading to the rest of your body, and you could feel echoing in your ears.
“Yes, pretty girl. I want you too.”
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