‘1.0 - YOU GET FLUSTERED WAY TOO EASILY.
| CHAPTER ONE |
to be honest, it was mei's idea. you still remembered the day your assertive friend dragged you along the hallway, insisting you needed to start making as many gadgets as you could from the first year if you wanted to eventually work for a big support company. she wasn't wrong, and her enthusiasm rubbed off on you, eventually pushing you to spend most of your time in the studio with her after school, for the past three years.
however, the once innocent visits to work on your inventions soon turned into something more when a certain angry blonde showed up for a costume upgrade during that first year. mei was drooling over her babies and tweaking them as she mumbled something about power boosts. you were quietly working on a little side project of yours, experimenting with different metals for a sturdy yet light design.
the door was kicked open with a thud, revealing no other than katsuki bakugou with his fists shoved in his pockets and an annoyed expression on his face, baring his teeth. you knew him from the sport festival, he won the first place. looking up at him warily, you stayed quiet, gauging his expression while mei was too distracted to even notice his presence.
"you! shitty girl playing with the metals! where's power loader? i need a costume upgrade" bakugou stomped closer to you, demanding answers; but, before he could get too close, mei was between you and in his face in an instant "did you say costume upgrade? let me see those gauntlets. you were the angry one with the explosion quirk, right? oh, i got just the right baby for ya!" mei's offsetting behavior was irritating bakugou.
"get off of me you crazy maniac!" bakugou kept protesting, but mei was not one to care as she kept forcing him into different gadgets. you couldn't help but giggle at the boy's misery. it was quite amusing to see the normally tough and intimidating katsuki bakugou get shoved around into various support gears by mei.
"stop laughing at me dammit!" with a relatively big explosion he shoved mei off of him "touch me again and i'll kill you for real" he threatened mei before turning to you "and you! i dare you to laugh again!".
"alright, calm down" your voice was barely above a whisper as you raised your hands in surrender "what type of costume change do you need?" you spoke up a bit louder. normally you were more on the shy and quiet side with people you didn't know. but the little banter between your best friend and him had put you more at ease.
"you see these gauntlets" he held up his arms "they store my sweat for one monster blast. i need a bigger version of them for a more powerful explosion."
"is it okay if i take a look at them?"
he nodded in response, sliding one off his arm and placing it on the table between you.
"wow, these are really heavy! how do you carry two? i can't imagine how much they weigh once their full."
"makes for a good exercise" he brushed off nonchalantly as if carrying at least 100 lbs on his arms was as natural as breathing for him. "now can you make the changes i asked for or not?".
"actually, i've been working on a more sturdy yet lighter design for gears made of metal. i'm sure with power loader's approval, we can use it for your gauntlets so they're less heavy. that should allow for a increase in size without straining your mobility or speed" you explained as you showed him the design you were working on.
"hmm. seems like you know your shit".
and just like that, you worked on a new design together and power loader let you create his new equipment. since that day during your first year, bakugou stopped by every now and then to experiment his ideas for improving his costume. with every encounter, you got to know each other better until jamming to his playlist as the three of you worked for hours in the studio had become a regular ordeal. and soon, you couldn't help but look forward to his little visits.
today was no different as you turned the familiar corner of the hallway, heading to the studio. you knew mei was going to be there, but you were caught off guard to see a shirtless bakugou sitting on the floor with a bunch of support gears scattered around him. you stood there by the door for a few seconds speechless, taking in his broad shoulders and large biceps flexing every time he leaned forward to reach for something. he did this often, yet you never got tired of the sight. his body was so ripped that you sometimes forgot he was still in high school.
"like what you see?" your eyes darted up from his arms to meet his eyes. his playful smirk only made the heat rushing up to your cheeks grow ten folds.
"no. i mean yes. no, i mean not that no, i-i wasn't, i was just, um" you were a stuttering flustered mess, unable to make a coherent sentence. why did he have to put you on the spot like that?
"hey, hey, calm down. i'm just messing with you. it's good you're here" thankfully he changed the subject giving you a chance to slow your drumming heartbeat.
"it is?" you finally closed the door behind you and stepped in.
"yeah. take a look at this. i want my gloves to help me create more sweat. look at this design" he explained and handed you a notebook with sketches and arrows pointing to little bubbles of explanations.
you took a few seconds to read over them "why didn't you just ask mei?"
"she was busy making 'babies' for some support company application, then ran out a few minutes after i got here. something about an interview? anyways. what do you think? will it work?" you looked around to see he was right, there was no sign of mei.
"theoretically, yes. it should work" you handed the notebook back. "by the way, i've got something for you" you quickly went to the storage closet and looked through the drawers, trying to find your latest invention, specifically made for him. "ah. found it" excited to see his reaction, you quickly turned around only to bump into him and almost lose your balance if it wasn't for his quick reflexes to grab your arms "woah there, slow down" he chuckled.
you were so distracted looking for the device in your hands that you didn't even realize he had left his spot on the floor and was towering behind you, looking over your shoulder as you were going through each drawer. once again your face was radiating heat as you stood there frozen in his arms.
"you get flustered way too easily, y/n" bakugou laughed, enjoying the effect he had on you, but making you even more of a nervous mess in the process.
"um, i..hngh" you hung your head and squeezed your eyes shut before blurting out "youcanletgonow".
bakugou looked down to his hands, seemingly just realizing he was still holding onto you. he hummed and took a step back, finally giving you some space to breathe and calm your nerves down, but that stupid sexy half smirk of his stayed plastered on his face.
your fingers fidgeted with the hem of your school unifrom's skirt as you slowly looked up "anyways... this device is like a machine gun but for bullet-like grenades. it attaches to the shoulder piece of your costume and you can easily shoot a bunch of grenades quickly. kinda like your ap shots" you handed him the device nervously and quickly stepped back again.
"it sounds like a good addition to my costume".
"why don't you test it out and let me know how you like it?" your voice a bit more excited knowing he didn't immediately hate it.
"yeah, sure" his eyes flickered to the clock behind you on the wall "crap. i gotta go. i'll stop by again after i test this."
"sounds good" you stood there twirling a strand of your hair between your fingers, a childhood habit you had grown to do when you were nervous as he left with a nod.
you sank into the nearest chair and exhaled loudly, rubbing your palms on your skirt to get rid of the nervous sweat.
why does he have to mess with me so much?
shit, i want him ❤︎
