pup·py love

/ˈpəpē ˌləv/

An informal term for feelings of romantic or platonic love, often felt during childhood.

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"Follow me!" Bakugo ushered you ahead of him, trying to as gently as possible push you in front of him. The playground was full of children running around; parents sat on the benches, making idle small talk with one another.

"We're here!" In front of you was a tree. The trunk was hollow, leaving a large empty space in the center. You jumped with childish delight, squealing.

"This is an awesome hideout!" You hugged Bakugo, grinning. You then entered the tree, leaving Bakugo with flushed cheeks and a stagger in his step as he followed you.

"I know, I found it all by myself." He put his hands on his hips, bragging. You gave him a thumbs-up, smiling.

"You're awesome, Katsuki." You chirped, your hands gently running along the interior of the tree. The trunk was rough against your fingers.

"H-Hey, do you want to do something together?" He crouched down, tilting his head to avoid your curious stare.

"Sure! What do you want to do?" She ran her fingers through his hair. It was a habit that she had picked up after being friends with Bakugo for such a long time. For some odd reason, his hair infatuated her.

He enjoyed that she did that, and would never let anyone else touch him like how she had. Bakugo didn't know why he let her, but he did. Maybe it was the flutter of his heart every-time she was around him. He didn't really know what to call the feeling.

It was a crush! Bakugo never knew what the liking towards her had been called, until he grew up later on.

"Do you want to carve our names into the tree?" He asked, fiddling with the sharp piece of bark in his hand. You vigorously nodded, eyes glimmering.

Bakugo stood up, handing the bark to you nimbly. You walked out of the inside of the trunk, looking for a good spot to carve your name. Finally, you came across an even patch of bark.

You carved your name into the tree as Bakugo watched, curious as to what you'd write. When you finished, a look of confusion was plastered onto his face.

(Y/N), the #2 Best Hero!

"Why did you write number two?" He inquired, poking your shoulder.

"Because you're the number one hero!" You chirped, smiling at him. The compliment would've normally only inflated his ego if it were from anybody else, but since it was from you he grew incredibly excited.

"Y-You'll be good too!" He said, cheeks burning. Your eyes widened at the discreet praise. You jumped excitedly, thanking him for saying that. At the time, you had seen him as the most capable hero, so to be given praise from him made your puffy cheeks blush.

You handed him the bark, curious as to what he'd write himself. His hand gripped the wood tightly as he dented the tree with his writing. The smile on your face had slowly grew wider with each word carved.

Bakugo, the #1 Best Hero!

And in tiny writing there'd been a warning, saying 'Keep out!'. It made you chuckle.

"This is our hideout now!" He exclaimed proudly, staring at the writing. You nodded, crossing your arms.

"Can we promise to meet here everyday?" You asked, tilting your head slightly.

"Sure, why not?" You cheered happily. He simply observed your face, wondering why he was so adamant towards you. Probably because she's cute, he innocently thought, smiling to himself.

"Yay! Now, let's go play hide-and-seek."

Of course, all promises came to an end. You'd ended up moving away a few years later, and Bakugo had eventually forgotten about you. But not completely.

You were always at the back of his mind. As he had began his first year of high-school at U.A. he often wondered what would've happened if you had stayed. Would you two be in the same class together? What would've their friendship turned into?

Bakugo would never know. Until he found out you were moving back to town.