Chapter Text
"I see…" he paused, "a stupid math problem!"
"C'mon! You know damn well that's not what you see!"
"What if I do? Math is stupid, and my brain is stupid because I can't get it!"
Bakugou drawled a long sigh, tapping his pencil quite aggressively on the paper.
"I showed you how! Step by step shitty hair! What's not to get!?"
Eijirou hunched over onto the small table, pouting at this despicable piece of homework, "you lost me at number seven."
Bakugou's hand gripped tight on the pencil, snapping it in frustration. "That's the first number of the problem, how did you get lost from there?!"
"My brain is fried for today dude, I'm going to just throw in the towel, and reward myself by relaxing," Eijirou jumped to his feet, making haste to flop onto his bed. "I did enough math today!" He mumbled into the sheets.
Silence washed over them for a few seconds, confusing Eijirou. He turned his head to see his explosive friend just glaring at him. His red eyes boring holes in him. There were eye bags under his friend's eyes. Not as noticeable at first, but staring at each other wouldn't deny the sight to Eijirou now. Was he not sleeping?
"What?"
"Tch, whatever," Bakugou grumbled, turning his back to the red head. He leaned his elbow on the table, placing his chin in his palm, quick to start tapping away at his phone with his other hand.
Eijirou's lips pulled into a silly warm smile, as the sun from the window shone in, making it more a sight to behold of his friend. He crossed his arms under his head and just watched the blond with such admiration, that his friend could never possibly be cold with the way he viewed him. Bakugou was such a headstrong boy, always determined, motivated to be the best and do the best. It would most certainly make Eijirou's manly list.
He was just really happy and content that Bakugou is here, and not taken away by some villains. He's safe, and he's here in Eijirou's grasp to ease him of his worries.
The next time Kirishima Eijirou would see Bakugou would be in the dorm kitchen.
He didn't expect to see Bakugou down here. It was late at night, and he came down for a glass of water. Not what would end in an unusual night. But, sometimes, you can't just have merely a glass of water.
"Hey, Bakugou?" His voice was quiet, not so quiet, but enough to be small and calm.
The dusty blonde boy was making something in the microwave.
"Whatcha' doing?" Eijirou asked, knowing full well what he was doing, but still by habit, had to find some way in.
He was a bit concerned for his friend. He usually makes late night stops to fill his water bottle, hence it being small and him quite thirsty very often through the night. He has had yet to see Bakugou down here too, until now.
All he got in response was a low hum.
"Well, I'm just grabbing some water," He gave that typical abashed smile, chuckling slightly, "I'll be out of your hair… if you don't wanna talk." He strided by Bakugou, the boy waiting for whatever he was heating up in the microwave, to get to the sink.
"I don't care."
Eijirou's ears perked up to that. It was Bakugou's way of inviting him in. Inviting him to look. To see a side many others rarely get the pleasure of. It was still kind of rare for Eijirou to get this, but he was still invited, and it made him feel honoured Bakugou allowed him this.
"Yeah?" Eijirou speculated.
Bakugou only gave him an elliptical look. Normally he could at least get some answer from his friends expressions, but with sleep (and a dim kitchen light on) still evident in both of the boys, Eijirou couldn't read right. He just assumed Bakugou was for sure.
Once he filled his water bottle, he leaned against the counter next to Bakugou. Bakugou, now leaning his back against the counter too, staring off. Eijirou's eyes stayed on him, unmoving even when he drank from his water bottle. Whatever he was heating up was done, the beeping going off a couple times, but he didn't touch it.
Ejirou had worried greatly for his friend, after the kidnapping incident at the camp. He had cried, after knowing his best bud had been kidnapped, not knowing when he was gonna be back. Bakugou could've been gone for weeks, months, years; it's a very scary thought. It didn’t feel manly at all to cry, he was so weak for doing so. Todoroki (his chill, but sometimes, maybe rarely? hot tempered friend) had told him that it was, too, manly to cry. He took his word for it, because it was all he could do. All he could do to relieve the heart wrenching ache he had felt, so he let water breaks fall.
Eijirou thought for a bit, "do you come down here often?"
"No" was all he said, still staring off to Narnia. He wondered if Narnia was all that good compared to the present. Maybe it was to Bakugou. Maybe it was to anyone who wanted an escape.
Eijirou hummed in response, eyes drifting around the kitchen for a second, soon back to Bakugou, who's eyes were now closed and head lowered.
This boy was so special to Ejirou, he really wouldn't know what to do if something were to happen to him again. Sure Bakugou was tough, very strong, and quote ‘so manly’, but he was still a kid, and Ejirou was still a kid. Midoriya, Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki, all of class 1-a. They were all still kids learning, moreover losing their innocence. Something could always happen, and it scared Eijirou, but he had to be brave about it if he was going to become a pro hero. You have to expect the unknown. That was definitely part of becoming a pro hero; to be prepared for the unknown. But He was still pleased he could be here with Bakugou, and know he won't just disappear under his hands.
“Do you trust me?” Eijirou questioned suddenly. That soon allowed him Bakugou’s eyes. Bakugou stared at him, red eyes wandering over Eijirou as if he was making sure of something.
“What kinda shitty question is that?” he scowled.
“A question”
Bakugou just sighed, turning his eyes back to space. "I'm not answering that."
Eijirou's stomach dropped, or did it? He didn't know. It felt wrong. Was space better than acknowledging him? It stung, but what mattered was Bakugou right now, so he pushed it back.
"Do you?" Eijirou played his cards again.
"Drop it will you" he growled, the redhead spotting a small bit of red building up on his face. Was it red when he walked in? Is he seeing things? This damn dim light.
Eijirou frowned a bit, but he didn't want to dwell on whether Bakugou really trusted him. His mind can rack on it when he's back in bed later.
"Okay… are you going to grab whatever's in the microwave?"
Bakugou glanced at it, haste to open it and dump the mug of warm water down the drain.
"Were you making tea?" He asked.
Bakugou just hummed in confirmation.
He nodded in return, watching Bakugou dry the mug, and put it back in the cabinet. They stood in silence for a bit. Bakugou leaned over the sink, silence washing over them. The hum of the refrigerator now being heard, as if it were speaking and painfully being ignored. Only now could they hear it. Now that no one was talking. Nothing made a peep besides the hum of appliances of the night.
Bakugou looked like he wasn't here anymore, staring down the drain of the sink, unblinking, eyes becoming glassy. Maybe Narnia was down there. Eijirou stood up straight, hesitant to ask him what's up, but it sat at the front of his mind, making no choice but to fall past his lips
"Hey, dude, are you okay?" He asked slowly. No response.
He walked up to the lost boy, gently reaching to touch his shoulder- BOOM!
Bakugou had flinched and released an explosion under his hands, Eijirou jumping back. Bakugou just turned to him, regret, fear, and pain in his eyes. It was very quick. Very slight. His friend was quick to mask it over, turning away, now standing straight and hands gripping his sweatpants. His knuckles were going white.
"What was that…?," he whispered, concerned greatly now, "are you okay Bakugou?" Bakugou seemed to be getting angry by the second, mortified by his outburst.
The explosion wasn't so big, but it was just enough to alert some of their peers. After a minute of silence, the kitchen lights were turned on, making his eyes irritate a bit at the unexpectedness of it.
Both the boys turned to see Iida at the door, finger on the light switch. "What is going on down here?" He demanded, his brows furrowed with concern and annoyance.
"Uh…" was all Eijirou could say.
Uraraka soon peeked in, (to Iida's short protests) yawning, and rubbing her arms from being exposed, wearing a tank top. "We heard an explosion, was it Bakugou?"
Next in was Mina. "Yeah, I heard it too, and peaked out my dorm to see Uraraka walking to the commons! So I followed."
"Nothing is going on!" Bakugou barked. He stormed off, shoving passed the three at the entrance.
"Bakugou! You can't just say that and walk away! We clearly heard something!" Iida was frantically waving his hand.
"What happened?" Mina piped in, jarring Eijirou from his head. She was confused, he could tell, but hell, he was just as confused as her.
Eijirou rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. What was that? "I don't… know?"
Iida, without his glasses, waved his hand towards Eijirou, or almost towards Eijirou. "What were you two doing down here anyway? You should be in bed, getting rest."
He glanced back to the microwave, the sink, his water bottle left on the counter. "Um… I was just coming down to refill my water bottle, and then uh… Bakugou was down here making tea?"
Iida blinked at him. He felt it wasn't his place to let them know exactly what happened. He wasn't lying though.
"Then what was Bakugou's issue?" Iida's eyes were squinted more and more by the minute. He was as blind as a mouse looking for cheese in the sky.
"I'm…," he racked his brain, whether he should assume Bakugou's outburst, or simply say I don't know, "not sure?" An "I don't know" would have to suffice. Seeing Uraraka yawn, made him yawn.
Uraraka hummed in response to that, Iida sighing, and Mina shuffling from foot to foot.
Another wild gesture from Iida, and another demand. Though, it was one Eijirou didn't mind at all. He gladly took Iida up on his words. "We should get back to our rooms and get some sleep, we can worry about this once we're rested." The girls agreed, without much protest like they usually do when it comes to following Iida's orders. He went back to his dorm room for sleep too. But of course, sleep didn't come until he passed the over thinking of his classmate right next door.