Work Text:
You stand in front of the mirror. More and more often you find yourself in the same spot. Staring at your reflection while something hideous stares back at you.
Your stomach bulges over your sleep shorts in a way that wasn’t there when you bought them. Both thighs are touching in an uncomfortable way, every time you wear a skirt they chafe and redden.
What’s worse is that your acne is back. You look just like you did back at your worst point. What a coincidence because it seems that you’re heading there again.
The only difference this time is your boyfriend. Kirishima Eijirou has been amazing, especially since you got laid off.
You had no idea what a pro hero saw in an unemployed loser, but it must be something good to be going steady for 2 years.
He’s been distant lately though. Going out at weird hours of the night, texting when you’re supposed to be on a date, he even stood you up when you were going to meet for lunch. Not that you mentioned it, he came home in such a good mood, you didn’t want to mention how you had been crying for two hours eating marshmallows because of a stupid misunderstanding. At least you hoped that’s what it was.
Maybe he’s starting to see what your family sees, what you see in yourself. You tense at the thought, it would surely be over then.
“Another piece of cake and you won’t be able to get through the door!”
“Are you sure that’s what you want for dinner? You don’t want to make your family pay for so much food.”
“Nobody will want to be with you with that piss poor attitude- shape up.”
Words, insults, and “compliments” that have been thrown at you your entire life echo. You feel like shit and you just want to go to bed.
Tonight you and Eiji have a date. Something simple, a nice home cooked meal and your favourite movie. He was supposed to come home early while Bakugo covered his shift.
He pinky promised, saying that he “couldn’t wait to spend the night with his pebble.”
More like a boulder nowadays. Date nights were special however, Eiji always made sure to shower you with praise and attention. Then after dinner he would do the same in other ways.
Your legs squeeze together at the thought but that just makes you think of your thighs again and the mood is ruined.
A quick shake of your head is all you need, then you’re putting on sweaters and sweatpants again to go make dinner.
Dinner is made and you are dressed up. Finally peeling off your sweats was uncomfortable, but you wanted to look nice for Kiri. To see his eyes light up in what almost resembles cartoon hearts.
That was half an hour ago. Now the romantic candles are starting to burn lower and your mood is too. It could be an emergency though, that is the price of dating such a handsome young hero.
2 hours later and the candle is almost gone and you have eaten both servings of you and Eiji’s dinner. You feel fat and stupid.
4 hours have gone by and you’ve changed back into the sweatpants that felt so hopeful when you were taking them off earlier. Now you just hope it hides the food you “couldn’t let go to waste.”
You’re clearing the table and suddenly the candle is knocked over. Still boiling wax pours over your arm and you can’t help it.
You lose your fucking mind.
Everything that has been buried deep inside you for the past few months spills loose. You being fired, the weight gain, the missed dates, and overall missing Kiri. It’s all coming out whether you like it or not.
Your ugly sobbing, curled up in the corner of the kitchen, even if you could calm down, you're not sure if you want to.
The door to the apartment swings open and a voice calls out, “Pebble?”. Great now he decides to show up?
You can only sob harder as you feel the wax from the candle start to harden over the burn on your arm. “Oh my god, Pebble! What happened baby? Deep breaths with me, are you okay?”
“…am I okay? Seriously? Of course I’m not fucking okay. My arm is burned, my boyfriend keeps standing me up. I’m unemployed, fat, and hideous. Go back to whatever bimbo has been holding all your attention lately. I’m fucking sick of this shit.”
Your confident speech loses its effect when you start sobbing again at the end. All your bravado fades and all you can mutter out is, “I’m sorry, please don’t leave.”
“Woah, sweetheart. Who’s been saying such mean things to you? You’re the most beautiful person I know, Pebble. Any guy would be lucky to have you, which is why I’m the luckiest of them all.”
There’s a tear rolling down his cheek, “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you. I should have been a better boyfriend to my sweet pebble. I’m so sorry baby, I’m so sorry baby.”
He wraps you up in his arms and you let him. They feel comforting no matter how much you want to continue being mad, you just can’t. “Why have you been so distant lately? You keep skipping our dates… Did you find someone else?” You whisper, terrified of the answer.
“Someone else…? No, no, no, of course not pebble. I could never do that to you. I love you too much to ever let you go. You’re so important to me.” He places a kiss on your forehead, then another on your cheek, your eyelids.
“My smart, beautiful, courageous, sexy little pebble. Well, it was supposed to be a surprise but now is as good a time as any.” He pushes you back into the corner of his neck. Slowly stroking your hair as he speaks.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant. I’ve been doing double shifts and talking it out with Fat Gum and Katsuki. I wanted to make sure that they’d have no reason to call me in.”
“No reason to call you in? What do you mean?”
“I mean, my sweet pebble. I’ve taken some of the money we saved up and booked ourselves a vacation. I know how depressed you were about losing your job but I figure a good reset was needed. Little did I know that my surprise was hurting you. I’m so sorry pebble, forgive me?”
You stare at him, the most selfless man you’d ever met and wonder how you could’ve thought anything bad of him. He was your Red Riot, an unshakeable rock, always there to catch you when you fell. You love him more than anything.
“Forgive you? Of course I do- I love you so much Eiji. I’m sorry that you missed our date night.”
“Well… there’s still time for the last part of date night.”
He scoops you up in his arms and brings you to your shared bedroom. His eyes shine with devotion and love. Then they turn concerned.
“Pebble! What the hell, why didn’t you tell me you burned your arm? Gosh, now I gotta take care of you extra special tonight.” His overprotectiveness makes you laugh.
“Hey! Don’t laugh at me, I'm serious.” He cups your chin, “Only one who should be putting wax on your body is me, my sexy pebble.”
“Oh my god, Eiji!!!”
Now it’s his turn to laugh.