Work Text:
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Red?” Bakugou snarled, the only thing keeping him from letting out a string of explosions against his best friend and hero partner’s face was the fact that they were in a hospital of all fucking places. The fact that Kirishima didn’t seem to be even bothered by the fact that he had been severely hurt during their mission that day made him furious.
Kirishima shrugged as if he didn’t have his arm wrapped up in bandages and in a sling from a heavy blow that had dislocated his shoulder so bad had he had to get it fixed with an emergency surgery that he had come out of just a few minutes earlier. The only reason he hadn’t ended up in a far worst condition, or even death was due to his quirk. Bakugou couldn’t shake the image of Kirishima collapsed on the ground, motionless, he had witnessed a few hours ago out of his mind. They were now just waiting on Recovery Girl to show up so that Kirishima could be completely healed and could head home.
That Kirishima was going to be alright didn’t stop Bakugou from being pissed. He was still wearing his hero costume and had refused to leave since they had brought Kirishima in. He had been pacing the waiting room to get rid of his nervous energy but failed to do so. The whole time worrying about his best friend... and the only response he got was fucking shrug. “That’s it? You have nothing to fucking say?”
“I was doing my job,” Kirishima answered with a bit of a sigh, looking away from Bakugou.
“No you were not, you fucking hair for brains bastard,” Bakugou practically growled, holding on to the railing at the end of Kirishima’s hospital bed with a death grip. “You are a hero, and what you did was nothing short of just plain fucking idiotic.”
Kirishima looked at Bakugou with a glare, every word growing angrier than the last as he spoke, “What do you want me to say? I’m so sorry for jumping in the way of an attack to save you from a villain? Is that what you want to hear, Kats? Because Honestly, I don’t regret it. I can take the hit, we both know that!”
“Just because you can take the hit doesn’t mean you should,” Bakugou spits back. “You could have called out, told me to duck, a bunch of other shit, but no, you decided to put yourself in danger. Again. Why the fuck do you keep pulling this type of fucking bullshit?”
“Does it matter? I’m fine!”
“Then why do we keep ending up at the hospital after every other fucking mission?”
“Not we, me, I end up here but it’s always minor injuries! I don’t understand why this is such a big deal!”
“So getting hurt on a regular isn’t a big deal? Getting rushed into surgery is a minor injury? That’s what you are going with? Why the fuck do you keep getting hurt protecting me? Do you think I’m that weak? Or do you just want to show off?”
“I don’t think you’re weak! I have never-”
“Oh, so this is about showing off then.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Then what is this all about, Ei? Because I can’t for the life of me understand why the fuck you keep getting hurt and I have to sit in a shitty hospital waiting room waiting to hear if you are still alive or not. While I come out of every fight with just a couple of scratches at most,” Bakugou was yelling, screaming at the top of his lungs now, tears were rolling down his face. He hadn’t noticed them until he was done talking and his vision went blurry.
“Katsuki,” Kirishima’s voice was suddenly soft, “I’m sorry, alright? I just…” The redhead took a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair, his eyes landing everywhere but on his best friend. “A long time ago…. I promised to be your unbreakable horse, that I wouldn’t crumble. I’m just trying to keep that promise.”
Bakugou stilled at Kirishima’s words, unable to process why his friend kept acting as if they weren’t equal after so many years of them working together. “I don’t need an unbreakable horse, I need a partner that’s alive,” Bakugou told him, just above a whisper, his eyes on the floor. He rubbed at his tears with the back of his hand a bit more roughly than necessary. He shook his head, unsure of what else he could say to Kirishima at the moment to make him understand how fucked up it was to see him hurt. To see his best friend unconscious and hurt after defeating the villains instead of being able to celebrate their victory together. Having to call for help, and just hope that they would be able to get it on time. “You know what, I’m fucking leaving,” Bakugou said before turning to walk out the door, not even bothering to look back at his best friend.
*
Kirishima was released from the hospital an hour after his argument with Bakugou. He had tried to call him twice already and got no response and his text messages hadn't even been opened. He had messed up, he had never seen Bakugou like that before, and he didn’t understand what the big deal was. So what if he had been getting injured a lot lately, it didn’t matter, what mattered was that Katsuki was safe.
Kirishima made his way to Bakugou’s apartment, he had to make sure his best friend wasn’t still upset after all. He was worried as well, he just wanted to make sure Bakugou got home alright and wasn’t too worked up about their fight. He knocked on the door, waiting for a second before knocking again. Still nothing.
“Kats,” Kirishima called out, “it’s me, open up.”
“Go away!” Bakugou yelled from inside.
Kirishima let out a sigh, “I’m sorry, okay? Can you let me in so we can talk?”
“Sorry for what you did or sorry for the fight?”
Kirishima hesitated for a second, “Both?”
“Fuck you, go away,” Bakugou responded.
“Don’t make me use my key, Kats,” Kirishima threaten, already reaching for his wallet where he kept his best friend’s spare key.
There were a couple of beats of silence before Kirishima heard the lock of the door turning and the door was opened. Bakugou glared at him with what the blond would refuse to call a pout, already in sweats and an oversize Crimson Riot shirt Kirishima had ‘lost’ some time back only to find it in his best friend's possession sometime after. He had never questioned it or asked for it back, simply because he loved the way Bakugou looked in it.
Bakugou crossed his arms, “What?”
“Are you still mad at me?” Kirishima asked with a sigh.
“Of course I fucking am,” Bakugou grumbled, but he moved out of the doorway to let Kirishima come in.
“I wasn’t hurt that bad,” Kirishima mumbled, as he closed the door behind him.
“Say that one more time and I will put you in a fucking coma myself since you seem to want one so badly,” Bakugou threaten.
“I wasn’t! I don’t! And besides, I’m fine now,” Kirishima told him with a hesitant smile, hoping it was reassuring. “Please stop being mad at me, we need to go into work tomorrow morning-”
“No we don’t,” Bakugou said as he walked deeper into his apartment, Kirishima following after him. “I told them that you needed a break. You're off tomorrow, and the day after too probably with the way you're acting.”
“You did what?” Kirishima blinked, unable to process what he had just heard. “I don’t need a break, Kats. Besides, we’re a team!”
“That’s why I told them I would only be going to finish some paperwork and other shit like that until you get back,” Bakugou shrugged, his eyes on the floor. “You’ve been risking yourself a lot lately… and I just… I think it would be good for you, Ei, to just… take some time off.”
Kirishima froze, unable to process what Bakugou had just said. The blond hated paperwork and being sidelined when he could be out there beating up villains. Was he that upset to take such drastic measures? Kirishima opened his mouth and just closed it again, unsure what to say. “Are you that pissed off at me?” Kirishima finally settled on that question, the hurt clear in his voice.
“You think I’m pissed?” Bakugou snapped. “I’m fucking worried about you!”
“You don’t have to worry about me!” Kirishima told him for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Stop fucking saying that!” Bakugou screamed.
“You are overreacting over a couple of injuries, what else am I supposed to say?”
“You need to stop fucking taking hits for me, that’s why you keep getting fucked up! Why do you keep wanting to end up in the fucking ER?”
“I can’t do that, I can't stop doing that,” Kirishima told him, turning away from Bakugou, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Don’t ask me to do that.”
“Why? Do you think I’m weak?”
“No.”
“Do you think I don’t know how to defend myself then?”
“Of course not!”
“Then why the fuck do you keep risking your life for me, Ei?!”
“Because I can’t lose you!”
Bakugou’s eyes widen at Kirishima’s words, but he didn’t say anything, waiting for Kirishima to elaborate on what he meant by that. He could feel his heartbreak at Kirishima’s words… how could the redhead think that he would accept an answer like that? That he would allow his best friend to just throw his life away for him like that.
Kirishima let out a sigh, his eyes locking with Bakugou’s with no hesitation for the first time since he walked into the apartment, “Bakugou… the world needs Dynamight more than it needs Red Riot. I've known that since the day we decided to be hero partners together. I also know that our line of work is dangerous... we've seen it, even back when we were in UA... And I also know that if something ever happened to you… of all people...” he let out a shaky breath, the very thought making his chest tighten painfully around his heart. “I wouldn’t be able to ever forgive myself. Don't even think I would be able to breathe.”
“Shut up,” Bakugou whispered.
“What?”
“Shut up!” Bakugou yelled, fresh tears forming in his eyes. “Why do you even think like that? Do you think I want you to sacrifice yourself for me? Aren’t we supposed to be partners?” Bakugou took a couple of steps, fist forming around the front of Kirishima’s shirt. “Worst of all, what makes you fucking think I could ever live without you?”
Kirishima blinked twice before he wrapped his arms around Bakugou. The blond buried his face against the redhead’s chest, as the first sob broke through him. “I’m sorry, I mean it, I’m so sorry Katsuki.”
“Every time I close my eyes…. I keep seeing you laying there motionless… I… fuck. Eijirou, I thought you…”
“Shhh, I’m right here,” Kirishima assured him, a hand going to Bakugou’s hair, keeping him in place. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’ll stay the night?” Bakugou asked, his voice hopeful as his hands tighten their grip around Kirishima’s shirt.
“Of course, if you want me to, I’ll stay as long as you want,” Kirishima told him, arms tightening around his best friend.
**
They had made their way to Bakugou’s bed together, unable to let go of each other and emotionally exhausted. Kirishima stepped away briefly to change into the pajamas he kept at Bakugou’s place for when he slept over for whatever reason or excuse he came up with. He didn’t take long, laying down next to Bakugou who immediately wrapped himself around the redhead. Kirishima pulled him close against his chest.
“Let’s take the day off tomorrow, both of us,” Kirishima suggested. “Just… rest and talk all of this over a bit more calmly?”
Bakugou nodded against him, “Alright.”
“Do you need anything?” Kirishima asked, a hand running through Bakugou’s hair.
“Just wanna hear your heartbeat,” Bakugou admitted.
“I’m sorry,” Kirishima said once more, his arms tightening around Bakugou as he buried his nose into blond hair.
They lay in silence for a couple of minutes, neither of them saying a word. Bakugou’s hands fidgeting with Kirishima’s shirt while the redhead ran a hand through the blond’s hair to soothe him. It was late, at least three in the morning, but neither of them wanted to sleep. There seemed to be something in the air, floating around them, waiting to be acknowledged, but they both didn’t know what words to use.
“You know…” Bakugou started, his voice so soft that Kirishima wouldn’t have heard him if it wasn’t for how silent the room was, “I was considering ending our partnership.”
Kirishima took a sharp breath, trying to push the panic those words brought with them. “Kats-”
“Let me fucking finish,” Bakugou told him a bit harshly, sounding more like himself, so Kirishima nodded. “I thought… I thought that you kept getting hurt because I wasn’t good enough… fast enough… just… fuck, Ei… I thought I wasn’t doing enough to protect you. You went on a couple of missions with other heroes and you were fine... so it had to be me, you know? Then, a couple of missions ago, I saw it. I saw you take a hit, and then another, to protect me.” Bakugou let out a sad sigh, “And I knew you were getting hurt trying to protect me, which made it so much fucking worst. I didn't know how to talk to you about it... so if working with other heroes kept you safe...”
Kirishima waited for Bakugou to continue, but he seemed to be done. He pulled away slightly, shifting his position so that he could look into Bakugou’s crimson eyes, which were still swollen from crying. “You and I versus the world, we promised each other that back in UA,” Kirishima started, a hand raising to cup Bakugou’s face. “I know you don’t need me to protect you, Katsuki. I know that more than anyone out there… but it’s the only thing I know how to do. It’s what my quirk is for. And if I can’t use it to protect the man that I lov-” Kirishima stopped short, a blush rising to his cheeks as he tried to comprehend that he had just confessed his long-held one-sided love to his best friend right after a fight. Hopefully, Bakugou was too tired to piece it together.
He watched as Bakugou’s eyes widen, and Kirishima couldn’t help but fear the worst. He was sure Bakugou would change hero partners now, and would probably kick him out of his bed and apartment in a couple of seconds. He held his breath as he pulled his hand back, suddenly feeling very awkward and wanting to be able to run away as soon as he could. Bakugou would probably hate him for real now if he had heard what he had been about to say. Kirishima would lose his best friend–
A hand grabbed a fist full of his shirt, and with a pull, a pair of lips suddenly crashed into Kirishima’s own, a bit too hard but he didn’t care. Bakugou was kissing him, his other arm wrapped around the redhead’s neck. Kirishima returned the kiss, matching Bakugou’s slow tempo, enjoying the way his best friend still tasted a bit like toothpaste and how soft his lips were. His hands found their way to Bakugou's waist.
“I love you, too, Eijirou,” Bakugou told him as he pulled away, voice just above a whisper so only they could hear, resting his forehead against Kirishima’s. “I want you to be by my side till we are both old geezers that can’t do shit on their own… but that won't fucking happen if you keep doing stupid shit on missions.”
Kirishima nodded before leaning in, placing a quick peck on Bakugou’s lips, then his nose, on his eyelids, and any place he could find before finding his way back to those lips. “I love you, Katsuki. I will always protect you…”
Bakugou pulled away, already glaring at Kirishima’s words, “What the fuck did I just say?”
“I will always protect you,” Kirishima repeated himself with a soft smile, his hand finding its way to Bakugou’s check. “But I promise to take care of myself a bit more as well, okay?”
“No more fucking ERs, got it, Red?”
“You got it, love,” Kirishima answered with a smile.
Bakugou’s face turn red at the nickname, but he didn’t comment on it, instead, he buried his face against his best friend’s chest. “We can talk more in the morning, I need some fucking sleep,” Bakugou grumbled.
Kirishima chuckled, knowing that Bakugou was just trying to hide his blush, but he said nothing as he wrapped his arms around the blond. Sleep sounded like a good plan, and they would have tomorrow to talk about whatever came next. Maybe go on a date, or put a label on what they were now. They were going to be together the whole day after all… and the rest of their lives too.