Chapter Text
Katsuki was counting coins, one leg crossed over the other as he worked. He was stressed. Upset. Angry. More than just angry, actually. He was infuriated. His dragon was in their shared tent, in his half form, wrapped in bandages and surrounded in the comfiest blankets and pillows that Katsuki could find. They'd been attacked recently. It was a one-man ambush, a thief, and it pissed him off to no end that he managed to get the jump on Kirishima. All just because the guy had doused himself in a potion that had hidden his scent. If he'd seen him sooner, Eijirou could have gotten away with just a minor scratch, but the blade had nearly gone through to the other side. They were damn lucky that nothing important had been pierced.
At least, he hoped so.
It was why he was scrambling to put coins together; to find and pay for a doctor. He hated them, but he had no other choice. He just had to hope the one in the closest town wouldn't be a scam.
Kirishima wasn't sure if he was awake or not. Opening his eyes yielded no answer as the light was near blinding. It could have easily been a dream; where he's on a cloud, somewhere high up in the sky, resting. It could have been a dream if not for the steady pain emanating from his body. He could feel his wings just as well as his limbs, but couldn't move them at all. Every attempt yielded painful results. So, he stayed stone still, trying his best to remember just why he was here and what /here/ really meant. He could remember things through a haze but nothing really made sense. This was the tent he shared with Bakugou, but the blonde himself was nowhere to be seen
Katsuki sighed and put his coin purse back into his lap, combing his fingers back through his hair, growing increasingly more distressed with each passing moment. No matter how many times he counted, their coin wouldn't increase. He knew that. But he couldn't just... not bring Kirishima to a doctor. Yet he couldn't bring him to a cheap one either. "... Fuck." The blonde growled, scrubbing at the tears welling up in his eyes. He forced himself to get up after getting a hold of himself, walking to the tent and bringing the little coin purse with him. Katsuki sat down beside Eijirou's head, completely unaware that he was waking up, granting him the confidence to lean down to press his face into the dragon's shoulder. He was quiet for a long time, grounding himself. Finally, though, he managed to bring one hand up to bury it in sweat laden red locks. "... Hey, Ei... I brought some coin. I'm gonna try and use it to find someone who can actually help. I'll.. I'll be gone for a bit. But I can wait for you to wake up. I can even make dinner first. But…I-I don't like sitting and doing nothing about.. this, whatever the fuck it is. Don't… don't you dare leave, got it? Not yet. Not by some shitty thief. You'll be okay."
Kirishima continued existing in the state between wakefulness and sleep, slowly piecing together what had happened. Everything appeared as though through a fog, his memories included. It was an extremely slow process but he was making progress. As little as it was, it was better than not remembering anything at all.
He was so lost in his own head that it took him a moment to acknowledge the new presence next to him. He briefly entertained the idea that it was another mirage but dismissed it in seconds. The presence was too solid, too real, to be a figment of his delirium. He was proven right just moments later when the presence settled on top of him. It was a comforting weight that brought with it a slew of new memories. All surrounding one person. Bakugou Katsuki. In the clarity that came with recognizing his closest friend, Kirishima managed to catch a few words as well; as difficult as it was.
"I-I'm not lea-leaving." He stuttered out, one hand settling against Bakugou's elbow. Reaching any further put too much strain on his body, so he settled for that simple touch. "I promised." His voice was hoarse and his vision still wasn't fully caught up, but Bakugou was here with him and it was going to be alright.
Katsuki startled at the sound of a rasping voice, but God, did he need to hear it. He hadn't even known if Eijirou would wake up, but he had refused to let himself doubt it, and he hated the way relief and hope bubbled up inside of him so violently that it was just on the brink of spilling over. He controlled it, for the most part. But the shaking shoulders and the constant stream of silent tears were something he couldn't keep in check. "You fucking better, you hear me? I'll be back. I will, dammit, so stay put... Stay awake." The last bit of what he'd managed to growl out was where his voice had cracked. He inhaled sharply, an attempt to calm himself down, and he pressed his face further into Kirishima's shoulder with a small hiccup. He didn't want to go. Not yet, but he knew he had to. He had no idea if his dragon would survive this without a doctor. So he'd go, albeit reluctantly. He just needed a second. Just one, in case he came back to a corpse. The thought had his chest spasming, desperate to let out a sob, a wail, but he was practically choking on them just to keep himself from doing so. Stability was important. Unfortunately, him being anywhere near stable was far from the truth.
Bit by bit the world became clearer around Kirishima, and with it came the sensation that something was horribly and undeniably wrong. For as long as he's known him, Bakugou has been his constant. Something that kept him firmly on earth even when his head was up in the clouds. Seeing him now, falling apart at the seams with barely contained anguish...It broke something inside him. Like a flood, all of his memories came back. The attack. The thief. The blade that almost went right through him. Tears started falling down his face, falling in unison with Bakugou's own. Not tears for himself but his friend. Despite the pain he drew his hands higher, encircling the blond in a loose hug. His breath hitched and he had to bite down a gasp but he refused to let go. It didn't matter that it was his life in danger, Bakugou needed the comfort. "Wh-when we first met, I swore you'd never be r-rid of me." He spoke slowly, letting his eyes fall closed for a moment as he rested his head against the pillows. "That was a promise."
Bakugou couldn't keep his sobs contained after feeling Kirishima's arms encircle him. Not after that. He barely lasted a second longer before breaking down and crying out as loud as his lungs would allow. His hand left its spot in Kirishima's hair in favour of trying to oh, so carefully worm its way under the dragon's shoulder blades, wanting to make it so he could hug back without hurting him. Katsuki nodded stiffly into Eijirou's shoulder, trying his absolute darndest to shut up already, but he just couldn’t. The relief was too overwhelming. Too all-consuming.
It took a long time for him to calm down and breathe. Embarrassingly long, but he didn't care. Eventually, though, he was reduced to an occasional sniffle and small, distressed hums that came after swallowing in the air he was forgetting to breathe. He muttered a few sharp curses, held Kirishima tighter for just a second, and finally managed to pull away after a particularly affectionate nuzzle that he would rather die than admit to. Bakugou wiped his eyes and ran a hand back through his hair, leaning over Kirishima to gently wipe away the sweat on his forehead. "Good... Fuck, okay, God..." He sucked in another breath and turned away to grab the cloth that was in a bowl of what was now lukewarm water. He wrung it out before running it carefully, but not lightly, over the dragon's face, neck, shoulders, and arms, being careful of his outstretched wings. "I'd never be rid of you," Bakugou repeated, dropping the cloth back in the water, "Ever."
Kirishima held onto Bakugou as tightly as he could without putting too much strain on his injury. It was the only way he could offer any support. As much as he hated it, he couldn't do anything to ease the pain emanating from Katsuki. His crimson eyes, usually full of fire, were flooded with despair. The imagine fuelling his own steady stream of silent tears. They've grown closer and closer throughout the years and the thought that this could be the end? It was simply unbearable.
Eijirou held onto each touch and nuzzle as if it was going to be the last, committing everything about his companion to memory. He'd often say that nothing short of death would tear them apart. Not once has he feared that it might actually happen. That his words might be more than playful teasing. Before those thoughts could swarm him completely, he forced himself to snap out of the haze he was falling into. Nothing better to repel spiralling thoughts than a cold cloth to the face. Looking up at his closest friend, Eijirou swore he wouldn't let him go on without him. Even if he's holding on out of spite and nothing more. He's not going anywhere. He looked up, meeting red eyes only a few shades darker than his own. "And I'll still be here when you're back." Even though his voice was still weak he did his best to keep it steady.
If Bakugou had been a weaker man, he would have kissed Kirishima right then. But he didn't. He trusted that he'd be right here, just like he was promising. Besides, he didn't want to lay an entirely new set of problems for Kirishima to have to go through. His emotions were irrelevant. Everything was fucking irrelevant, all that mattered was making sure his dragon lived to see the next day. Against himself he held onto that slither of hope. He didn't want to live in a world without this idiot. He wouldn't.
"I believe you. I- Fuck, I believe you. I'm holding you to that, got it?" Katsuki mumbled, pressing his forehead to Eijirou's and staying like that for a just a second before moving to stand up. "I'll be back. With a doctor, or fucking... whatever. Okay? Promise." He didn't bring up the problem with their lack of coin. He didn't want Kirishima to get stressed out over something small. Quietly, he left the tent, avoiding trying to turn around because he knew he wouldn’t be able to leave if he didn’t. Their home base was far, really far, and they couldn't get there without flying. Obviously, though, his dragon was in no condition to fly them anywhere as of now, so their best bet was the town they passed on their way to their campsite. On his way out, he stepped over the body of the thief, scorched in some places and slashed in others. He made a note to toss it to the wildlife in the surrounding woods later on.
Then, he left.
Kirishima watched Bakugou with unrestrained worry, no longer fooled by the facade of confidence. It was clear to him that there were things the blonde was hiding from him. Everything in him wanted to reach out. To beg him not to go. To not let himself be the only one carrying the burden he so stubbornly refuses to share. But he can't. Not when he knows that Bakugou would listen. That he'd stay if only Eijioru asked him to.
This wasn't a simple scratch and, though he doesn't want to think about it, chances are he won't make it long without help. He didn't want to die. Not like this. Promises aren't meant to be broken. And he'd promised Katsuki to never leave him. All the way back in the past, when they'd first met, barely more than kids. The fight between them had shown him how weak he was. The boy he lost too, well, he'd shown young Eijirou Kirishima exactly who he wanted to be. So, he made a promise. Swore himself to follow that boy and become manly, just like him; he'd do anything to keep that promise. So, he didn't ask. Just watched with a heavy heart as that same boy from years ago, now a man, stepped out of their tent. He kept looking after his footsteps trailed away into silence. Only now it hit him that it could have been the last time he'll ever see the explosive blonde. Though he was usually an undefeated optimist, everyone had their limits and he's just reached his. Fresh tears started falling down his face, and there was nothing he could do to stop them.
Katsuki was gone for a while. Even if he was hurrying, rushing, anything, he couldn't just snap his fingers and magically appear wherever, whenever. On his quest to find a suitable doctor, he'd encountered some sicko who was willing to take in less coins than required in exchange for something that made Bakugou's stomach flip. He almost accepted, but a woman had so kindly told him that this doctor was a fake. He'd never had so much fun kicking someone's ass before, aside from the thief.
The second wasn't necessarily a doctor, but a child of healing magic, and she offered her services to those in need of it. For a price, of course. A very expensive one. He couldn't afford her, no matter how much he pleaded, and only god knew how much he despised getting on his knees. Fortunately, there was a third person willing to help. A boy this time. Also a healer, with green hair and emerald eyes. Coincidentally one of the people Katsuki simply couldn’t stand. Of course, he'd already known this one. Midoriya Izuku. He was here on a trip for rare ingredients of some sort. He was an amazing alchemist, and Bakugou had never felt so weak in his entire life as he did when asking Izuku for his help. He didn't accept the coin. Said that Bakugou needed it more, to take care of his dragon as he was recovering. Bold fucking statement, and one that pissed him off to no end, but he had no choice but to listen.
The walk back to their campsite was painfully awkward, an uncomfortable sense of urgency being the only thing keeping Katsuki civil. The fire was only just barely burning, and Katsuki hurried to the tent with the green haired alchemist struggling to keep up behind him. "Eijirou? Hey, Hey, I'm here. Can you hear me?" Bakugou called, falling to his knees to pat at Kirishima's face. Half of him was terrified, the other half hopeful and waiting. What if he didn't make it in time? What if he took too long? "Look, look at me. Come on. Eyes open. I brought someone."
Eventually his tears stopped. If only because he had no more water in his body to lose. There was no telling how much time he'd spent staring blankly in the direction of long since gone footsteps. Nothing around him changed. There was no indication of how long he was lost in his own head. His muscles ached, though he couldn't tell if it was due to the wound or because he'd ceased all movement the moment Bakugou left. Not like it mattered. Pain was pain. He was still weak. He'd fought off sleep for as long as he could, too afraid he might not wake again. But now he was too tired to keep the fight up. He was resigned to face whatever awaited him on the other end of sleep.
At least out of all the ways to go, passing away in his sleep wasn't the worst. He drifted off with that thought bouncing around his head, oddly at peace with deliberating his own death. It wasn't anything he could fight and he's already gotten his revenge. If Bakugou's blades hadn't made sure of that, his flames sure have. Bakugou. Katsuki. His best friend. Just like that his thoughts were derailed once again, now entirely focused on him. He drifted lazily through memories of them, as if re-living those moments for a second time. Ever since he met Katsuki his life had been one crazy adventure after the next. There was rarely a calm second between them and Eijioru didn't regret a single thing. Well, that's not entirely true. He regrets never letting himself acknowledge his feelings for the blonde. There was so much more than kinship in his heart when he thought of Bakugou. And now he might die and leave those words forever unsaid.
However, fate, it seemed, had other plans for him after all. Blinking his eyes slowly, he looked up, confused. "Kats?"
Katsuki let himself breathe out in relief when he saw Eijirou's eyes open. He'd been scared for a second there. Honestly, he still was, but less so. His dragon was still alive, breathing, and so there was still hope. Izuku was quick to kneel beside Katsuki, on his knees as he carefully unravelled Kirishima’s haphazardly wrapped bandages. Bakugou had felt a surge of something when he did. Not anger, but he wanted to throttle the alchemist for if only but a second before he came to his senses again. He'd come to realize that he was being protective, and his tongue clicked, like he should've known already. The blonde turned back to face Eijirou head on, running his hands through his red hair some more and tracing the scar on his eyelid he could never quite ignore, even now.
"Yeah, it's me, Ei. It's me. Stay awake, okay? I know you're tired, but you gotta keep your eyes open. Okay?" Bakugou didn't think he'd ever gone this long without cursing in his life. Izuku had finished unwrapping the wound which, thank the gods, had stopped bleeding. "Tell him not to move. He might reopen his injury if he does, and something might heal wrong..." Midoriya mumbled, to which Katsuki had only given him a short nod, eyes still on Kirishima. "You heard him, Ei. Try not to move. Just focus on me, got it? 'M right here. You'll be fine." He forced himself to breathe out, taking the rag from the bowl of water again to start wiping down the dragon's skin like he'd done so many times before.
Katsuki ran the rag over Eijirou's face first, wanting to wake him up a bit before he would move on to everything else. Izuku had fished for his own rag from the bag he'd brought, pulling it out and dousing it in what smelled like something to clean the stab site with. "Okay.. Sorry to say, but this'll hurt…a lot. Please remember to breathe and stay still." And with that, he set to cleaning the wound. Bakugou had offered his hand for Kirishima to hold onto in case he needed it, worry taking precedence over his pride just this once.
Just like the last time he roused, everything around him was blurred. Focusing on anything for too long just made his head ache. The desire to give into sleep was an everlasting presence at the back of his head. A sirenic call tempting him to give up the fight. To rest a little more. Giving in would be so easy.
All he had to do was close his eyes again...
But then there were hands in his hair, tracing his face. His scar. The scar that Bakugou was endlessly fascinated with. His surroundings were no clearer than before but there was now a solid presence anchoring him in the real world. It stopped him from drifting away completely. He had to hold on. For Bakugou. So he did, opening his eyes, with no little amount of effort, and doing everything in his power to stay awake. With Bakugou's voice guiding him through the fog, Eijirou broke through into consciousness. It wasn't a pleasant sensation but then again, he had been /stabbed/. What he was feeling now paled in comparison to what he went through then. If anything, that meant he was still alive. He also realised that that the ache was as real as everything else. The feeling of blood-soaked bandages being peeled away from his body was most likely the cause.
The water was a pleasant distraction, even if it wasn’t as cold as it had been before. He almost moved to follow it when it pulled away but a voice at the back of his head echoed something about staying still. It wasn't a voice he recognized but it’s not like he had many other options. Before he could fully relax, however, it was all ripped away from him. A burning sensation spread through his entire body, starting at the wound and radiating throughout. In that moment he truly understood what it meant to be burned by flames. He flinched away violently, hands fisting into whatever he could reach as a scream tore from his throat.
Katsuki hissed out a curse, letting the dragon's hand crush his own while his free hand kept combing through Kirishima's red hair and tracing his face with his thumb. "Shh, Eijirou, look at me. Look, come on. Stay still - Ei, stay fucking still. I know it hurts- Fuck-" Bakugou seethed, blind to the pain in his hand in favour of comforting Eijirou to the best of his abilities. He was absolute shit at comforting people, but for Kirishima, right now, it was all he could do. "I know it hurts, but that just means it's getting clean. Okay? It gets worse before it gets better. Shit, I'm starting to sound like you... Come on, Ei. You're okay."
Midoriya took in a breath and finally brought the rag away after a good minute of agony on Kirishima's part, splashing some cool water from a waterskin on it. "Okay, it's clean. The most painful bit is over... so that's good," Izuku popped a glass bottle of something open with his mouth, teeth holding the cork as he spilled the powdery substance into his palm until the little vessel was completely empty. Then, he rubbed his hands together, spat the cork out, mumbled a quick spell and set his hands on the stab site.
The feeling that arose from it wasn't painful, not exactly, but it wasn’t comfortable either. It was like something was alive inside of the wound, worming around and pulling things back into their original place. Harmless, yes, but difficult to get used to. "This is for your intestines. It'll correct any misplacement and let you heal properly, but it'll feel strange. Again, please don't move." His entire focus was on the wound, leaving no room for argument as he worked. Right now, keeping Eijirou alive was his upmost priority.
Bakugou patted lightly at the cheek his hand was settled on, only now very vaguely aware of the pain in his opposing hand, but he didn't care. "Eijirou, come on…Breathe, Ei. Breathe for me."
He couldn't stop screaming, writhing in pain and trying to escape the grip keeping him down. The touch was light but nothing he did threw it off. In the back of his head, he was aware that his struggling wasn’t conductive to whatever the stranger was trying to do, but he couldn’t help it. This was him getting better. It was help. But no matter how hard he tried; those thoughts never came to the surface. He was in pain and his first instinct was to get away. Right now, he was more dragon than man, too weak for rational thoughts when everything burned.
His grip tightened further, breaths getting more and more haphazard. He was completely deaf to the world around him. The only sounds, the blood rushing through his ears and the beating of his heart. He was sure this is what torture feels like. Mere seconds were standing between him and sweet, sweet oblivion. There is only so much he can take all at once. It persisted, even with the relief the cold water brought. He was awake only by some miracle, completely drained of any and all energy.
He had a few moments to catch his breath before another strange sensation shot through his body. It didn't hurt nearly as much as before but was no less unpleasant. Vaguely Kirishima was aware that someone was speaking to him. Or trying to, at least. Maybe even two people, but, as with everything so far, it quickly faded to the background. There was no warning before an overwhelming nausea overtook him. He lurched forward, free hand reflexively covering his mouth as if he was going to vomit. There was nothing in his stomach to get rid of but his body didn't get the memo, gagging as a flame started building up in his throat. Weak sparks flew from his mouth but there nothing more. It didn't help him either, only worsening the discomfort.
Katsuki hated seeing Eijirou like this. It hurt him, and fuck, it was enough to make him want to cry again, but he didn't dare to. Not when he still had to be strong for the both of them. Katsuki shouted a curse when Eijirou shot up, and Midoriya hurried to accommodate the sudden sitting up by reaching behind the dragon to force his spine to straighten. Bakugou helped, sliding in behind the dragon and keeping Kirishima's back flat against his chest, but it was a struggle, considering dragons were so much bigger even in half and human form.
Not to mention his flailing wings.
Still, though, he tried, and when Izuku handed him the waterskin, he raised it to Eijirou's mouth from behind and rubbed his back comfortingly. "Come on, Ei, it's okay. Drink, you'll feel better. Stay still now, got it? Stay still." He couldn't stop himself this time when he went to kiss the back of Kirishima's head, burying his face in his hair, even if it was hot and damp and uncomfortable. He didn't care. He needed the closeness. Izuku went back to work now that he could use both hands again, and soon enough, the uncomfortable feeling subsided. It was just gentle tugging, now, and even that was slowly beginning to fade. "Alright... alright, I'm almost done. After this, he just needs stitches and a wrap. He'll be sick, but he'll live, maybe even come back healthier." Ever the optimist, Midoriya fully hoped for the second outcome.
Eijirou was miserable. No, that was an understatement. There were no words to describe how he felt right now. Every part of his body ached and he was still feeling sick to his stomach, even if the sensation already started to subside. He drank water offered to him out of habit, still trying to recover from the onslaught of things that had happened to his body all at once. Amidst the suffering, he couldn't deny that he felt relieved. He was still alive, and the pain meant that he was getting better. Even if the improvement was slow, it was there. At least he could think somewhat clearly again.
Letting himself relax, Kirishima realized two things in rapid succession. First, he was resting against someone's chest. Second, there were two people in the tent with him and the one in front of him was decidedly not Bakugou. Leaning his head back, he tried to focus enough to look at his friend. He was still hazy around the edges so Kirishima settled for closing his eyes. "T-Thanks Kat." He muttered, voice a little hoarse. And then, because he's not rude, he did his best to look at the figure in front of him in turn, probably a healer. "An-and thank you too. I'm alive 'cos of you." It came out a little slurred and he still couldn't see the figure properly but it was the thought that counted.
Katsuki let out a heavy breath, like he'd been holding it, and his shoulders sagged from the relief. Eijirou would live. The blonde closed his eyes and pressed his face a bit further into the dragon's hair, but he realized that Eijirou was trying to look at him, so he pulled away just enough to let him. Even now, Kirishima was being unbearably kind.
"Don't fucking thank me, thank your mom. If you weren't a dragon, you'd be dead. Gods..." Katsuki carefully slid out from under Eijirou, slowly lying him back down again, fluffing pillows and patting blankets. "This's Deku-"
"Midoriya Izuku."
"-And he's a lame friend of mine from forever ago. Used to hate his guts, but I guess he kept yours from spilling out, so good on him or whatever."
"Thoughtful as always, Kacchan.."
"Shut. Town's a long way from 'ere, just fucking stay the night. I have an extra tent you can use. This is me n' Ei's tent, anyway, so I'll sleep here." Midoriya sighed, nodding his head with a relieved smile before getting to work with carefully stitching Eijirou's wound. He finished in no time, and Katsuki shooed him away after to wrap the bandages himself. Izuku just let out a pleasant, familiar laugh that had Katsuki cursing at him to shut up.
"Eijirou, I swear to the fucking gods if your heart stops even once, I'm gonna rip your soul from hell and stuff it back into your shitty body."
"Charming."
"Fuck off."
With the adrenaline rush gone, he was left to experience the joys of recovery. He would be weaker than usual for a good while and light headed for possibly even longer, but at least he was alive. He didn't break his promise to Katsuki and that is all that matters to him.
"Thank you Midoriya! Don't listen to Kats, you're awesome." He called out, getting as comfortable as his body would allow him to, perhaps a little delirious from whatever it is that the healer gave him. Watching Bakugou interact with the healer, no Midoriya, he could easily deduce the relationship between the two. He couldn't help but be a little impressed. The other man clearly knew how to handle the explosive blonde; a feat few get to claim. Instantly, he knew he wanted to get to know Izuku better, always eager to make more friends. A small sharp prick brought him back to the moment at hand. He nearly started to panic before he realised it was just Midoriya sewing his wound shut. It wasn't painful but he wasn't prepared for it.
" 'M not going to hell." He protested weakly instead, with a smaller version of his usual toothy grin. It allowed his thoughts to stray from the repetitive movement of the needle. "I've been a good little dragon and I'm going to heaven." He added, resisting the urge to start giggling like a little child. Breathing too heavily still hurt and he'd rather avoid any more pain. "And 'sides, you're not going to get rid of me. We're stuck together forever." Katsuki huffed, rolling his eyes at Eijirou's little inquiries, but he didn't comment on it.
"Heaven or hell or some other fucking plane of existence, you aren't going anywhere yet. Now let go. I gotta make food for us, Ei, you need to eat. Food will help you heal faster," For a moment, he leaned down, pressing their foreheads together. "I'll come back, fuckin' swear it. When I do, you better eat. I'll only lay with you if you eat."
Midoriya rose his brows, tucking all of his supplies back into his bag. He knew it would be better to not bring it up but he couldn’t resist the urge to tease. "You must reeeally care for this guy, Kacchan." Which, of course, was immediately met with a fiery scowl from the other.
"Fuck off, broccoli bitch, he's my dragon. Of course I fucking care."
"Yeah, okay."
"Hah?! Are you trying to fucking die?! I'll let you starve, dammit!"
At that, Izuku began to backtrack, mumbling rapid fire apologies. "Wait, wait, I didn't eat today! And I haven't had your cooking in ages!" The alchemist complained, but Katsuki only huffed again- and ran his fingers through Eijirou's hair with a jutted lip.
"Then go set up your fucking tent already, or you really will starve."
With an exasperated sigh, Midoriya stood and left the tent to go set up a separate one. It was much smaller, but it would do for one person and one night.