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Waking up, for Kirishima, is hard sometimes.
It took Kirishima a good 10 minutes to realize he was in fact awake from his nap.
'Shit. This is exactly why I don't fall asleep in the common area.'
It took him another 5 to regain control over his eyelids and open his eyes. This didn't help him much as he was on his side facing the couch cushions.
Taking a deep sigh he tried to utilize his other senses to get a grip on his situation.
His entire body was limp against the couch. He had free range of his eyes, nose, tongue, and mouth. Everything else was locked. His body got like this sometimes. Sleep for him can have side effects due to his quirk. His body becomes a rock even he can't move, though only figuratively, thank God.
Figuring out what he could and couldn't move went pretty much how he expected it to. Time to move on to other senses.
He could feel the fabric of the couch where his hands, arms, and shoulders were touching. He could feel the soft, what he assumed to be, blanket laying on top of him. He could feel his chest rising up and down as he breathed, his body moving with it naturally.
He couldn't smell much of anything due to his face being so close to the couch cushions.
He wasn't going to lick the couch cause where the hell would that get him?
He could hear something. Not too far away.
The large common area had a pretty open concept so sound traveled well.
The kitchen maybe?
It did kinda sound like the clinking of dishes. If he listened real close he was sure he was hearing water splash. Someone doing the dishes?
He could try to call out to them. They couldn't really help him. His body was kinda stuck like this for a while. They could help him turn. The couch cushion wasn't really the best view.
He tested his voice for a few minutes, making small whispered sounds and small words, before calling out.
"Hey, who's in the kitchen?" He shouted as loud as his voice would currently let him. Which was about his normal tone.
He heard the dishes clank and water splash. He could hear the cupboard door open and shut as someone dried their hands on the towel it held. Then he heard footsteps coming his way. Footsteps he wasn’t entirely familiar with.
“Kirishima?” Who’s voice was that? It was low but not gruff like Bakugou’s. It was more, tired. Ah.
“Hey, Shinsou!” He greeted him cheerfully despite his predicament.
“Um, hey.”
“Dude, you scared me. I don’t recognize your footsteps like I do everybody else.” He chuckles.
“Oh, sorry.” Though he was apologizing his confusion was clear.
“Nah, you’re good. I’m just still getting used to you being a part of our class.” He explained before realizing how that sounded. “Not that I’m not glad you’re here! Your quirk is sick!”
“Uh, thanks.” Kiri could hear the short confused sigh he let out. “Kirishima what are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you talking to me with your face shoved in the cushions? My quirk relies on your voice, not your eye contact.”
"Oh dude, no! I'm not intentionally avoiding eye contact! That's actually why I called out to you. I can't move."
"You, you can't move?" The confusion in his voice has taken on a note of concern.
"Yeah," Kirishima confirmed like it was an everyday occurrence. Which to be fair it was.
"If you could do me a solid and just grab my shoulders and pull me so I'm at least laying on my back, I'd really appreciate it."
It took Shinsou a second to process the absurdity of the request before complying. When he got Kirishima on his back he spoke again.
"Would you prefer to be on your side? So you're facing the rest of the room?"
"Yeah, man. If you would, that'd be super manly of you." Shinsou brushed off the odd compliment and turned him so he was now on his left side.
"Alright, now do you want to tell me why you can't move?" He crouched down so he was at somewhat eye level.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry man. It's a quirk thing. Sometimes when I first wake up my body is all stiff and I can't move my limbs."
"A quirk thing?"
"Yeah. It wasn't as bad when I was a kid because I didn't use my quirk as much. When I started training for the entrance exam it started getting more frequent. Ever since starting at U.A., it's been worse."
"Worse?"
"Yeah, when I was younger it was just a finger or two. At most a whole hand. Now it's usually full body."
"Damn. Does it only ever happen in your sleep?"
"Yeah. During the day I mainly just get wicked sore muscles."
"Ouch."
"Eh, it's not that bad." Kiri would have shrugged it off if he could. "It's all part of becoming a hero."
Shinsou's eyes widdens before he let out a humorless chuckle.
"Wow. I knew the hero course was intense but seeing stuff like this is a whole new level."
"Yeah. I guess. I won't make you stick around but if you could turn on the TV or something I'd appreciate it."
"Kirishima, you're not even facing the TV."
"Yeah, I know but the noise would be nice. Helps me come back.
"Come back?"
"Yeah, distraction can help ground me. Bring me back. See." Kirishima began to wiggle his fingers.
"Five minutes ago I couldn't do that."
"Would you like me to stay with you?"
"You don't have to. You sounded like you were doing something in the kitchen."
"I was just washing some dishes. I was having tea and some snacks with Yaoyorozu earlier. Here, ” He helped move Kirishima into a sitting position. Coming to sit next to him. However, since he didn't have control of his neck muscles his head flopped back onto the back of the couch back.
“Thanks, man.”
“Sorry. I didn’t think about that.” He placed his left head behind the redhead’s neck to support it.
“You’re good. You’re one of the only people that has really seen me like this outside of the bakusquad.”
“The bakusquad?”
“Yeah,” Kiri began to wiggle his fingers and toes. “ That’s what we call our friend group. Me, Sero, Mina, Denki, sometimes Jirou, and of course Bakugou.”
“Interesting.” He smiled at the dumb name. “They help you with this?”
“Well, not really? They know about it and when I fall asleep during any of our hangouts they help. Bakugou does though. He helps me get up in the morning so I can get ready for school.”
“Wow, I guess I didn’t think about that.”
Yeah.” He lifted his head out of Shinsou’s loose hold, rolling it to stretch his neck.
“Here, I’ll put something on.” He grabbed the remote off the coffee table now that his hand was free. It was displaying some home makeover show.
“Right! I was watching this with Ochako after finishing homework. I was still so tired from practice earlier so I fell asleep.” Kiri recalled how he ended up in this position.
“You watch home makeover shows with Uraraka?”
“Yeah! It’s pretty good.” Kiri started to move his wrists and ankles.
“1A is a lot closer to each other than the other classes.”
“Really?” He seemed surprised. I mean they all lived in the dorms.
“Yeah. I mean other students have friend groups but from what I’ve seen from you all, you act more like family.”
“Yeah, I guess we do.”