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“A mirror maze? Really? Shitty Hair this has got to be your most lame suggestion yet,” Bakugo complained as the redhead tugged him by the arm towards the line.
“Well you didn’t want to eat takoyaki or do the carnival games either but you enjoyed both of those,” teased Kirishima. He threw an arm over Bakugo’s shoulders as they joined the throng of people waiting to be allowed entrance and pulled him close. “When are you going to learn to just trust me.”
“Tch.”
Bakugo glared to the side and eyed the other people who were near them. He hoped none of these screaming brats were inside when they were. Being near Kirishima felt like having a protective shield against this mayhem and he leaned closer towards his friend.
The line moved at a glacial pace and he was just starting to hope the maze would close before it was their turn when suddenly they were at the front.
“How many?” Asked a kid about their age who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
Heh, same
“Two! Me and my best bro,” chirped Kirishima. He put his free hand into Bakugo’s chest for emphasis, his other arm still around the blonde’s shoulders, and Bakugo rolled his eyes.
“Let’s get this over with,” he grumbled as he left the comfort of Kirishima's side, stomped past the kid, and pushed open the door to enter the maze. The sooner they got into this maze the sooner they got out.
It was not what he had expected.
There was no jovial circus music, no screaming kids, and no garish lighting. In fact, as far as he could tell, they were alone. An ethereal melody could be heard but it sounded muffled and far away. The lights were simple, warm, and white. Mirrors surrounded them on all sides reflecting at least 10 versions of their image around them.
“Bro! It’s us!” Kirishima caught up and half jumped on him, slinging an arm once again over his shoulder and pointing at their reflections. When Kirishima had first started doing this Bakugo had just ignored it, and somewhere along the way he had started to enjoy that he was the only one who received this special treatment. Lately, it had become a source of comfort. Now though Bakugo was equal parts surprised and horrified to see how at ease they looked with one another and that a light blush covered his cheeks.
“Get OFF,” he yelled wrenching himself away. “I’m not just..who cares that…FUCK!”
Kirishima looked at him with wide, questioning eyes. Bakugo hated that look but never more than now when he could see it reflected all around him. He quickly looked away in shame and hoped that Kirishima hadn't noticed his blush.
“I’m going this way.” He pivoted to the side and took a path to the right without giving the other another glance. There had been multiple hallways leading off from the first space they had entered and yet he was surprised to not hear footsteps behind him, realizing Kirishima had gone a different way. Whatever. “Peace as last,” he grumbled to himself. Bakugo then caught sight of his grimace in the mirror and reared back. He liked the thought of looking powerful and threatening but this just looked spiteful and mean.
Shit
His face turned to a pout before he shifted his eyes to the ground to avoid the mirrors. The ethereal tune started to throb in the back of his head as he weaved his way through narrow hallways assuming that any minute he would run back into the redhead if not the exit door.
“How big is this fucking place?” He muttered, finally looking up again. Though he wore a frown his eyes looked sad and tired. “Where the hell is that shitty haired idiot?”
“Bakugo!!!” The sound of his name called by the other immediately softened his features as a smile crossed his face.
“Kirishima!” He called back. He took a last look at himself, noting that his whole demeanor had shifted in a matter of seconds, before continuing forwards. The two continued to call after one another, almost as if they were seeking the other using echolocation, and after another minute rounded a corner to find themselves together again.
“I thought I lost you,” breathed out Kirishima with a sigh. He bounded over and was about to toss an arm around Bakugo’s shoulder when he caught himself and instead scratched his neck with a nervous chuckle.
“I was right here,” Bakugo said eyeing the arm. He looked in the mirrors where 10 reflections showed them standing apart. It didn’t look right. “And I’m cold,” he added with a meaningful look at their reflections.
The redhead looked at him quizzically and then lit up as he caught onto what Bakugo was insinuating. He threw the arm around Bakugo's shoulders and pulled him in close. “Don't worry bro, I got you,” Kirishima said softly.
The two stared at their reflections and Bakugo realized just how ‘right’ they looked standing together like this. He also noticed something else.
“You’re blushing Shitty Hair.”
If Kirishima hadn’t been blushing before he certainly was now. A scarlet red to match his hair covered his face and neck as they smiled at one another in the mirrors.
“You are too,” Kirishima observed.
Slowly, Bakugo extended the arm squashed into his friends side so that it instead held him behind his back. Their eyes met and a moment passed where the only sound came from the ethereal music still playing somewhere off in the distance. Bakugo smiled but decided he was more than done with this mirror maze, even if it had turned out to not be as lame an idea as he had thought.
“Let’s go get one of those snow cones you won’t shut up about.”
“Yeah! Cones of snow!” Kirishima cheered. He pointed at an exit sign they hadn’t previously seen and they stepped out of the maze back into the circus. This time with their arms around one another.