A Flower's Affection (KiriBaku Flower Shop AU)

Eijiro Kirishima-Overwhelming

        Run.

        'Why run, Eijiro? It only makes things more difficult.'

         No, no no no. Have to escape, have to get away. He's going to catch up. He--

        'He is going to catch up. He'll be angry with you. Damn, you've really earned it this time--'

        SHUT UP! Kirishima slammed his hand down on the elevator button as he passed not even waiting for it to light up before he was sprinting past it, choking back a sob. Shut up, go away. Damn it. Damn it, I can't breathe! Idiot! Be quiet, or he'll find you.

        'You chose this, you know. You could have been normal, but you decided normal wasn't good enough for you. You have to broadcast your abomination, you useless--'

        STOP IT! Kirishima slammed into a door, slapping at it desperately. He hoped it was the right one, but his vision was so blurry that he could hardly see either. The hands were already on him, yanking through his hair and pushing him off balance, but if he could just--

        "Kirishima?" The door opened in a rush. "Kiri! Holy shit, what happened?!"

        "Can't--" he choked, letting Mina catch him as his knees collapsed. He was shaking and unreliable, weak and pathetic and he couldn't protect himself. How had this even happened? Where was he? "Chasing--s-scared. Help."

        "Chasing--who's chasing you?!" She demanded, taking a tight grip around his shoulders and hauling him through the doorway to kick it closed. She flicked off the lights, letting her room glow dimly from the fairy lights hanging off her ceiling. "I don't understand, weren't you with Bakugo? What happened?"

        "B-Ba-Bakugo?"

        "Yes, Bakugo. Big, angry, dog-looking boy you like? Did--did he hurt you?"

        'How do you think he'd prefer to wreck you?'

        What? Why did she sound so foggy? She couldn't have suggested Bakugo actually hurt him? Why would she say that when the only threats were in his own head? "I-I don't--"

        "First off, sit down properly," she instructed. "Head between your knees, arms folded, and breathe."

        'What could ever love a disgusting monster like you?'

        "I can't--"

        "Bullshit, yes you can," she argued, pulling him into the position herself and sliding one knee under his and propping the other up behind his back to pull him into her arms. "You've done it before and you can do it again. We've been through this. You can breathe, Kiri, you just have to focus."

        Focus on what? The dozen hands under his clothes? The voices in his ears just telling him to take it? Was he even in Mina's room or was it all just another part of his hallucination? Where had he even been before?

        "Careful," Mina's voice was calm and slow, soothing, cutting through the madness in his head. He fought to listen, to do as she said because she'd make it better. She could always make it better. "Slow in, slow out. In and out. There you go, just like that. Hey now, don't fight me, that's me. That's right, keep that contact. That's real."

        Slowly, dreadfully slowly, the world came back to him. False sounds and phantom pressures falling away as she continued talking to him, running her fingers carefully through his hair while deftly avoiding the knots and sticky spots she knew would make him flinch away. Mina knew how to combat his hallucinations with gentle, steady touches, her hands applying firm, grounding pressure to his shoulders and his back. She never hurt him. He was safe now.