Before And After ||BNHA Kiribaku||

Chapter 30- Sliver

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"'What if he remembers something important?' 'What if everything backfires?' 'What if everything fails?' You know, I didn't like questioning the boss, but I think we're all right. Look what's happening out there."

"I know, but it's not like we can help it."

"But so many people are captured already. Can't the boss hire actual fighters?"

"All our money is going towards the projects."

"Which would be a good thing if the people who were working on it WEREN'T CAPTURED!"

"You going to complain to the boss?"

"Who hasn't?"

"I know a few."

"Let me guess, one of them is you?"

"Yup."

"Whatever. We all like the boss too much."

"You don't?"

"I said 'we,' didn't I?"

"Hmph. You did."

——

Kirishima was standing outside his hospital door with Hinansho on his head, waiting for Bakugo to come visit him.

He'd been told a lot had happened since the last visit, and like usual, he was left out. It wasn't anybody's fault though, he knew that. Everybody else out there was just better.

Stronger. 

They weren't weak like him.

They didn't flinch in the streets or struggle when talking.

They were healthier and more helpful and were clearing up the enormous mess he brought with him when he was released. He was just there to confirm and deny.

Kirishima shook his head. He shouldn't think like that. He was helping, with information and details and everything others needed to take the organization down.

He was the reason they were able to get far enough to identify some of the members, right?

"But everyone disappeared after that. For two whole weeks!" a small voice said to him. "Now, where did they go off to? Maybe, just maybe they didn't want to be around you! Or maybe, they were just too busy cleaning your mess to be with you."

"I'm doing good," Kirishima said to it, lip wobbling. "They're doing good. It doesn't... it doesn't matter if they don't visit me because they're saving other people."

"But don't you want them to visit you? Don't you want their attention? You want them to spend all their time with you, yet also complete your wishes, fighting for their lives?" it said cruelly. "How selfish can you be?"

"That's not what... that's not what this is," Kirishima shook. "I just... I want them to..."

"Yo, Kiri!"

Kirishima snapped his head up. Kaminari, Sero and Ashido were all bounding towards him.

"What're you doing outside your room?" Kaminari asked, waving. "I didn't know you ev- woah, hey, are you crying?"

"What's the matter!?" Sero went up to Kirishima quickly.

"Hey, don't cry," Ashido said. "We're all here, right?"

"Weak." Kirishima heard the voice say as he wiped his face.

"Uh- wanna hear some good news?" Kaminari said in an attempt to cheer the redhead up. "Katsu ended up taking down someone yesterday. She's mean, rude, snappy and all that jazz, but she ended up giving us more information."

"More like trying to convince us not to go after them anymore," Sero whistled. "Like we're going to do that. I mean, they're the ones attacking us."

"OI, THE HELL'RE YOU PEOPLE DOING HERE?!"

"Katsuki?!" Kaminari grinned at the voice, the blond stomping towards them. "Hey, we didn't know you were going to be here!"

"And if I knew you were going to be here, I would've dropped off the f------ face of the Earth!" Bakugo snapped back.

"There's our loving Katsuki!" Sero laughed.

"We were talking to Kirishima here about what happened yesterday!" Ashido informed him. She giggled. "I think he's impressed."

"F--- off, Alien Face."

"H-Hello." Kirishima coughed out.

"Why are you burdening Bakugo so badly?" the voice asked him. "You love him, don't you? Aren't you causing him so much pain from this? Are you even worth it? He doesn't even trust you enough to tell you anything about the outside world." 

"Hey, Eiji," Katsuki said, then waved his hand at his other friends. "Now scram, you three."

"Hurt!~" Ashido giggled in a singsong voice. "Where are you two going?"

"None of you business."

"G... Ga-rden."

Bakugo stared at Kirishima.

"The hospital garden, huh?" Sero said. "Mind if we come along with you?"

Kirishima shook his head. Bakugo groaned.

"Do anything weird and I'll blast you to next Sunday." Bakugo warned.

"Us? Never," Kaminari promised. "Anyways, to the garden we go!"

The three chatted wildly to Kirishima on their way there, telling him about funny stories or awesome products they purchased, clearly annoying Bakugo but entertaining Kirishima.

"-and you know, all the beautiful heroes use some sort of makeup," Ashido said as they stepped onto the bright grass of the garden. Hinansho was resting on her shoulder. "So I tried it myself, but I got splashed with water on the same day! Ended up ruining my media photo."

"Moral of the story, don't wear makeup doing hero work," Kaminari laughed. He stared ahead, taking in the colors of the flowers and grass. "I can see why you like this place."

Kirishima nodded. "P-Pr... pretty."

"Better than that crowded, alcohol-smelling building," Sero joked. "Sometimes I think my lungs will die from being in there for too long."

"Do they really hate visiting you that much?"

"Eiji, c'mon," Bakugo grumbled. "Let's get away from these losers."

"We're your losers!" Kaminari called. "Anyways, we'll be over here or something. Have a nice bonding moment!"

"SHUT UP, PIKACHU!" Bakugo shouted. "Annoying motherf-----"

"Th- they're n... nice," Kirishima said, fondness in his eyes. "I... l... li-ke th... them."

Bakugo snorted, patting his hair.

"Um..." Kirishima picked a stray leaf from a bush. He turned around, motioning at Bakugo's entire body. "O-Ok... ay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. That chick wouldn't be able to do s--- in a million years."

Kirishima had a weak smile.

"Would he say he got attacked if it weren't for the others?"

"D... Do y-you," Kirishima ripped the leaf. "t... t-t... trust me...?"

"Huh? What kind of stupid question is that?" Bakugo said, half stunned. "Of course I trust you! I wouldn't put my f----- trust in anyone else." He looked away.

Kirishima thought about his words silently. Letting go of the leaf, the voice filled his head once more, spewing unknown truths and lies.

"Are you sure you believe that?" it asked.

'Yes,' is what Kirishima wanted to believe, but the more he thought about it, the more it leaned towards a 'no.'

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1069 words

A/N- thank god for three day weekends or else i may not have gotten this chapter out lol