Snowed In

Part 13

Bakugou waits.

Ashido was overly enthusiastic about his call. She wanted to chat, rambling almost immediately. She knew that Kirishima had given Bakugou his phone for the day, which meant Kirishima had spoken to her at least briefly this morning. Not a surprise, but Bakugou still wondered how much Kirishima had told. He didn't seem like the type of guy to brag about his sex life, but Ashido seemed liked the type of girl to pry. She tried.

It was hinted vagueness. Bakugou could hear her winking at every other word of 'so, are you still in bed?' or 'Kirishima sure did leave late this morning, hu?' When he spoke, she quipped back with 'Your voice sounds so hoarse this morning Bakugou, are you feeling well?'. He gave her nothing to go off of, simply let her talk and have his responses be an open silence before she started again. It went on like this for a few minutes, long enough that Bakugou figured he was over being polite and completely in the right to snap.

"Do you want to help me or not?"

She sputtered, "Duh, of course! ...what exactly do you need my help with again?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, not wanting to explain this over the phone. He needed them here or else he might chicken out and decide it's just as stupid as it sounds. "Just get Sero and the blond idiot and get your ass over to Kirishima's house, got it? Be ready to work."

He hung up.

And now, he waits.

It takes them over an hour to get to Kirishima's. He figures it's because none of them have a snow plow for a car and it takes a little bit to maneuver out to the cabin. It's not snowing right now, but another inch or so seems to have fallen over night, he's not sure how bad the roads were before Kirishima left.

By the time Sero's car pulls up and the three of them tumble out, Kaminari still looking half asleep, Bakugou is standing in the doorway, glaring. He's cold and he's about to get even colder.

"So, we drive all the way out here," Sero sighs, closing the car door. "Are you actually going to tell us what we're doing?"

"Yeah," Bakugou huffs out, humid breath spiralling out in front of his face. "Where does Kirishima keep his Christmas lights?"

Maybe he should have thought about this before. He can't imagine Kirishima having gotten rid of them after his mother's death. With all of the blankets still sitting out to use, all the furniture looking ages old, even the spice cabinet not seeming to have been updated since her death, Bakugou doubted it. He would, however, give them to people to use for the holidays. He'd decorate the town with everything he had out of the goodness of his heart if no one else had money enough to provide. Damnit. He really hoped he hadn't, just this once he doesn't want Kirishima to have thought of others.

"Christmas lights?" Kaminari jumps through the snow making a new path through the untouched boundaries. It crunched heavy under his boots. "Why? Ei hasn't had those up since, well," he gestures with his hands. "You know."

"Yeah, I figured as much." Bakugou leads them inside.

He doubts he's supposed to know. He wonders again how much has been spoken to them, about what they've talked about. Or is Kirishima typically an open book with his family history? Does he speak about it to try and seek comfort or to make it more usual? He's not sure. There's still so much he doesn't know about him, about the other people currently in his house. Bakugou wonders when it was he apparently started to care so much. Is this his guilt complex showing through again or a genuine want to know? To get to know?

They follow him quietly until they reach the living room where the fire is still burning small behind the gate, the blinds and curtains all drawn at the living room windows to let some sunlight in trying to brighten up the dark space. That's an entirely different issue he needs to tackle too if this is going to work.