Shoot Your Shot - MHA College AU

Scene 32: Wonder + Preview of Next Work

{ Scene 32: Wonder }

(Preview at end of chapter)

You questioned if Mina had this arrangement planned the whole time. If she was the one twisting the strings of fate: the threads that had finally brought the three of you together and seated around the smokey campfire, isolated from the rest of the group.

"Mina still remembers your favorite icecream flavor, huh?" You turned to Kirishima, hoping to even out the walls between you.

"Yeah, I guess she does," he smiled. And to your surprise, he continued. "It's been a while, but back at UA, when we were doing our work studies in third year, we'd go out for ice cream a lot afterwards. The buildings were on the same street, and we'd all leave around the same time at the end of the day. It was nice. Those were fun times."

"And you treated her every time, I bet. Or at least tried to. I know how you are," you teased.

Kirishima chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Am I really that predictable?"

"Not always. But, you're predictable in a good way. I think – reliable is a better word for it."

"Yeah. Reliably a pain in my side. No matter how many times I call you an idiot, you won't leave me alone," Bakugo grumbled half-heartedly.

You sighed. "It's called being friends, Katsuki. We're never going to leave you alone, so get used to it."

Kirishima snickered.

His name slipped your tongue yet again. A sprinkle of intimacy. A hint of something more. It stirred the forbidden topic to the top of the boiling pot, floating on the surface for all to see.

You didn't want to look at it yet – couldn't bring yourself to go there when things were feeling comfortable, normal again. But there were other questions on your mind. Curiosity was burning through your layers of suppressed fear like paper kindling. The memory of the roof, and the chilling wind, and the harshness of his voice when you first asked him. When you crossed that boundary.

Decidedly, you chose to step over it again.

"A while ago, I asked you before, but... Kirishima, how come you never talk about relationships?" You worded yourself carefully. "I've rarely heard you mention your relationship with Mina since it ended... and I've never heard you talk about feelings for others or liking other people or things along those lines. I was just wondering if you had a reason for that?..."

He blinked, like he was trying to process what to say. Bakugo was equally as attentive. Decidedly, Kirishima's lips parted, and his shoulders tightened.

"I guess there's a reason..."

The boy slouched in his chair with an acceptance of defeat. A realization that he couldn't hide away forever. The flames were bringing out the courage in you all, it seemed.

"I don't talk about it, because I'm scared of them."

You stared at him quizzically.

"Scared?"

"Yeah..."

"What's so scary about relationships that you can't even talk about them?" Bakugo asked.

"A bunch of reasons... But, its mostly two things, I guess."

He shifted uncomfortably, folding his arms into himself.

"...I'm afraid of losing myself when I love other people... When I was with Ashido, I did everything to make her happy. And in the end, she couldn't be happy that way. Neither of us could. How can you be with someone that would willingly lose everything for you when, realistically, you could never do the same?"