pyrexia [ ,, KIRIBAKU ]

chapter eight

Well, today was the day.

Katsuki had been awake for a few hours now, so it was just past 12.  Was he a nervous wreck? Surprisingly, no. Was he going to be? Possibly.

He was holding his phone in his hand, leaning against his pillows. He'd opened Kirishima and his message thread, but was debating which time to ask to talk. His brain told him 13, but his gut said 14. He didn't want to stall any longer than he already had. He knew Kirishima, and he knew that the red-head was probably up already. He'd always been an early bird, they both had.

me: we need to talk, shit hair. does 13 work
kiri: huh?
kiri: that works, but is everything ok?
me: yeah, c u soon

It was once Katsuki got in the shower that nerves hit. Why was Kirishima so depressed? Had something bad happened to his moms? Or, Mina? His mind raced as he washed himself, frustration already bubbling up under his skin because of the fact he didn't know. His heart wanted to help, while his brain wanted to preserve his own goddamn mental sanity.

Well, too late too late to back out now.

Katsuki hopped out of the shower a few minutes later, toweling off his hair and body before throwing on some clothes. A pair of black basketball shorts, and a black tank top. Putting a layer of gauze over his semi-healed knuckles, he took a few moments to brush his teeth and "style" his hair (not that it would even do anything to the untamable spikes).

He felt strangely calm as he put on shoes and exited his room, walking a few feet to Kirishima's door and knocking. A muffled, 'come in' sounded, and he opened the door. Katsuki was immediately met by Kirishima's achingly familiar scent of cinnamon and red-hots. The light was on, but his curtains were drawn, and the fan was on high.

Per normal Kirishima, his things were strewn about, clothes stacked messily in a white laundry basket, drawers to his dresser opened at varying lengths, and his papers a mess on his desk. Only his bed was neat. Kirishima sat there, and fuck, he looked exhausted.

Katsuki stepped inside, shutting the door quietly and managing to keep his face composed. Kirishima had dark bags, and red-rimmed eyes, his hair unstyled and black roots poking out from underneath the semi-faded crimson.

"What did you want to talk about?" Kirishima asked. His voice was abnormally flat, and Katsuki didn't like it. It was... unnerving to hear him so defeated.

Katsuki took his shoes off by the door and basically invited himself to sit down on the bed, across from Kirishima. "You." Katsuki said, his eyes narrowed at the red and black haired male. He continued, feeling that familiar concern and frustration pound at his chest, temper spiking. "What's been going on with you lately?" He felt his tone grow taught, but he tried to ignore it.

Kirishima blinked, and Katsuki could see surprise in his beautiful crimson eyes, "You noticed?" He sounded almost happy, and Katsuki felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

"Of course I fucking noticed! You- You stopped dying your hair, and styling it, and I never see you around anymore- Even just walking around!" Katsuki exploded, hands curling into fists, as he forced his voice to calm down, "everyone is worried, shitty hair."

There was a long silence. Maybe too long, on Kirishima's part, but what did Katsuki know? His gaze was fixed intently to the redhead, who seemed to look away uncomfortably before starting to speak.

"I... I've been thinking. A lot. And I'm just realizing mistakes I've made. Now it's too late to go back but-" Kirishima's voice quavered, before steadying, "I don't know what to do with myself now."

Now Katsuki was really, really worried. He didn't say anything, looking at Kirishima, as if waiting for him to continue.

"I- I broke up with Mina." Kirishima admitted. Katsuki was in shock, to say the least. "I realized I wasn't being fair to her and she deserves someone can give her their all without.. second thoughts."

"I'm not following. Explain." Katsuki demanded, his carmine eyes narrowing to slits. Kirishima laughed weakly, shaking his head. Katsuki could see tears gather in his eyes, but the red head didn't let them fall.

"Bakugou, I broke up with Ashido because I was having second thoughts about being with her. My feelings for someone else came back- or so I thought, after hearing something else. Except, I've known they weren't really gone the whole time. They were just buried under other love for Ashido, but they came back after I stopped hanging out with the other person." Kirishima was crying now, but his face didn't twist, he just let them fall. He smiled, actually, bittersweetness painting his features.

"Who?" Katsuki managed to echo, mind still spinning.

Kirishima looked him dead in the eyes, smiling weakly, "God, you are so fucking stupid Katsuki.. It's you."

It was like Katsuki's world stopped spinning. He literally forgot how to breath, breath hitching in his throat. Everything went silent. He couldn't even hear the fan.

"M...Me...?" He breathed. Suddenly, hope surged in his gut. He felt an unexpected wave of adrenaline and pure, unbridled love. Something he'd been holding back for a long time.

"I know you're probably already over me, I'm sorry," Kirishima's face crumbled, "We j-just keep dancing around each other, but it was never going to work out, was-" "Kirishima." "-it? I'm sorry, Katsuki."

"Eijirou." Katsuki finally caught his attention and the red head faced him again. "I'm not over you," his tone was soft, and serious. Kirishima blinked, once, and then again. Slowly, realization dawned on him as he processed the words, slowly speaking "does that mean you'd still...?"

Katsuki's body moved before his brain did. Suddenly, his arms were thrown around Kirishima, face buried in the crook of his neck. He felt Kirishima's arms wrap around him slowly, laughing. A real laugh. Katsuki didn't move for awhile. He basked in Eijirou's arms, as if he was going to be ripped away at any second.

A few long minutes passed, and Kirishima coughed out, "Okay, Katsuki, ya gotta get off. You're squeezing me to death." Katsuki shakily let go of Kirishima, pulling back. He hadn't realized, but a few quiet tears had slipped from his gaze.

"Are you ... sure?" Katsuki murmured after a few seconds, "What do we do from here?" He wanted to get into a relationship with Kirishima, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy.

"U-uh, first I want to apologize." Kirishima said, voice steadying. He ran a hand through his unstyled hair, "I know I caused you a lot of pain, and I was too damn oblivious to know. I shouldn't have been so insensitive. You also shouldn't have had to deal with me being all.... depressed, ya know?" Kirishima laughed, but he was serious, genuinely apologizing.

Katsuki let the words soak in for a moment before nodding, a silent 'thank you'. It cured a turmoil that had still coiled in the embers in his chest. Kirishima hesitated before speaking again. "I really, really like you. But I understand if you still don't want to.. y'know, date." He put on a bright face, but Katsuki saw right through it.

"Don't be an idiot," Katsuki said harshly, rolling his eyes, "I went through way too much shit to just let you slip through my fingers. Shitty ha- Eijirou, be my boyfriend." It was less of an offer and more of a demand, but apparently it was enough because Kirishima was staring at him with the most affectionate- romantically affectionate beam on his face.

"Yes!" He exclaimed, taking Katsuki by surprise and cupping his face, "I will be your boyfriend, Katsuki." Katsuki flushed red, but he let a small smile creep up onto his lips. "Dude, that was so manly," Kirishima beamed again, "You're so cool."

And then the moment was over, and Katsuki snorted, "Alright, let me go you idio..." he trailed off, because when his gaze returned to Kirishima, he was taken by surprise. The red haired male had gotten closer, his nose only a few inches from the other. His hands were still holding Katsuki's face, but now they were more by his jaw, as if they were about to kiss.

That thought made heat rise to Katsuki's face, and he quietly murmured, "So? Are you gonna do it?" Kirishima didn't need any further prompting.

Their lips pressed together. Katsuki's stomach erupted in butterflies, his hands snaking up to bring Kirishima closer. The kiss was soft, full of relief and emotion and love that had been put on hold for too long, and it was flawed, but it was theirs.

And it was perfect to Katsuki.

-

THEYY <333