Jet Stream (Kirishima x OC)

Chapter 36: Confessions

 "Hi..." I say softly when my eyes lock on the waiting red head's, my tiredness being pushed to the back of my mind in an instant. "Sorry, did you wait long?"

"Not long, but are you ok? You look super beat up." Kirishima asks in worry as he takes in my appearance.

"I'm fine, I was just training with a sadist." I answer with a casual wave of my hand, feeling nervous about our impending conversation.

"Um, you wanna go to the roof?" He asks, pointing towards the elevator. I nod and we take the lift up to my floor then walk through the staircase to the roof. We stand in awkward silence for a moment before I break it.

"I'm sorry." I apologize sincerely. "I'm so sorry I didn't reply to you, I'm sorry I left you in the dark, I'm sorry I didn't confide in you what was going on at home. I'm so-"

"Risa, please stop." Kirishima cuts me off quickly. "I'm not upset about any of that, so please don't apologize. I'm the one who's sorry. I let you get taken from right in front of me. You had to suffer because I was too slow and weak." He says sadly, stepping forward and placing his hand on my left cheek, his thumb lightly touching the edges of my new scar. "You got hurt because of me."

"That wasn't your fault." I tell him sincerely, placing my hand on top of his on my cheek. "Please tell me you understand that wasn't our fault?"

"I should have protected you better, Risa." He says sadly. "It hurt so much seeing you scared as you were taken."

"I like you." I blurt out as he takes a breath to continue speaking. He freezes in what he was going to say, his eyes wide as he stares at me in shock at my sudden and out of context confession, but I couldn't wait another second. "I like you, Eiji. You're the sweetest and most noble boy I know. You keep me grounded when I need you to, but you also match my energy and excitement. I feel safe and warm with you, I also feel driven and inspired by you. I think you're cute when you blush, I think you're attractive when you're being chivalrous. I like you, and it was you I was trying to get back home to. When I was taken, my biggest regret was not getting to tell you that I liked you. I'm sorry I waited to tell you, I was a coward, but I won't wait any longer to be honest with you." I take a breath in from my rather quick, completely unplanned, but entirely sincere confession. "You don't have to say anything back, I don't know if you feel the same or even want to be with someone who's so scarred-"

Whatever my next deflection was going to be, it was lost as I was cut off. Only instead of being hit in the head like usual for my rambling, I was cut off in a whole new way. Warm, firm lips crashed into my own, sealing me in a kiss that made me freeze. It was my turn to have my eyes widen in shock tonight, but then I quickly closed them and melted into the lips against mine.

Slowly, we moved our lips against each other's as Kirishima tilted his head to angle our faces closer together. My hands pressed between our bodies, resting on his chest as my fingers gripped his shirt lightly. His other hand raised to cup my other cheek, joining the other one that had never left my face. When finally our lungs burned from lack of air, we parted, both of us grinning as we reopen our eyes.

"I like you too, Risa." Kirishima whispers to me, his face still only inches from my own. He then slowly inches his thumb under my eyepatch, causing me to freeze and almost protest his movements as he slowly lifts it off my face. "I like all of you, Risa. Please, let me see your face entirely." A thousand fears cross over my mind, but at the soft look in Kirishima's eyes, I nod my head in acceptance and let him take my eyepatch off. "Look at me." He requests softly since my eyes were cast downwards. Slowly, I lifted both my eyes up to face him, my scars now on full display for him. "Beautiful." He kisses the top part of my older scar, just above my eye. "Strong." He kisses where the two scars cross on the spot where the damage is the worst. "Brave." He kisses the newest scar, and by now my right eye is watering.