The lost continent

Chapter 24

Kirishima is hesitant. Of course he is. But for Bakugou Katsuki, pirate prince and Captain of the dreaded Crepitus, to take off his hat and say sorry, say please, to cry in relief...well, Kirishima at least knows he’s genuine.

He’s still pissed. He’s still mad. But he loves him. As Bakugou takes his hand and leads him back through the city, he thinks about his mother’s patience. He’s not sure if his parents are in love anymore, but they were at one point. She told him that meant compromise. It meant a balance of give and take that left each person happy. Of course, that wasn’t going to be easy, nor always possible. Kirishima thinks he truly understands that, now.

“Um, Captain?” Kirishima asks.

Bakugou squeezes his hand. “Y’don’t have to call me that no more. Fuckin’ ...Katsuki is fine.”

Kirishima smiles, feeling a little shy in spite of having said it so many times before. It seems so precious to say it out loud, just as they’re walking along. He hopes it never loses it’s feeling. “Um, the woman… who was in my room.”

Kirishima feels Bakugou’s hand tense up. “Doesn’t matter. I fuckin’ messed up, and you can do what you want.”

“No, well. Yes, but- I didn’t...um, sleep with her.” Kirishima says. “I mean, literally, yes, she was sleeping in the bed, and I was also sleeping in the bed, but… The inn was full and she was having some trouble in the bar so I offered to split the cost of her room for a night if I stayed.”

“She was naked.” Bakugou says. “I mean, I believe you, but she had her tits out, y’kno.”

Kirishima blushes red and Bakugou laughs at him. “She thought I wanted to solicit her, but then she kinda passed out drunk. I just left her alone, I didn’t want to try and dress her and have her think I was trying something.”

Bakugou laughs.

Kirishima smiles. The ship comes into view, and he starts to feel a little embarrassed. His departure and Bakugou’s return was quite dramatic.

Any awkwardness is broken, though, when he climbs the gangplank and Mina almost knocks him to the ground in a tackling hug. He laughs and hugs her back.

“I can’t believe you came back!” Mina sobs. “After he was such an idiot! An asshole! Complete filth and dirt-”

“Okay!” Bakugou says, clicking his tongue at her. “Damn, Mina, do you want him to stay or not?”

“Right.” She says, wiping her tears. “Ojirou! Let’s go before he changes his mind!”

“Am I a hostage again?” Kirishima asks.

“Yes!” Mina says. “If Bakugou ever pulls that shit again I’ll mutiny, and no one’s gonna oppose that.”

Kirishima thinks that’s probably true.

“Did you see Monoma, by any chance?” she asks. “As annoying as he was, he was still a part of the crew, too…”

Kirishima shakes his head. “I’m sorry.”

Mina nods, pensive.

“Now.” Bakugou shouts, addressing the crew. He doesn’t look the least bit un-captain-like, even after what could only be described as a fiasco. He stands tall, hands on his hips as he shouts out their strict schedule for making up for lost time.

Kirishima follows Shouji to the ropes, and Bakugou flashes him a grin.

He falls into step, though his mind has been on edge for weeks, and when the rough twine burns across his hands he feels it in full, his mind finally clear and focused once again. He likes that Shouji talks to him as though nothing happened, though Tokoyami’s eyes bore into him. He works long beyond the sunset, until Sero comes for the nightshift.