Scars That Mend - Kiribaku Emergency Services AU

The guy with the red eyes.

I was in and out of the hospital in no time at all.

It wasn't the first time I was brought in for burns, so I knew the drill. It seemed to be a slow night, so I was seen quickly, my burn debrided and dressed within a few hours by a tired-looking surgeon around my age. I was told it would most likely leave a bad scar, given instructions on taking care of it, and told to go onto light duties for a few weeks. As I was leaving, I saw Denki and Deb stood in the ambulance bay, talking to another paramedic.

"All sorted?" Denki shouted over to me, waving me over to the gathering.

I held up my bandaged arm. "Good as new."

As I rounded the first rig, I saw a fourth paramedic disappear into the cab.

"Don't mind him." The unfamiliar one said, shaking out her dark hair. "He's not much of a people person."

"I'm not offended." I laughed, nervously picking at the dressing on my arm. I wasn't shy by any means, but I felt anxious meeting new people.

"Leave that alone, so help me God." Deb growled, leaning back against the front rig. "Do you want it to scar?"

"I don't mind." I chuckled, and shoved my hands into my pockets to avoid fiddling with the dressing any more - I didn't mind either way, but I knew my habit of picking at things would make the scar worse. I watched as Deb gave the brunette a glare as she lit up a cigarette, then proceeded to berate the younger woman about the habit. Denki stifled a laugh, peering around the two women to look at me.

"We're going for drinks later, do you want to come?" He asked, stretching out his lithe arms.

"What's the occasion?" I replied, shifting between my feet. It had been a long shift and I was exhausted, but I didn't like to turn down spending time with friends - even if I felt like a zombie on my feet. It wasn't out of obligation - I genuinely enjoyed being out with people, much more than being at home - but I'd never been the best at initiating social meetings. I always seemed to overthink it, so I usually waited for an invitation.

"Deb is transferring." He nodded to the front of the other ambulance, where the other paramedic had disappeared to. "Katsuki is gonna be my partner from now on."

"Katsuki...?" I mused, turning to look over my shoulder - to see if I could catch a glimpse of him in the wing mirror. To my shock and confusion, I found myself face to face with a set of stunning red eyes, framed by shaggy blonde hair and a disgruntled expression. He'd somehow chosen that moment to appear right behind me.

"What did you say about me?" He muttered, a hint of irritation in his voice as he rolled his eyes at Denki. His gaze had quickly turned away from me, if he'd even noticed me at all.

But God had I noticed him.

He was the most attractive man I'd ever seen. His sharp eyes seemed to be thoughtful and perceptive, yet his somewhat harsh expression disguised it as judgemental and calculating. His brows seemed perpetually furrowed, as evidenced by the very faint frown lines on his forehead. Most of his scruffy hair was pulled back into a ponytail, yet a presumably long shift had left it sticking out all over the place, like he'd been rolling about in bed all day. He was around the same height as me - maybe an inch or so taller, if I had to guess.

He looked startlingly familiar, as if I'd seen his face a thousand times before. Almost as though I'd studied the features of his face every day for years, but in another lifetime. His harsh features masked an unreadable expression that I could only describe as softness, or even anxiety. How was I able to see that when this was my first time meeting him?

"I was just saying-" Denki began, but his new partner interrupted him.

"Don't care." He turned to Deb. "I'm not coming for your stupid drinks if you've invited the entire hospital."