Crimson Eyes

Chapter 18

Did I forget to mention this is a slow burn? Oops.

I was sat on the end of Eijirou's bed, my legs crossed and my elbows on my knees. "So," I drug out. "You wanna talk about it? Or talk about literally anything else?" 

He wore a small smile at the question but winced when it pulled at the skin on his busted lip. My brows lowered in worry. "Did you clean it yet?" 

"It's just a bu-" 

"Did you, or did you not, clean it yet?" I asked, cutting him off before he could say the same stupid shit he did to Bakugou. 

"No," he admitted with a sigh. 

"Don't move," I ordered him, shooting him a look that said I was serious. 

I made my way out of his room and quickly found the bathroom. I dug through the drawers and cupboards until I found peroxide and a clean rag. I made sure the water was warm before dunking the rag under the stream, then I ran it out until it water stopped dripping from it. I took my haul and returned to his room. 

I sat directly next to him on the bed this time, needing to be closer to actually be able to help. "This might sting a little," I mumbled, wiping at his lip as gently as possible with the rag. Once I removed most of the blood, I poured peroxide onto a corner of the rag. "This is going to sting a lot." 

He winced as the solution hit his open wound, but otherwise remained unfazed. 

"You never answered my first question," I pointed out, swiping the rag one last time before I lowered it into my lap. 

Eijirou rested his head back, looking at me through hooded eyes. "I broke into my parents' house." A simple answer. 

"Your dad?" I asked, nodding my head towards his injury. 

"Perceptive." He shut his eyes. 

"Is that why you live here?" 

He shook his head slightly, a harsh laugh leaving his mouth. "I live here because I got kicked out. Couldn't even look at me after they found out I was gay." 

Oh.

Surprisingly, my sexuality was the only thing my mom didn't care about. I think she probably knew before I did. She didn't so much as blink when she caught me kissing Shinsou in tenth grade. She wasn't thrilled with my taste in men, but it never bothered her that they were men in the first place. 

"You went back for an Xbox?" 

He full-on laughed. His own laugh and not some fake, twisted version. I relaxed at the sound, after not being aware I was so tense in the first place. 

"You sound just like Bakugou, you know that right?" he asked, barely opening his eyes to look at me. 

I rolled my eyes, only a little irritated. "I'm starting to notice it more and more." 

"I only went for the Xbox so I'd have a tangible excuse to be there," he admitted after a few beats of silence. "I hadn't been back since they threw me out last year. I was just... curious, I guess." 

I nodded in understanding. I wasn't going to judge his, admittedly stupid, decision. Everyone takes a different route to closure. "Well?" 

He stared up at the ceiling, but I was just relieved his eyes were open. "It was weird. I grew up in that house and nothing had changed. They hadn't even touched my room or any of the stuff I left. Like it was some kind of tomb to remember the kid I was before. Doubt I'll ever go back." 

I hesitantly placed a hand on his arm, wanting to comfort him in some way. His eyes snapped to mine as soon as I made contact. "I'm sure you've heard it a million times already, but I'm sorry, Eijirou."