Last Standing

Chapter 7

The streets were quiet to a point of concern for Mina. Her eyes just darted back and forth as she feared an ambush of anything. Monsters, people... spiders? Okay spiders would be the least threatening at this point.

But the point in her paranoia still stood strong. She didn't want another friend to leave them like the first, taking the laughter out of them all. She snuck a glance at Kaminari, whose arms wrapped around his torso like a snake preparing to crush its prey, and she could still see the red rim around his eyes.
The same as on all of them. Even Bakugou.

However she still couldn't help but wish for them to all laugh. Hence why she fell so dramatically when she tripped. And hence why her heart splintered as she only heard two sets of laughter, seeing the third's hand offering her help.

"Are you okay, Ashido?" Denki's voice was a whisper compared to his usually loud shouting, hard to hear over Kirishima's sputtered laughter and Bakugou comments on her stupidity which were laced with a hint of amusement.

Mina took his hand and smiled softly, putting her arm around him
"Aw not even a chuckle~" she was certain that all of them could hear the hidden disappointment in her voice but soon enough Kirishima spoke up.

"I'm pretty sure I saw him snicker!! Maybe he's still short circuited?!" Kirishima laughed once again before Mina saw a blonde blur grab them both and pull them forward, Kaminari gripping onto Mina's arm in confusion.

"Stop wasting time, Shit for Brains!! It's cold out here!... idiots.." 

Kirishima could tell Bakugou was being caring in his own sincere way but the anger in the air tested otherwise. Yet again, it always did, didn't it?

He's just hurting..
But so are you.
We all are..
He should man up!!

Kirishima shook the thoughts away as soon as they landed, looking around to see if anywhere would provide shelter as he felt the comforting warmth of the sun begin to pull away from his skin, leaving a dreading fear of what would await him in the dark with his friends. The fear began to build in his stomach as the taste of bile rose up his throat, his mind casting to the thought of Sero, how he imagined it to be...

It made him want to gag at just the idea of that occuring again. So soon. So swiftly. Despite this, his dramatic and energetic persona didn't allow him to be quiet or solitary - it only made him want to light up the journey more with routines from dad jokes all the way to teasing the few animals that scurried by. Soon enough he heard giggles from Mina and the joke filled comments of Bakugou.

Kirishima could've sworn he heard Kaminari a couple of times snicker with Mina with lit a spark of hope. Maybe Sero's passing didnt take all their light.

Don't fool yourself.

That one thought was enough to cause Kirishima to tense up as they entered the old run down building, finally thinking of resting for the night. There was a market nearby they could loot in the morning afterall... sleep was important. 

• • •
Bakugou couldn't sleep. But neither could Kaminari. As he glanced over at the fellow blonde who was being cuddled by an unconscious Mina, Katsuki shared a knowing look with him... a look that was of empathy.

They were all on edge of their lives however Bakugou knew the other two had used laughter to dampen it enough for their minds to shut off.

Ah... nothing like refreshing yourself by lying in bed... awake as you dread the next day. Bakugou was certain every single one of them could appreciate that thought if they heard it... afterall, the fear of an ambush pushed a familiar taste onto Bakugou's tongue. A taste of bile... and a taste of blood. It clogged his throat as he swallowed and look back over at the others, doing a head count.

A small part of him expected to see the lanky teen curled up, his elbows pointing out as he slept with an oblivious whistle emitting from his mouth. But Bakugou didn't.  Sero wasn't there.

They had gone from 5 to 4 and somehow, in the dread that clouded his body and turned it to stone, Bakugou knew this number would decrease again.