Fuselage

♡~♡ Chapter 18 ♡~♡

"Look man, I'm sorry." Eijirou sat beside Katsuki on the floating dock. "I didn't mean to be such a-" His face crumpled, fists clenching. "You of all people should understand what it feels like to be-" His words dropped abruptly, as he stood again to shift from foot to foot, sighing, "I'm really sensitive about people digging at my relationship."

Katsuki plugged the grub on the line, casting it out. Resolute to ignore Eijirou as he had been. He didn't care that the fucker had acted out. He didn't care that the jackass had thrown something at him-

Yeah, he did a little actually. That had bothered him.

He didn't care that the bastard had vanished for three days.

"Fuck, come on Kat." Eijirou crouched, hand brushing against Katsuki's shoulder.

Katsuki tensed, but still didn't speak. Instead, he reached for his beer and took a swig before reeling his line slowly. He didn't care.

"Look, I know what I did was messed up. Here I am trying to get closer to you and I invite you to a barbeque with all our friends and I ditch you because my feelings get hurt. Because I'm insecure. Like... fuck. I know. I feel awful." Eijirou's thumb was stroking small lines over the rippled edges of where Katuki's deltoid met his clavicle and he didn't want to lean into it.

He didn't want to punch Eijirou in the mouth and forgive him and throw him into the lake and fuck around with his-

Katsuki hissed low as he pulled the empty hook into view. His best fucking friend. The guy he worked out with every morning, text with all day long, worked on the rarest plane he'd ever touch till the sun set. Fuck. He missed Eijirou. He had missed Eijirou. Katsuki blinked. Blinked harder. No, I didn't.

Eijirou's fingers tightened as he leaned in closer, desperate and pleading. "I fucked everything up. Please don't tell me I ruined our friendship too."

Katsuki remained silent, recasting his line.

He didn't care.

"How about this," Eijirou stood and Katsuki didn't miss the grip or weight of Eijirou beside him, touching him, against him. He didn't, he didn't, he didn't. "Whoever catches the most fish wins. We can win anything. Any one thing."

Katsuki finally turned, eyes looking Eijirou up and down. He scratched at the sweat building under the shirt he had pulled around his hairline, took another drink, crushed the can, opened another beer. He saw Eijirou's gaze turn to the small pile of cans.

"That's what you're here to bug me about on my fucking day off?" Red eyes swiveled to glare death up at Eijirou, large body blocking the sun.

"Look man, I tried to give you space." He pleaded. "I stayed away from the hangars for three days-"

"Yeah you lazy jackass. Fucking skipping out on the job? Thought you were reliable? Thought I could count on you?" Katsuki turned back towards the water, venomous words swelling on his tongue, clogging his throat, making his chest tightening and heat. Taking a moment to wash them down with the fresh beer he watched a bird dive, then turn sharply back up to the sky before touching the water's surface. "I have a fucking meltdown and have to rely on you immediately but you have one and you get to what? Run away from it? Hide like a coward?" Eyes narrowed as words hissed out, finding their target as Eijirou's face crumpled in guilt. "I have to be vulnerable but you get to..." Katsuki stopped himself, breathing deep. "What if I want you to burn your God awful toe shoes?"

"I would!" Eijirou nodded enthusiastically as he wiggled his toes, his whole face melted into watery joy at the sound of Katsuki's voice, at the possibility of the words spoken. "I'd do it if you spoke to me again."