Kiri(Baku?)Kami I probably won't finish

Chapter Seven

Denki and I were alone in his room, and I'd just finished destroying him at Mariokart for like, the sixth time in a row, which was concerning because he always bragged about how good he was.

"What's on your mind?" I asked to break the ice.

He sighed, flopping backwards on his bed and staring at the ceiling. "You know, when I go all dumb like I do, I tend to remember bits and pieces," he started. "Some stuff that people say to me, things that are going on around me."

"Go on," I said, confused as to where he was going with this.

"I uh... I remember a lot of your conversation with Jiro while we were at the mall," he admitted, scratching the top of his head.

"Oh," I said plainly, staring straight ahead. How do I respond to that, my best friend telling me he heard me pour my heart out about why I couldn't date him even if I wanted to?

"And with me kissing you at the food court... I didn't make you feel like you were using me, did I?" he asked nervously. I stood up and sat next to him.

"No, you didn't," I reassured him. "I'm... I'm not sure what was going through my mind, really," I admitted. "But it didn't feel like that at all. I guess I'm just afraid of what I might start to tell myself, whether I want to be thinking it or not, if we ever went any further than that."

"...ever? Do you really mean you don't think we could ever—" he started to ask, but I cut him off.

Better for the both of you.

"I don't know, Denks. I'm still trying to get over Bakugo," I said. "He and Midoriya got together yesterday, right after I was about to confess to him. I'm honestly a little sad he never told me about his crush on Midoriya because I thought we were best friends and all. And now... of course I'm still some kinda friend with him, whether it's the same as before or not. But I'm not totally over him yet. Maybe... I'm not sure. No time soon," I sighed. "I'm just not ready."

"Not ready to love someone? Or not ready to get hurt again?" he said seriously. I looked down at Denki, and he looked up at me. He sat up and looked me in the eyes.

This up close, I could see every freckle, every tiny lil' scar, every hair out of place. I saw the shiny gold of his eyes and the delicate pink of his lips. I saw him as he was and a part of me didn't even want to blink, out of fear that he'd disappear.

He'll be better off gone, away from you.

"I just don't know yet," I whispered, yet moving closer still. I rested my forehead against his and felt our noses brush.

"Okay," he replied, voice equally soft as he pulled me into a hug but nothing more. We sat there together on Denki's bed, just holding each other. He was warm and comforting and none of me wanted to let go.

"Thank you. For being here," I mumbled sincerely.

"Of course, Ei. I'll always be here," he answered, voice cracking at the end of his words as he wrapped his arms around me tighter.

You'll mess this up.

I felt him start to cry against me and resolved to be here until he stopped, and long after. No matter what we became, I decided, I'd be there.

"I'll wait for you, too," he sniffed, "as long as it takes. I don't mind."

Don't bother.

"Denks..." I said, frowning. "Please don't let me hold you back. I... you should be happy."

"But you make me happy," he sighed. "I'm not about to hide it anymore. Not after any of today. From the very start of the day, I knew something was going to happen. It started off with a bang and I'd be damned if it wouldn't end with one, too. Ei, I'll wait. Whether it takes a minute or a year."

You're not even worth the trouble, are you?

"Denki, I'm not even worth it," I said, taking a deep breath, finally acknowledging the voice in the back of my mind.

He literally stopped, then looked me directly in the eyes and said, "Don't ever say that again, because you are worth more than the world. Out of anyone I've ever met, you're the kindest, strongest, manliest, funniest, bravest—" listening to him ramble off all of these adjectives, words that he thought described me... I couldn't help it, I just had to grin. "—fucking smiliest guy out there," he finished off his list, grinning with me. "Don't you dare say you're not worth it again. Or I might have to look up some more words that describe you, and I don't feel like studying. Please, for my sake. Don't say that again," he said the last part, suppressing laughter. I was already giggling.

"Jeez, I can't begin to thank you. You always make me feel so good. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" We were laughing so hard right now, neither of us could really breathe; we were holding onto each other, originally to keep us from falling off the bed, but then remembered why we had the lowest grades of the class, and ultimately ended up on the floor.

Just at that moment, we heard the door open. In came Sero, dragging an uncharacteristically nervous Bakugo behind him, wrapped like a hug in Sero's tape.

"He asked for help, so—oh, were we interrupting...?" our friend started to say, trailing off at the end when he noticed us holding onto each other for dear life and dying of laughter.

"No! No," I stood up first, wiping at my eyes, which had started to water. "What do you need help with?"

"Uh... Deku's mad at me 'cuz I stole the last of his katsudon," he muttered.

"Uh... why do you need our help, though?" I tilted my head, confused.

"Deku is to katsudon as Icy-Hot Bastard Man is to cold soba. Connect the dots," he sighed. "Hide me."

"You're kidding—" Denki said, getting up.

"Hey, guys," Midoriya said cheerfully, suddenly appearing at the door. "We need to talk, Bakugo Katsuki."

"Oh shit, you screwed," Denki admitted as Midoriya grabbed Bakugo by the collar, the unfortunate blonde still wrapped in tape, and dragged him back out of the room.

"Guys. Guys, it's not funny. Don't leave me, assholes—" we heard him calling all the way down the hallway, not bothering to hold in our laughter.

He was, in fact, screwed.