(Completed) Press Play {Kiribaku YouTuber AU}

12

Once again, I apologize for my inconsistency when it comes to updates. Honestly, my only excuse is that I just haven't been feeling all that inspired to write this. I'm thinking about ending it at around 20 or so chapters, maybe even 15 depending on what I end up writing for the next couple chapters. It will end once Kiri and Bakugo make things official, so don't worry, that's coming. Promise. But in the meantime...I have some angsty shit planned. PS: I've already said this once, but Kirishima doesn't have any canonical family, so I'm making them up, and take my word for it when I say it's not for something heartwarming. And a quick thank you to ProtoTypeBK for helping me come up with names. And now here's the chapter!

Mina lived by herself in an incredibly small studio apartment only a few miles away from the diner where they'd eaten lunch. It was small but cozy, and Kirishima always loved visiting her. Everywhere you looked there was a bright color, mainly pink and yellow, Mina's favorite colors. The wall above her bed was plastered with tacked up pictures of her and her friends, as well as a poster of an alien posing with a cat and a dog. Mina was weird, but Kirishima loved having her as a friend.

Mina only stopped to unlock the door before dragging him inside and forcing him to sit down on the bright yellow bean bag chair in front of her television before heading for the small kitchenette. "You want something to drink?"

"Water's fine. Thanks, Mina."

"Don't mention it." She said as she returned from the kitchenette, plopping herself down on the loveseat and handing him a bottle of water. Then she sat forward, eyes focused on him. "Okay, now tell me everything."

So he did. He started with the video he'd uploaded that had started everything, and went through every detail of their relationship since, even the awkward happenings of the previous night and that morning. Mina listened to everything without even hardly blinking, totally enraptured in his story. By the time he was finished, he was out of breath. He hadn't realized just how badly this was eating at him until he finally got the chance to get everything off his chest. It felt nice to vent about it all.

He chugged the rest of his water bottle and leaned back into the bean bag chair. "That's everything. I just...I don't know what I'm supposed to do next. We kissed, yeah, but does that mean anything? I mean, Kami's kissed loads of people, but I don't think he's dated all of them, a-and just because we kissed doesn't automatically mean we're eating, right? Because--"

"Kiri, chill!" Mina covered his mouth with her hand. Kirishima pursed his lips and she removed her hand, cupping her chin in her palm.

"This is quite the situation." She commented, more to herself than to him. Then she smiled and clapped once. "Ooh, I have an idea! Why don't you try going on a date!"

"A...date?" Kirishima rubbed his neck. "I...dunno, Mina. Bakugo's not really a date kind of guy."

She shrugged, reaching for a pink throw pillow and hugging it in her lap. "It's worth a shot. Invite him to dinner or something like that, just somewhere both of you would be comfortable. And talk about what you both want. You have to communicate for a relationship to function, Kiri."

"I know." He sighed. "But Bakugo's not exactly the type of guy who communicates well, and he has problems of his own--" Kirishima cut himself off as his phone began to buzz in the pocket of his jeans.

Mina stood up and came to lean over his shoulder as he dug it out and checked the caller ID. The moment he saw who was calling, however, his stomach started twisting itself in knots. "Why does he want to talk to me?"

Mina returned to her beanbag chair, her happy expression from before now considerably diminished. "You haven't talked to him in a few years now, right?"

"Not after he got remarried." Kirishima nodded, taking a deep breath to steel himself before he tapped the green answer button and held the phone up to his ear. "Uh, hey...Dad."

"Eijiro," his father's voice sounded exactly the same as he remembered; rough, gravelly and stern. "What are you doing, son?"

"Uh...I'm hanging out at a friend's house."

"You don't have work?"

"No, I have Mondays off."

"Mm. And that other thing you do? With the videos? How has that been doing?"

Kirishima flinched. The last thing he wanted to talk about with his father was his YouTube channel. He had never been supportive of it, and was probably only asking now to look for something to complain about to him. "It's...good. It's been going really well here lately."

"That so?"

"Dad, why are you calling me?" He was already to his limit when it came to dealing with his father.

"Right. Well, your mother--"

"Don't call her that." Kirishima couldn't help getting defensive. "Kayako is not my mother."

"Right. Well, Kayako was wondering if you would come home for Christmas this year."

"Oh, uh..." He subconsciously rubbed at the back of his neck. "I-I dunno, Dad. Christmas is still, like, a month away."

"You should come home. Your sister misses you, and I think your brother's coming too."

"...I'll think about. Bye, Dad." He hung up before he could say anything else and flopped back in the chair, staring up at the ceiling.

"What was that about?" Mina asked after a few minutes had passed. Kirishima rubbed a hand over his face and sat up, setting his phone aside.

"He wants me to go back for Christmas." He told her. "I don't know if I can do that, Mina. I don't know if I can be around him after everything that happened before. But at the same time, it doesn't feel right to ignore all of them just so I can avoid him. I don't want to ignore Eitaro and Tamiko over something so petty."

"Okay, first of all, it's not petty. Based on all the things you've told me, the way you feel towards your dad is totally justified." Mina hopped to her feet and moved to wrap her arms around his neck in a tight hug from behind. "And second of all, at the end of the day it's still your decision."

Kirishima sighed. "Thanks, Mina. I think I'm gonna head home now. I'm tired, and I need to think on this some more before I decide on anything."

She grinned. "Of course! And you know I'm always a phone call away, sweetie!"