Fuselage

×~❄ Chapter 41 ❄~×

CONTENT WARNING:
MILD SUFFOCATION CONTENT IN THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAPTER

Arm tightened around his throat, his fingers dug into the forearm cinching tighter around his windpipe and jugular. Katsuki gasped, vision blurring around the edges.

He wouldn't tap out. Not to this fucker.

Free hand looped back, reached blindly, groping, grabbed Eijirou's face. Locked into the soft hairs at his nape. Other arm swinging backwards, fist catching his nose, cheek, eye socket.

"Fuck-!"

Katsuki gasped in air as Eijirou fell back, hand covering his face, glaring up angrily as Katsuki turned on his heel, hands at the ready, air leaking in shallow gasps. Katsuki's vision swimming with black spots. Even as he weaved in place he could see the blood spilling between fingers - Eijirou's free hand rose in defeat.

I quit.

Unimpressed, dizzy, Katsuki sat at the table, just breathing. Air slid into his abused throat, achingly sweet; painfully. He winced as his lungs expanded in agony, screaming as they took in oxygen.

Water turned on in the kitchen. He didn't give a shit.

Moments later Eijirou sat beside him, head falling forward between his knees, back sporting ugly bruises and raised scratches. A cup dangled between fingers, blood crusted under nails. Electricity hummed through the entertainment center, tv buzzed with voices. It had gotten darker outside during their fight, dusk spilled in like spilt ink; staining the room deep orange. No better color for the emotions swirling around them at that moment; pain and anger and regret.

Ugly. Everything in this room was ugly.

"Why?" Eijirou cleared his throat, unable to dislodge the tears stuck there. "I-" he chuckled; a broken, desperate, grotesque thing. "I-I'm-"

"I know you're with Pony." Katsuki kept his gaze locked on liquid color oozing over cheap carpet. "I know you've-" Inhale, cough, exhale.

Eijirou offered the cup of water. It made something inside of Katsuki jump knowing the idiot had gotten it for him. Greedily Katsuki accepted, draining it before continuing, explaining the easiest he could.

"I love you."

Simple words.

But they made the world stop. They made everything hurt worse. Eijirou didn't breathe beside him, time didn't pass, Katsuki's heart quit beating in the hours that slid between them in the following seconds. A soft sob from the man beside him encouraged him to continue.

"I-" he chuckled, hoarse. "I love you. So I came here to... pursue you, I guess." A bloodied hand through hair, raw knuckles swollen from catching flesh. "I-fuck I dunno."

Eijirou breathed a laugh, wiped at his wet, swollen face. "Imagine that, Kat not knowing something."

"Oi, fuck off jackass." Body colliding gently into body. "I mean it." Hesitant glance across the inches, the chasm, between them. His entire body jolting to see soft red swimming with emotion staring right back. "It-it's my turn to convince you."

"Kat, stop." Eijirou shook his head, stood to stare out the windows leading to the small porch outside. "You don't n-"

"Even if I don't have a chance," Katsuki ignored the sigh from his companion as Eijirou turned back around, backlit by ruby red, setting him on fire around the edges. "I have to try. You-" gaze fell. "You tried so hard back over the summer. And I just... didn't." He stood, standing up to Eijirou, face-to-face. "But I will now. I'll earn all of you." He grabbed Eijirou's hand, not missing the wince. "I love you." Rising on tiptoe to kiss the quickly spreading bruise under Eijirou's eye, not missing the way Eijirou froze and melted all at once. "First," Katsuki fell back, "let's get cleaned up though."