KiriBakuKami

Chapter Two

Fuck, it's Christmas.

Well, not technically. That was in a few days. Any normal person would be stoked to be getting off of school for a week, but I was not. Not that I was great at school or anything. Actually, I sucked ass when it came to schoolwork. And that was exactly part of why I didn't want to leave.

More accurately, I didn't want to go home.

"You okay, Kami?" Sero asked me, and he looked concerned. I wondered why, until I realized that my face was using its outside voice.

"Hmm? I'm fine," I blinked out of my haze, flashing him a smile.

"Is something wrong?" Ei's footsteps got close, and I looked up at him from where I was sitting on the floor next to the outlet. I shook my head, but he saw through it. "C'mon, Denks, tell me what's wrong," he insisted, and I sighed.

"Don't wanna go home for the holidays, but my parents are gonna be pissed if I don't go," I admitted.

"Oh." He thought for a moment. "What if Kat and I went with you?"

My face brightened. "Could you really?" I mean, I was sure that wouldn't end well, but at least I'd have their support there. "What about your own families, though?" I asked.

"I'm sure mine would understand, and Kat's parents already left for vacation," Ei explained, sitting down next to me. "He was gonna spend the holidays with Midoriya apparently, which he wasn't happy about."

"How come he didn't tell me?" I pouted.

"He didn't tell me either," he laughed. "I overheard Midobro asking him if he wanted to sleep over at his house so he wouldn't be alone the whole time, and because they live so close together. 'Course, Kat said no, but it was the sort of refusal that was actually the opposite."

"Mhmm," I nodded.

"But I'm sure he'll be glad to know there's a better place to spend the holiday," Ei grinned, and I smiled weakly, although it disappeared pretty quickly.

"Not sure I'd call it better," I mumbled sadly.

"My 'sad Pikachu senses' are tingling!" I heard Kat yell from across the common room. In no time flat, he had launched himself over, and sat down in front of me. He stared me in the eye for a second before asking, "What's up?"

"I just don't want to go home," I said again.

"Then don't," he raised an eyebrow.

"I can't not go. They'll get mad at me."

"So?"

"So then they'll be mad at me. And I can't stay here over the summer, so I'll have to go back then, and... well, I'm just not gonna consider it. I'm going for the holiday. I just... don't wanna," I explained.

"Should I assume that Ei already offered to go with you then?"

"Mhmm. He said that you were gonna be alone the whole time, though, so—"

"Course I'm coming with, dumbass," he rolled his eyes, leaning forward to peck me on the nose.

"Ew, there are children here," Sero complained. Oops, I had forgotten he was there.

"Shut up, you're just jealous 'cuz you're single," Kat smirked, this time kissing me on the lips. I wasn't complaining.

Sero scowled, flipped us off, and left.

"But back to the conversation at hand," Ei flicked Kat in the side of the head. "What should we expect when we get there?" My entire cheerful facade completely disappeared.

"Well, y'know how I'm all happy-go-lucky'n shit?" I asked, and they nodded. "Yeah, that's totally fake. At least, a lot of the time. I'm uh... probably not gonna talk. Like, at all. Or get much to eat, or... uh, Dad's an alcoholic. Mom's clinically insane. They're homophobic, salty at everything, and uh..." I twiddled my thumbs. Neither of them were interrupting while I told them about my life at home, so I just kinda kept going.

"If my aunt and uncle come over with their kids, they're a bit fake-polite. Like, everything they say is either a complete lie or it's blatantly mean, but they always say it in a way that makes it obvious they expect you to think they're nice. And they, uh... I couldn't say they're all homophobic. Remember that guy from yesterday, from the bus?"

Kat raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"He uh... he reminded me of my older cousin," I mumbled. There was a short pause.

"But he's never actually..." Ei started to ask, and I wanted so badly to say no. But it was honesty time.

My eyes were watering now. I sniffled, burying my face in my arms.

"Time to murder," I heard Kat say, but Ei shushed him.

"I wholeheartedly agree, but it is not the time to get mad. Wanna come upstairs, Denks? You don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to." I nodded, and wiped my eyes with my sleeve. I sniffed again, and stood up with them, although I guess Ei had a different idea. He picked me up, holding me tightly. I wrapped my legs around his waist and returned his embrace, squeezing him as hard as I could without killing him. When he didn't show any signs of being bothered, I squeezed tighter.

I didn't start actually crying until we were in the elevator. "Shh, it's okay. Everything's gonna be okay," he murmured, running his fingers comfortingly through my hair. "Hey, Kat 'n I are gonna be there for you this time. We're not gonna let him hurt you like that again. Promise."

I shifted to look at him. "Promise?"

"Mhmm. Never again. Now, I hate to be that guy, but when do they expect you to get back?" he asked.

"First day of break. D'you know what day that is?" I tilted my head.

Kat sighed loudly, and I looked over at him. "It's tomorrow."