Work it Out - KiriKami

9 ~ Private Talk

image cred: weeniedraws

Eijirou reached the doorway of the teacher's lounge and hesitated, his heart pounding. He was terrified of the possible fallout. If he went through with this, there was a chance Denki might never trust him again. He could lose his boyfriend forever. Was it worth the risk?

"Eijirou? Shouldn't you be at lunch?" Aizawa's voice interrupted his anxious thoughts.

Eijirou turned to see his teacher standing behind him, "Yes... But... I need to do something."

"Does it have anything to do with your outburst yesterday?"

Eijirou nodded, "You said if something happened, I needed to tell someone."

"Do you want to talk somewhere private?"

"Please..."

Aizawa nodded, "Alright, come with me." He began walking down the hall, and Eijirou followed.

"I didn't think this was a good idea, but Bakugou convinced me it was the right thing to do," Eijirou said.

"Does this involve Kaminari?"

‪"Yes, it has everything to do with him."‬

They arrived at a small, private room. Aizawa let Eijirou inside and closed the door behind them. "I can excuse you from English class today. Take all the time you need to explain."

Eijirou sat down at a small table, and Aizawa took a seat across from him. The room was quiet for a few moments before Eijirou spoke, "Sorry, I wasn't prepared for this. I need to make sure I word things well."

"It's alright. Take your time."

Eijirou took a deep breath, "Someone hurt Denki when he was younger. He doesn't want to talk about it, but I think he needs to. He might have PTSD from it."

‪"I'm assuming it's something that's still affecting him now. That's why you feel the need to tell someone?"‬

Eijirou nodded, "Yes. He says he doesn't remember most of it. It's traumatic enough that he suppressed the memories."

"Did he share any of the details he does remember?"

Eijirou nodded again, his voice trembling, "Yes. He didn't remember until recently. The memories have been resurfacing over the past couple of days. It's my fault; I triggered him."

"What do you mean by 'triggered'?"

Eijirou started to tear up, "I should start with what he told me. It'll make the trigger clearer."

"Alright."

Eijirou's tears began to flow freely, "He won't trust me again after this. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

"His trust isn't the priority here. What matters most is that he's safe."

"He is safe. The people who hurt him aren't in his life anymore. It's just... He still needs help. Like, therapy or some shit... Oh, sorry for swearing."‬

"Don't worry about the swearing. Just tell me what happened."

Eijirou looked back up, "Okay. He didn't give me specifics, but I think he was abused by his mom's boyfriends growing up. One man in particular. He said he can't remember if he was hurt, though."

"What makes you think he was hurt?"

"Well, he described some things as 'appalling,' and he didn't want to remember the details. It's bad enough that he intentionally blocked it out."

"Anything else specific he told you?"

Eijirou nodded, "Yes. This guy was very homophobic. Things got worse when he found out Denki is bi. Denki is terrified of showing PDA because of this guy. He was taught that being with another boy meant he couldn't be a hero. He shuts down whenever there's a chance of public affection. He didn't remember why until recently."

"What happened two days ago that triggered his memories?"

Eijirou's tears fell more freely, "I told him I love him for the first time. I knew it was too soon and that it might pressure him, but I did it anyway. He felt like a terrible boyfriend because he couldn't hold my hand in public. I wanted to reassure him, but it only scared him. He became distant and sat silently for 20 minutes."

"What did you do during this time?"

"I just sat there, thinking it was best to leave him alone. But he ended up getting lost in his thoughts, and when he spoke, it was like he wasn't really there. He was physically with me but mentally miles away. That's what brought his memories back."

"When he finally spoke, what did he say?"

"He mentioned that someone told him it was wrong for two boys to be together, but he couldn't remember who. It wasn't until this morning that he remembered it was his mom's boyfriend."

"Okay," Aizawa took a deep breath, "Is there anything else?"

Eijirou shook his head, "He let himself remember just enough to explain his fear of PDA. Now, he wants to push his memories back down and avoid dealing with them."

"This is a very sensitive issue," Aizawa said thoughtfully, "I'll talk to him after classes. Lunch isn't over yet. You should go eat."

Eijirou frowned, "Should I do anything to help him?"

Aizawa shook his head, "No, just let me handle it. You've done your part by bringing this to my attention. Don't tell him you spoke to me. It'll only upset him. Just be there to support him while he works through this."

"I feel like I should be doing more."

"Don't. You've done all you can for now. Just be there for him."

A tear rolled down Eijirou's cheek, "He's going to hate me..."

"No, he won't. He'll be upset, and it may take him time to forgive you, but he won't hate you."

Eijirou wiped his tear away, "Just... Promise me you'll help him."

"Of course. I'll do everything I can to get him the help he needs. Now, go get something to eat."

Eijirou nodded, taking a deep breath. "Okay."

Aizawa stood and opened the door for him. As Eijirou walked down the hall, he felt the weight of his decision pressing heavily on him. Now he had to face Denki and pretend everything was normal.

Could he do it?

『  I know this chapter has a lot of summary, but with the gap between updates, I figured a recap would help refresh any forgotten plot points for those following along in real time. 』