Work it Out - KiriKami

13 ~ Hope

image cred: grovndzero

Eijirou and Katsuki decided to skip class. With Izuku agreeing to inform their Present Mic that Eijirou wasn't feeling well, they found a secluded spot at the top of one of the school's many stairwells, close to the roof, where they wouldn't be disturbed.

Eijirou hadn't stopped crying. Tears streamed down his face, his body shaking with sobs. He felt like he had lost the person he loved most.

Katsuki sat quietly beside him, a supportive hand on Eijirou's shoulder. He knew there was nothing he could say to help, but he wasn't going to leave him alone.

After over an hour of silent crying, Eijirou finally spoke. "I have to do something. I can't lose him."

"Let Jirou handle it for now. It's best to give him space. Yeah, he can't be alone, but that's why Jirou is with him. You need to stay away until he's had time to calm down and process what's happened."

Eijirou rubbed his tear-streaked face. "I guess that gives me time to come up with a way to make it up to him. I know he probably hates me now, but I can't stop trying to win him back."

Katsuki nodded. "We'll help you."

"I should let him come to me, right? Let him choose when he's ready to talk?"

"Yeah. I don't know what exactly you told Aizawa, but if it's bad enough for Kaminari to freak out like this, he probably needs time to think before he's ready to talk to you."

Eijirou sighed, debating whether to share more with Katsuki. "Um... Well..."

"Don't tell me. It upset him that you told Aizawa, so it'll just upset him more if you tell me."

"I won't tell you details, but... Denki has trauma, like, PTSD-level trauma. He needs to talk to someone about it, to unpack it and process it so he can finally move on. So, I told Aizawa what happened in Denki's past. I told him everything Denki told me."

"If he needs help that badly, telling Aizawa was the best thing to do. I know Kaminari's upset, but he'll come around. Friendship means a lot to him."

"But I'm not just his friend; I'm his boyfriend. That's a higher standard."

Katsuki sighed. "Yeah, that's fair. But if he's dating you, he clearly cares about you. I've noticed how hard he's been trying with the whole PDA thing. He must really care."

"Yeah, I guess so... He pushed himself so hard to be more affectionate. Last night, he told me he loves me for the first time," Eijirou smiled, though he still looked very sad.

"There you have it. He doesn't hate you; he loves you. He just needs time."

Eijirou nodded. "Yeah... He loves me... He just needs time... I'll use that time to figure out how to make things better and apologize. I love him so much. I'll do whatever it takes to win him back."

Katsuki smiled. "There's the optimistic Shitty Hair I know. I was worried I lost ya for a minute there."

Eijirou chuckled. "I can't do this alone, but I want to do as much of it myself as possible."

"You do the work, I'll back you up."

"Perfect."

Katsuki was glad Eijirou wanted his help. He knew he was terrible with words and could only express his feelings through actions. This was his chance to support his friends without messing up with words.

"We need a plan first," Katsuki said. "Got any ideas?"

Eijirou shook his head. "No, but I know someone who might."

"Let me guess. Ashido?"

"Yep."

Mina had plenty of relationship experience. Don't get it wrong; she didn't sleep around. She was just so lovable that many people wanted to be with her. She gave many of them chances, but it never worked out. Knowing her worth, she kicked anyone who didn't treat her right to the curb. She always tried to resolve things first, but sometimes it just wasn't meant to be. With her fair share of relationships and disputes, if anyone knew how to resolve an issue between boyfriends, it was her.

"Maybe I can fix this," Eijirou said, his smile a bit more authentic. "I have you guys to back me up."

Katsuki smiled back. "Of course you'll fix this with me behind you. If you mess up, I'll kick your ass and then we'll try again. Heroes never back down, and we're fucking heroes, aren't we?"

"Yeah, you're right," Eijirou sat up a bit straighter.

Katsuki's words were prideful, but Eijirou knew the feelings behind them. Katsuki always understood him in ways very few people could.

"We're heroes," Eijirou repeated. "I won't back down. I'll fix this no matter what. I'll win Denki back. I just need to give him the space he needs. I won't ever give up on him; I'll wait for him as long as it takes."

Eijirou smiled genuinely now. He had hope.