The Horizon and the Sea

You're My Home...

Kiri grabbed Bakugo's hand and led him further into the cave. They crawled through a few more tunnels, moving further and further into the cave system. They entered another room. The room sloped up from where they had entered and the ceiling was just out of reach at the highest point of the room. The two sat in the cave and talked, their voices bouncing off the walls around them. The area was serene and calmed Bakugo's mind. If Kirishima was here with him he was prepared to wait as long as he had to to get home. They sat and chatted until the sound of Bakugo's stomach growling interrupted their conversation.

"Let's go get something to eat," Kiri suggested.

"I am down for that," the two stood up and started towards the exit to the cave. Kirishima was ahead of Bakugo and sopped suddenly.

"Uh, slight problem,"

"What is it?"

"The tide, it came in,"

"What?" he walked around Kirishima and stepped into cold water that was quickly rising. Bakugo's mind began to race. He looked around the room, something feeling off. He panicked as his mind couldn't place it. The cold water rose around them quickly. Bakugo grabbed onto a scared Kirishima. He held on to him, scared that he would slip away. Something felt familiar about what was happening but Bakugo couldn't think straight. Bakugo slipped below the water's surface time and time again, his lungs filling with the saltwater. His throat burned and his eyes stung. At some point in his struggle to keep above the water, Kirishima slipped away from him. He breached the water's surface panicked and looked for him everywhere. All of a sudden he was pulled beneath the water again. He looked down to see what looked like Kirishima pulling him down. He could see the fear in Kiri's eyes as they plunged towards the floor of the cave. Bakugo reached up and covered his mouth, trying in vain to keep his lungs from filling with the seawater. He clawed at his throat as it burned, the saltwater tearing it up as he swallowed more and more of it. All of a sudden he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. He looked down to see Kirishima with a wicked smile on his face. His entire body was hardened, his sharp fingers digging into Bakugo's flesh. Kirishima slowly pulled himself up Bakugo, his sharp fingers cutting into his skin every time he grabbed. Bakugo winced and tried to pull away from Kiri. He tried to pull him off as the two sank. His fingers were scraped raw against Kiri's hard body. The saltwater burned in every new wound.

"Bakugo! Don't leave me behind!" he heard a distorted voice coming from all around him. The voice pierced his ears, impossibly loud in the freezing water. He lifted his hands and covered his ears, the voice repeating itself, louder and louder, coming from every angle. Bakugo screamed a futile scream into the water. A wave of bubbles escaped from his open mouth, more water finding its way into his lungs.

"Bakugo!" The voice screamed around him. His body shook uncontrollably in the water. Bakugo's eyes shot open and he sat up abruptly in the darkness. He breathed heavily, his body shaking. He felt sweat dripping off of his body as he sat. A wave of chills came over him as tears fell softly from his eyes. He sat in the bed shaking for a moment before his mind finally began to understand what was happening. He felt a tight grip on his arms, and he turned to see Kirishima breathing heavily as well, a look of worry on his face.

"Bakugo are you ok?" Kiri asked his grip loosening slightly. Bakugo just looked at him, his tears trailing down his face even faster. He pinched his eyes closed and swallowed hard. He shook his head, allowing himself to cry. He wasn't sure what about his dream had scared him so much but he couldn't help but cry. His lungs burned again and his eyes stung from his salty tears. Kirishima wrapped his arms around Bakugo to comfort him. Bakugo sat on Kirishima lap and cried on his shoulder, his chest heaving with heavy sobs. Kirishima shushed him gently, rubbing his hand across his back until his sobs subsided. Bakugo held onto Kirishima and Kirishima held right back. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew that Bakugo was distressed and he had to help him.