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The burden of a name or lack thereof, guilt and regret, stupidity. Something always loomed over someone. It held them down as water rose from beneath their feet. Most don't let the water get high enough to reach their waist. But have you not wondered what it was like to drown even in the absence of water? The feeling of suffocating whilst being able to breathe perfectly fine? Dying despite being physically healthy? Katsuki didn't have a well-known name, only a high status, or a vanished one nor did he pour himself regret and pity, neither was he stupid. Still, there was a weight that weighed heavily on his shoulders. No matter what he did he could not get rid of it.Death.It followed everyone. It happened to everyone eventually. Katsuki had seen it with his own eyes. A bug squashed underfoot, a cat unfortunate enough to get hit by a car, a person beaten to death on his mother's order, a person shot dead for trying to harm him. Death came and went in waves; it could be small and insignificant or large and damaging. It could be a light brush against his ankles, tickling him with its coldness or, getting into his lungs where he could taste the salt on his tongue and the sharp, piercing gasps.For children, it goes unsaid that death was not a usual thought. The concept was so bizarre to them, it was incomprehensible. But time and time again, Katsuki would be wondering — will they come back? But they never did. He understood quickly at the age of six, death was normal. It happened all the time. He also understood that he wasn't normal. It didn't take long for him to realise how different he was to the ones around him. Children would talk about the fun they got up to at the weekend, the new toy they got, it would be a figure of sorts that they'd desperately show off to their peers and proceeded to waft and gloat in their faces. He was stuck by the kid that never did any of that, never had anything to show off and didn't have any talents to be praised for. He would say things like he was glad to spend time with his mother on the weekend, she helped him with his homework and then let him watch television. He would always talk about the show he watched, one about a hero that defeated villains. A good, respectable man. Katsuki liked that. He wanted to watch it but he never did.Katsuki's 'fun' at the weekend was watching blood seep into wooden floors, seeing a body be dragged off as a trail of red followed; his toys were guns and knives, he'd learn to use them and learned the different kinds. He was told to never tell a soul about it, he couldn't say what he got up to nor could he make anything up because he didn't know. He could show off his talents, he was athletic and smart. Yet, he was that way because his parents wouldn't settle for anything less. That boy he hung out with loved the idea of becoming a hero; Katsuki knew such things didn't exist already. He agreed, the idea was creative and imaginative but, he soon broke it to him that it didn't exist. It wasn't real. In that boy's eyes, he became a villain. He began to gloat and laugh at him— the violent tendencies made even the adults weary of him. That boy is the devil.His parents never reprimanded his behaviour, they pretended to in front of the teachers and then nothing. Katsuki only realised how wrong they were when he became an adult himself. The devil? He was a child. He supposed that didn't change the hurt he caused, to that boy. Katsuki wondered if he'd driven him to his death, he never saw him after middle-school. Perhaps they went to the same high-school, even though that was a blur for him so how would he know? Even as an adult he was following his parents' whim, going to university to study business so he could inherit their 'company'. It followed him around like a shadow, maybe like water. Water was everywhere after all, the small, invisible vapours in the air or a contained pool.Katsuki enjoyed pools, having one of his own casually sitting out on his balcony. Like right now, he'd sometimes float in it with his clothes on. If he had any friends, he would imagine them calling him weird for it. Most hated the way wet clothes stuck to your skin, the clammy feeling of it irked him too but he could hardly think about that when floating and staring up at the sky was so calming. Being in a pool was a familiar feeling, after all, Katsuki was born in the deep end."Katsuki!", his mother yelled, screeching through his entire apartment to get his attention. Of course, she was already headed straight for the pool after finding the apartment inside desolate and eerily quiet. He listened to her heels clicking across his floor with his eyes closed, he listened as they got closer and closer and then came to a loud, thudding halt. "How many times have I told you not to go into the pool with your clothes on? You'll get sick!"He opened his eyes, sighing out as he turned to swim over to the pool edge to stare up at his mother with an unimpressed look. She loved to do this thing called 'showing up unannounced', granted she knew even the password to his phone. Privacy wasn't exactly a thing in his family, not that she had ever snooped through his phone. Although he didn't have anything to hide on it, it was only his parents and some of their employees he had on his phone and he very rarely texts them. Climbing out of the pool, he squeezed his clothes to wring them dry, "When have I ever gotten sick, hag?""Don't try to tell me you've never gotten sick because you have. I would know.", she scoffed. Katsuki was never really thrilled with her visits but he had gotten so used to her random barging in that he couldn't even get angry at it anymore. It was inconvenient but he was always alone so, now, he could use the company. Besides, Katsuki never texted let alone replied to people so she was purely checking her son hadn't suddenly passed away unexplainably."Yeah," he rolled his eyes, "When I was like, what, ten? And you only knew because the nanny told you.""I have a business to run, of course she would tell me.", she placed a hand on her hip. She was always wearing something fancy, even her pyjamas were from a designer brand. Though, all his clothes were too when his mother bought him clothes. When he bought himself clothes, he got them from a regular store so he could splurge his money elsewhere. His mother looked him up and down and shook her head, "I can't believe you went into the pool with those on. Do you know how much they cost?""Nope.", he peeled his t-shirt from his body and wrung it over the pool as the rest of him dripped. "What do you want?""Do I need to want something to visit my son?", she cocked an eyebrow, her tone as if it was obvious. Usually when she visited it was because she wanted something, either to complain about something or someone or to get him to do something. Often to look into someone because, to stay at university, he didn't want to carry a criminal record around with him. He was good with all things technology, not just because he was young and grew up with it developing as he did but because he liked challenges. One day, he challenged himself to learn the ways of everything computer so there he was, doing his mothers online dirty work for her, he got paid for it of course so he wasn't complaining. Katsuki only turned around to mimic her eyebrow movement, not believing a word she had said. There was always something. "I just, came to see how school was getting on... if you made any friends?""I've been at university for three years and haven't made a single one, you think I'd make one now?", he grumbled, trudging into his apartment and trailing puddles of water behind him. His mother often commented on it but, this time, she didn't. It wasn't like he had carpeted floors, he liked the feeling of cold beneath his feet. The chill it sent up his spine made him feel alive."Why not join a society?", she commented, her feet clacking behind him until she found a place to sit on his couch, "There's a swimming one isn't there? You like swimming."She was partially wrong. It was the feeling of being free he liked, there was no need to control anything or himself. He was just there. When he wasn't in the pool he busied himself, unable to sit down for very long, he didn't need to move when he was in the water. So to join a club where he had to needlessly move in water when he didn't want to, it was stupid. He couldn't think of another excuse so he looked down at himself, staring at the scars he had. There were already rumours that he was a delinquent, the scars on his torso proved it."Oh, that's nothing, Katsuki. Who cares?", his mother waved in dismissal, "Just tell them it's from surgery.""Like hell.", he grimaced, stomping into his bedroom to dry himself off and change into some clean, dry clothes. Katsuki wasn't one for lying, if he didn't want to tell the truth he often avoided the matter entirely with a few curses and threats. Even if he did lie, the scars were very clearly not from surgery. The one by his shoulder, though faint, looked clean cut and was very obviously from a knife. There was another just above his hip bone in his left iliac region, it was round and looked like something had forced its way through. It was very clearly a gunshot wound. Not to mention it went straight through him. Katsuki wasn't one to be shy about his body, he could admit that he was good-looking, but one look at his upper body or his knuckles it was obvious he was some sort of thug.When he reappeared his mother continued, "It's not like you struggle to make friends, you've had some before."The first friendship he had he ruined. Katsuki reminded himself every day what that kid looked like just so he wouldn't forget the torture he put that guy through, all out of jealousy. The friends he made in middle school had been around in elementary too, they were the gloating arseholes he had originally hated. They turned out to be even worse then, getting him into things like smoking and drinking despite being underage. His mother didn't care for that even when he caught him doing it, she merely shrugged. His so-called friends that had been with him turned to love his mother even more because she was 'so chill' as they put it. They then proceeded to ditch him to do all sorts of things, only really inviting him if they wanted to go out and spend money. Of course, her comment made no sense because he either ruined a good one or found a horrible one, "What's the fucking point? If I make a friend, even just fucking one, they'd end up roped into whatever bullshit you're up to.""'Bullshit'?" she gasped, offended when he called it exactly what it was. His mother sat up straight to turn around and glared at him, "What I do is for the good of the family, Katsuki. You need to understand that if you want to inherit my business."He was born to do that. He was born surrounded by death. He was born to bring more of it. Katsuki hated that. He wanted nothing to do with it but she had no other children to spur it on if he said no. That's why he never said anything about it. Whenever she brought up what he would inherit, he said nothing. Silent as a calm wave. He'd lived his life in a riot, full of dull red. Katsuki no longer wanted that. The only peace he got was when he was in the water, floating on it. He wanted more of it, more peace and less chaos. He could inherit the business and change it but it would never change what it was built on. And what happens when you get rid of the foundations of a building? It collapses. With one breath, he spoke, "What if I don't want it?"His mother laughed, "That is bullshit. You grew up saying you wanted it and even if you said you didn't want it, it doesn't change my decision. You are mine, my son, who else is better for my business other than you?"Katsuki stayed silent because she was right, there was no one else. He could think of countless people that would be willing to do it but none that would be good for it. Unlike them, Katsuki had been brought up in a way that his mother saw made him good for the role. No matter how many looks she got about bringing a child that barely reached her hips to watch someone die painfully or the pitying looks he got when he regained consciousness after testing his pain tolerance. In the case that he was kidnapped, he couldn't give them any information no matter how much it hurt."Then you will pass it on to my grandchildren, and they will pass it on to my great-grandchildren.", she hummed, just the thought pleased her. Katsuki grimaced just thinking about it."Gee, the joys.", he rolled his eyes, shuffling over to his kitchen to grab a snack from the fridge. "I'm serious Katsuki. You will inherit the business some day, I did not go through the trouble of raising you the way I did for nothing.", he knew that and Katsuki hated her for it."You have wine don't you? Get me some." Katsuki did as he was told, mindlessly reaching for a wine glass and diverging from his original goal to get himself a snack. He poured out her favourite red wine, forgetting completely that he had wanted a snack as he trudged over to hand it to her. Slumping down on his favourite armchair opposite her, he watched her swirl around the wine for a moment before taking a small sip of it with a pleasant grin. "The league attacked one of our bases."He hissed, "Could you not have started with that? ...Wasting both of our times with shit we both know you don't care about.""Oh, don't be such a baby. I do care about those things, you are my son, of course I do. They just aren't my priority, especially not now.", she chuffed, "The league is getting more and more active. This time they didn't even steal anything, they just burned the place to the ground.""Which one?", he answered, his voice losing its aggressive and spiteful tone."The one in west.", she placed the glass down, sitting down a USB next to it. "This has the camera footage, figure out which one of those bastards did this and quickly. I want to slap them in the face with their own asses."Katsuki let out an amused grunt, folding his arms and staring at it. His mother was at the forefront of the business, on the surface it was a fashion company. Somehow her grandfather had made it into a criminal organisation, it was smart he'd give him that. But what was the point? More money? Money they already had enough of. Katsuki was different from the rest of them, he wouldn't kill people for the sake of money. That was a mistake he made he couldn't take back. "Then I'll give you their asses.""Good.", she nodded, taking her glass in hand again. But he couldn't refuse his mother, he'd never done it before and who knows what would happen if he did. Those that killed their men would be dealt with but more men would die because of it, it would keep going and going. Even if he liked to convince himself that he had no part in it, he did. "So... interested in any girls around campus?"Katsuki blinked at her slowly, his head turning to her with a grimace gradually contorting onto his face, "Fuck off."She scoffed, "Oh come on! When I was your age, your father and I had already—""I don't want to know what you were both up to.", when he was younger, it was always non-stop talking about how they got together but as he got older it got progressively more vulgar. Those things should stay between the do and the doer. The product of their 'doing' did not want to hear it."Hurry up and find one then! If you go to the swimming society I'm sure there will be a pretty lady there for you. It shouldn't be hard for you to get a girl when you've inherited my face.", she was talking as if it was easy. He definitely didn't want to copy his mothers tactics of following them around and being really aggressive with it until they gave in. Despite his parents getting along well with no issues, it sounded like a recipe for disaster. Just the thought alone made a shiver run down his spine. "The new semester starts tomorrow right?"Katsuki was more surprised that she almost got it right, "It's just the welcome week for first years.""Then walk around there for a bit. Find a club to join!", his mother never relented, droning on and on about talking and meeting people. But what would meeting anyone do? He'd been comfortably alone, happily spending his free-time on his own, doing what he wanted to do in his own time. He mostly stayed hauled up in his room, sleeping until noon. Meeting someone would ruin it, all of it. And if it didn't, his mother would be the first to wreck the train. The normal should stay away from the unordinary, from Katsuki. The normal, the innocent, did not belong with the wicked and untamed. It reminded him of that time he begged his mother for a dog, a sweet puppy is what he got. He loved it every single day, for a few months at least. Then his mother killed it because it got on her nerves, shot it several times in front of his face. All he could was stare at it, the tears in his eyes wouldn't even fall. He was nine. "Or go out to a bar! You like drinking."He wanted clear water, freedom, but all he got was a murky, oozing red with a bitter stench. Sometimes he hated hearing his own heartbeat because of it, it was that reminder that set him off. He knew it, his mother knew it, everyone around them knew it. Katsuki was just a ticking bomb waiting to explode. When he does, he'd take everyone around him down with it. It had happened once before. Part of him wanted to know if he looked hard enough, he'd find a way to cut the fuse. If he could be free and forget the life he grew up with. Even that sounded like a pipe dream to him. After his mother left, he stood in his apartment with his hair still dripping. For a moment, his eyebrows puckered, creasing as he squeezed his eyes shut. A deep breath in, a long and heavy sigh out. He knew that pipe dreams were pipe dreams for a reason. He could wish upon a shooting star if need be— it wouldn't happen. No matter how hard he wished to be innocent, Katsuki was the devil. The embodiment of death, forever alone. He'd be cursed to stare at friends hanging out and having fun and only be filled with a deep, ugly jealousy.They'd drink for fun, he'd drink away the one pain his mother never conditioned him for — the one in his heart.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It seemed as though he was dead-set on making himself miserable, wandering around the campus despite it being annoyingly busier than usual. He kept his hood up, knowing he looked utterly horrible underneath. Although, people already recognised him due the motorcycle he rode. It wasn't like he walked around with it by his side, but others swerved out of his way the minute they saw the helmet. It was either the distinct orange and black that threw them off or he really did look like a thug.
At one point, he stood still in the middle of the path. Either side of him had venues for societies, people crowding around every single one. This time of year was always ridiculously warm and loud. People crawled everywhere, on every damn surface in a 20 mile radius and Katsuki loathed it. Not because he despised people, there was that, but it felt as though they were crawling on him, on every fibre of his being. He didn't care for the stares he felt but, fuck, did he feel like even the trees were looking at him. Even as he stared down at his blank phone screen, his hands were unbelievably shaky. He cursed himself for ever setting a foot out of his apartment. Part of him wanted to turn around and head straight back to his bike so he could run back home, sleep the week away before he actually had to do work.
But he stopped and couldn't get himself to move again. He squeezed his eyes shut, pulling his hood over his eyes.
"Hey!", a hand jumped onto his shoulder, his whole body jolted at the sudden touch. Before he could even turn around, he saw legs pop up in the corner of his vision, stumbling until they were in front of him. The voice was annoyingly cheery as he wafted a leaflet in his face, "Wanna check out the sports club?"
Katsuki's hand fell from his hood as he grimaced, letting out a hiss and speaking with a baited breath, "What kinda damn sports?"
"Uh... most of them?", the other laughed, "Like, boxing, badminton, basketball... "
His eyes snapped up in awe at how stupid the other sounded, only to be blinded by red. The man's hair was bright red and gelled up so that it was hard not to recognise it. His eyes, already straining and burning out of sheer exhaustion and the blinding sun, squinted even more at the slap of colour he was hit with. His own face screwing up behind the glasses that sat on his face.
The other continued to grin even after getting no response, he merely blinked stupidly at him before speaking again, "You look like a sporty guy!"
Katsuki merely huffed, getting caught off guard when the other reached out to him and pulled him along the path by the wrist, "Come on, I'll show you the sports hall!"
That red mess looked back at him as he dragged him along the path, a smile that rivalled the sun. A fleeting moment passed where time slowed down for him, allowing him to bask in the moment a little longer. He could admire the bright red, the sharp teeth barred in his direction in a smile that crinkled the skin around his eyes. For that moment, his heart fluttered as his eyes grew wide with shock because, for the first time in forever, someone smiled in his direction— at him.
Katsuki had that moment playing on repeat as they reached the sports hall, he didn't notice that his hood had slipped from his head nor did he notice the people gawking between the two of them, presumably in awe at the red's oblivious confidence to continue to pull him along by the wrist as he showed him various parts of the sports hall. It was large, he'd give them that. Katsuki had only ever seen it from the outside and Red wasn't kidding when he said they did most sports.
A familiar scent of clean chemicals wafted up his nose, sending a calming buzz to his brain. He knew what they were nearing as they strolled down the hall, two large double doors at the end. When Red shoved them open, he was met with a large pool, its blue hue reflecting on the ceiling. The wind had been knocked out of him before by standing out in the open but, just by looking at it and breathing in its smell, he felt at home.
Red grinned at him as he turned to him again, "Ooo, you a swimmer?"
Katsuki's head jerked back, his eyebrows furrowing as a pout formed on his face, muttering quietly, "No."
"Really?", he leaned in, raising an eyebrow in suspicion before shrugging when Katsuki gave him nothing but an annoyed huff through his nose, "You had twinkly stars in your eyes man, if you're not a swimmer— you at least interested?"
Katsuki shrugged again as Red continued with a groan, "I can't swim for the life of me, I just sink."
He let out a quiet, albeit amused titter, "Skill issue."
An arm swung around him, granted the guy was almost a head taller than him and much bulkier, so much so Katsuki was practically swallowed up in this guy's side. "I prefer to stay dry... Oh? Looks like the women's swim team is selling cupcakes!"
Without a word of protest, Katsuki ended up being dragged over to the stall they set up in the drier area. Katsuki was mostly appalled at the fact they decided to sell them in the vicinity of the pool itself rather than elsewhere. Red quickly greeted the women as they almost immediately spotted him out of all the people that were there. Funnily enough, it was only a few men that gathered around their small stall. He stood and watched them, immediately feeling the invisible wall separate them. It was clear Red already knew them, for a while he watched curiously. His eyes flickered to the cupcakes, one decorated with a shark caught his eye so he decided to buy it. For no particular reason, Katsuki wasn't a big sweet tooth or, rather, he was never allowed anything of the sort. The girl behind the table smiled at him, brushing her fingers against his as she handed him the cupcake. "You're Katsuki Bakugou, right?"
Katsuki, first, admired the cupcake. He thought before it was a random plastic toy they shoved on the top of all the icing but it had been made by hand. His eyes flickered up to the girl who continued to smile at him, round, pink cheeks. She was smiling at him but her eyes were ice cold, like she hated him. Rather, it was obvious that she did. He scowled at her, wondering what her problem was, they hadn't met before. "What of it?"
The cupcake he had held loosely was promptly knocked out of his hands, everyone was too busy having their own conversations to notice that she merely brushed it off as an accident. He looked down to the cupcake now splattered on the floor, his heart flickering with hurt. Perhaps she was expecting him to get angry because when he slowly backed off, knowing he was unwelcome, feeling every hair stand on end as the back of heads grew scornful eyes, she could only look guilty. He could imagine everyone laughing at him, even though no one had even batted an eyelid to it. It was just that thought that made him realise that no matter where he went, there were traces of it everywhere. That hate he took into his body and spread around him, spread to others like it was contagious and slapped him in the face.
Right?
Because they hated him as much as he hated them.
Even as the girl frantically picked up another cupcake to give to him, he was already out the door. He wouldn't see them again anyway. Katsuki rushed back to his bike and sat there for a moment with his helmet on, sucking in every sharp breath.
There was a time when Katsuki didn't care what other people did, he held his head high and stared people down and got angry over every little thing that pushed him the wrong way. A violent, devilish child. He didn't know if shutting himself in his own apartment, only leaving for classes, is what mellowed him out or if he was so desperate to escape the past that it all caught up to him at once, latching onto him like a leach so he wouldn't forget.
At the start of his life, all the way up to his teenage years, he hated everything and everyone. Now, he was an adult spending every waking moment, hating himself so much it exhausted him. Why was he born this way? Why did he have to be born to them? Would it be different if he wasn't? Would he still be an utterly spiteful, little shit if things were different?
Sucking in a breath, Katsuki started his bike and left. He didn't care about where he was headed, he merely rode around, breaking a few traffic laws along the way. The exhilaration of it distracted him for a while, zooming around got his blood pumping and made him alive. Even if he was a royal asshole to everyone else, it helped him. Katsuki had always been selfish, doing what he wanted for him and only him. That was a habit he'd never get rid of, along with the many he'd occasionally fall back into when he felt horrible. Ones his mother wouldn't berate and bite his head off for— smoking and drinking. That he did when he finally got into the safety of his own home, rushing in as if he'd forgotten to turn the stove off. He hadn't. He was merely eager to forget.
Forgetting was the easiest way, even for a short while. Katsuki couldn't ride around like a maniac the whole day, the next best thing was drinking. Except the only thing he had was wine, it was what his mother liked. Everything, down to the last decoration, was what his mother liked. She didn't even live here so it was almost laughable. It all reminded him of her, it screamed her despite her saying she designed it to what he liked— what did he even like? The spicy food that numbed his tongue or soulless, black darkness of his bedroom?
He sank into his couch, bottle of wine in his hand, another set out on the table for after. His mothers perfume wafted through his nose, "Shit. I never should have left."
Katsuki always ended up doing what his mother told him to, he'd gotten up and gone out without thinking and, before he knew it, ended up there. He was told to find friends and all he found was another reason not to step foot outside his apartment. Someone he'd never even seen hated him. Even if he tried to think of the warmth that had greeted him before, he couldn't remember. It was distorted by plain darkness, random scrawls all over it that spoke to him, telling him it was all fake. It was. What else could it be other than fake?
Beside him his phone rang, vibrating annoyingly as he tried to read the name on his screen. It wasn't hard to guess who. No one but her called him. He elected to ignore it, it wouldn't be long before she was storming her way in again. Always meddling, always messing everything up. But the phone rang again, his mother never called twice.
He picked it up, without looking, only to hear a familiar gruff tone cooing at him, "Hey, Little Boss."
"The hell do you want?", Shindo was a sketchy character at best but, then again, everyone around him was sketchy. He was his supposed bodyguard, one that he never saw, ever actually. Katsuki preferred it that way.
"Saw you zooming around, thought you could use a little drink."
"Already on it, shit-face.", he made a point to clank the bottle of wine onto the table.
"That shit?", he scoffed,
"You can do better than that. I know a place that's pretty popular with you students."
"I don't give a fuck.", Katsuki spat, much preferring the comfort of his own house to drown out his sorrows in. It was a pretty pathetic thing to do, he knew that. He always turned up his nose whenever he saw other people doing it.
"Come on, I'll pick you up and take you there.", the other pushed.
"No."
"Yes?", the other corrected, "Great! I'll be there in an hour."
Katsuki grimaced, his phone escaping his loose grip. He didn't even want to know where he was, considering he was an hour away, by car that is. He hoped that if he drank both bottles, which was perfectly doable, that fucker would leave him be.
He hoped.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Picked another stray off the street, Kirishima?", his childhood friend laughed, he realised that he'd left the poor guy alone when she mentioned him. Out of habit, he'd made straight for his friends, assuming that the other would trail on behind him but the moment he let go he stopped following. Mina made it sound like he dragged people around all the time, finding someone alone and happily stringing them along but, in reality, he didn't do it all that often. He'd done it a few times, sure, and it was enough that his friends made a running joke about it eventually. It was like with Midoriya, Kirishima found him on his own on their first day of lectures in first year and they've stuck with each other ever since. He liked how he watched the skittish boy he knew, grow into a confident man who even had a girlfriend now. Eijirou supposed finding people was a habit of his but, unlike Midoriya who followed him around like a lost puppy, the blond looked as though he was forced to be here.There was a small moment, the exhaustion in the others eyes lit up. He thought that he'd found something that he was interested in but, at first, he denied it and then nothing. Eijirou had been showing him around, mindlessly yapping to him but he looked as though he was in his own world. It was only when they entered the swimming pool that he snapped out of it, he thought he was onto something. Although, he didn't think he was entirely wrong."Oh?", Yaoyarozu piped up beside them, finally looking up from the money she'd been counting to look in the direction of the blond he'd been eyeing, "Isn't that...?"Yaoyarozu wasn't on the swim team, she was a business major and good at maths thus saw fit to help her friends. Eijirou cocked an eyebrow, "What? You seen him before?""Yeah, I recognise him. He's only been in most of my classes for the past two years.", she laughed, the smile staying on her face as she spoke, "Never seen him hang out with anyone, let alone talk to anyone. I thought he'd be a bit... more conceited than that."She shrugged as the other two waited for an explanation, "Back in first year, I don't know if you remember or even heard of it but there was a massive thing in the business school where people kept throwing around the phrase 'The Big Three'?"Eijirou thought for a moment, humming before shaking his head. He didn't even remember what he had for breakfast so how could he possibly remember something from two years ago? At least, Mina seemed to catch on, "Oh... right! I remember cus three heirs of major companies or whatever joined right? There's Todoroki, you and another one. Was the other one actually ever confirmed? It was just a rumour, no?"She nodded towards the blond, "He's the third. You know it, the one owned by the retired model you love— Mitsuki Bakugou? That's her son."Mina audibly gasped, almost twisting her entire body in two to snap around to look at him again. Eijirou was subjected to Mina wildly slapping his arm as she tried her best to contain a squeal, muttering his name over and over again like she knew him already. Katsuki . Eijirou watched him quietly, losing him for a moment as he slipped past all the people to get to the table. All his friends kept continuing to chant about how much he looked like his mother, how pretty he was but, it was obvious to him, he didn't need to rant and rave about it to believe it. Rather than that, the exhaustion had settled back in his eyes. It was hard to see from the angle he was looking at him at but the bright red in his eyes from earlier was gone, he was back to the dull, wine red. Looking at it pained him because it reminded him of how he used to be, so deep in his own head he wasn't sure he'd ever crawl out of it.
"I call dibs!", Mina yelled but all the energy and enthusiasm was shocked out of her as the watched Uraraka whack the cupcake Bakugou had just bought onto the floor. Her face was morphed into that of fear and anger, undeciding on which one would prevail. Bakugou hadn't said a thing to her, well, whatever he had muttered didn't warrant that anyway. Eijirou's gut twisted, watching Bakugou's eyes flick down to it for a brief moment and stare. A normal person would get angry over that, that anger would have been warranted yet, there was radio silence. Eijirou had thought, looking into his eyes that he wasn't in all that deep, Katsuki's red eyes had tricked him. The light had tricked him before because those eyes were nearing on black. He looked at him and he saw someone drowning and suffocating and, almost, dead. "What did she do that for?"There was a quiet shine in Bakugou's eyes, it didn't last long but he was certain. That was fear. Bakugou did well to cover it, his whole face retching into a scowl as he turned on his heel and left. Uraraka scrambled to the other side of the table, her voice failing to reach out to him. Without thinking, Eijirou brushed past her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder as he did.Eijirou exited the pool, his eyes searching for the blond tuft of hair. It was in his nature to be worried, it was a look he knew all too well. Even then, no matter how fast he walked, he seemed to be getting further and further away. "Bakugou!"His voice echoed down the hallway, falling on deaf ears so he ran to him, the one walking at a brisk pace and almost slamming into people as he did so. Eijirou wanted nothing more than to reach him. He knew how it felt, to feel completely alone in a room full of people, to question your entire existence and over-analyse every little thing. He knew what it was like to convince yourself that no matter what or who came your way, there was nothing more you deserved in this world than to die.Eijirou was caring to a fault. He didn't know Bakugou, Bakugou didn't know him. Still, he didn't think what drove him to run after him was a sense of duty. It was urgency. Even Midoriya hadn't been so lost deep within himself when they met because Eijirou didn't notice it right away and he had a keen eye for things he was familiar with.When his face met the blaring sun and humid air, he could no longer see the blond tuft of hair anymore. Even as he wandered around, nearing his wits' end trying to find Bakugou in a sea of other people, he hadn't caught so much as a glimpse. Even when he backtracked, following the way he had dragged Bakugou before, he couldn't find blond anywhere. Perhaps because he was too busy looking for blond, he failed to notice the helmet and familiar clothes right under his nose. They were staring at him right in front of his face and he noticed too late, the flash of orange and black disappeared in the blink of an eye. "Dammit."But, at least, he had a bike that was fairly noticeable. The bright orange and the loud exhaust— he couldn't miss him again.Eijirou made the slow walk back, dragging his feet back to the pool where Uraraka and Mina sat waiting for him. They both jumped up immediately noticing his reappearance. Uraraka was the first to speak up, her eyebrows knitting together, "Did... you talk to him?"He shook his head with a sigh, "Lost him. What did you do that for?""Sorry. I just, he... Izuku...", she grimaced, letting out a groan, "I acted before thinking, he's Bakugou right? Deku's 'Kacchan'.""Midoriya got bullied by his childhood friend, remember?" Mina added, speaking as if she renounced anything and everything she had said before, "That was him.""Doesn't mean you have to be an asshole to him though, Midoriya said himself he was over it. He did say we might run into him because he goes here too but, he also said specifically to act like it didn't happen.", he was quick to reply. He was a strict believer of not treating people the way they treat others, even if they were an asshole at some point in their life. It was very clear that wasn't the case anymore, "Midoriya also said they haven't spoken to each other since middle school. They were fourteen, we're all twenty-one now.""I know!" Uraraka raised her voice. However, she brought her voice back down to a normal level to speak again, "I know, okay? I couldn't help it, I got angry. Just because it happened ages ago doesn't mean I can just ignore it though, alright? But, I don't know what I was expecting...""It wasn't that, I'm sure.", Mina scoffed, "Maybe he got what he deserved."Eijirou shot her a look as she rolled her eyes but Uraraka was the one who shook her head, "No, even if he did what he did... I don't think he deserved anything for it. Maybe a good talking to but, from what Deku said, his mother didn't seem to care very much what he did so I doubt it."They all stood in silence, in a huddle away from the rest of the group. Eijirou did wonder though, how someone who had been described as notoriously aggressive and violent by someone that used to know him, had subdued to that. He seemed to be nothing more than an empty shell of what he used to be."Hey, hey, what's with the gloominess over here?", Kaminari interjected, hooking an arm around Eijirou, "I thought Halloween was in October.""It is.", Mina sighed, Uraraka letting out an awkward laugh."We're all about to go clubbing if you guys wanna put aside whatever is going on here.", he then added with a grin, "Plus Ultra, as usual.""It's the middle of the day though.", Uraraka put a hand on her hip."Who said we weren't allowed to have a bit of day-time drinking? We'll all be busy the minute classes start next week, especially you, Mido-bro and Ei. Criminology is about to fist your asses.""I'm not sure I'd put it like that but I guess you have a point.", Eijirou grunted. Kaminari cheered, yelling that they were all on-board with it, apparently they'd already texted the few of their friends that weren't actually there. The rest was a blur until he found himself at Plus Ultra, during the day it was quite empty. There were a few stragglers here and there but it was very obvious the bartenders hated seeing them all walk through the door. It was funny watching sweat pour from their faces, silently counting how many there were. Even Kirishima couldn't be bothered to count but there were at least ten of them.For a moment, at least an hour, Eijirou had forgotten about everything that had just happened. Spending time with his friends always put him in a better mood, so did the alcohol too but that's beside the point. To Eijirou, his friends were everything to him and he wouldn’t, not for a single moment, doubt or hate any of them. Most, he’d found at university. Of course, there was Mina who he’d gone to middle school and high school with. She rounded up girls from her dorm and so did he, so it was a massive group they created. And, the more the merrier, yeah?Because he noticed the way Uraraka’s face contorted slightly as she stared towards the door, Midoriya’s face nervously sweating as he looked the same way. Eijirou turned around to see the familiar blond he had been chasing after— Bakugou Katsuki. He staggered in with someone else, whilst Bakugou had still been wearing what he had last seen him in, the other was wearing a suit with no tie. Mina had noticed too, sliding a small basket of nachos on the table, “Hey, Midoriya. You okay?”“Huh?” Midoriya looked almost shocked to hear her say it, “Yeah, of course!”Uraraka’s mood wilted a little, whispering into Midoriya’s ear as his face twitched a little, his eyes staggering over to the blond that was sitting at the bar. “Ah… honest though! I’m alright, I just wasn’t expecting to see him. It’s been a while.”“Do you wanna go somewhere else?” Uraraka asked, Midoriya flailing his arms around in protest.“No! I’m seriously fine!”, he laughed. Midoriya shrunk a little in his seat, he couldn’t take his eyes off Bakugou and, to be honest, neither could Eijirou. “He hasn’t even noticed we’re here.”“Probably because he looks drunk already.”, Mina added, retaking her seat next to Eijirou and munching on the nachos, “I mean… like, look at him. Is that his boyfriend or something?”At first glance they looked like friends, some way or another they knew each other at least. The guy in the suit was constantly swinging his arm over Bakugou’s shoulders and handing him a drink, patting his back like he’d done something good when he threw the entire thing down his throat in one go. Eijirou also noticed the glare Bakugou gave him every single time he pretty much breathed in his direction. Bakugou hadn’t cared all that much when Eijirou had been that close but there, he looked like he hated it.Midoriya burst out in a disarray of splutters and redness, “I’m pretty sure Kacchan is straight… Well, the friends he hung out with in middle school were all pretty homophobic so I’m pretty sure.”“So he’s a bully AND a homophobe?” Mina groaned, throwing herself back into the chair in disbelief.“I don’t know about that… He never joined in with the jokes, he just sat there.”, Midoriya shrugged. “Kacchan only ever bullied me, his friends however… tormented everyone they didn’t agree with. I think they were worse than him actually.”“He may as well be homophobic if he just sat there and listened to it.”, Mina rolled her eyes, “So what if he just bullied you? Wow, the special treatment. What an honour.”“Alright, alright.”, Eijirou breathed out. Mina felt quite strongly about the whole ‘homophobic’ thing, considering how heavy of a topic it used to be for him. Not everyone was going to agree with it, Eijirou didn’t particularly know why but that was the way it was. He could tell Mina was gradually hating Bakugou more by the second though.
Midoriya was almost taken aback when someone tried to approach the pair at the bar, a girl more specifically and was promptly shooed away by the guy with Bakugou. Before it had been too loud for them to hear anything the two were saying to each other but the guy spoke loud enough on purpose, “Sorry, love, we’re dating.”Bakugou’s head snapped to the side, his face screwing up as he grimaced at the other. Although the girl had left, it was like they still spoke at the same volume, “If you think I’d ever date you, you have another thing coming.”“I know, Little Boss but she left, didn’t she?”, the other shrugged. “If I didn’t have a girlfriend though, I’d consider it.”Bakugou snorted, chugging another glass of whiskey. He then twisted his body to face his friend, “Even if I was gay, I wouldn’t consider it.”The blond’s eyes flickered to the table where they were all sat, his entire body tensed when his eyes fell on Midoriya. But the glare on his face faded. Noticing, his friend looked towards them too. For a moment, there was a strange staring competition going on before his friend stood up and happily waltzed over to their table.“Aren’t you Midoriya?!”, a hand fell onto Midoriya’s shoulder.“Do… I know you?” Midoriya laughed, trying his best to lean away from the man.“Nah, not really.”, he shrugged, “I know you though. We went to the same high school!”“We did?” Midoriya laughed, everyone on their table was mildly weirded out by him. Although, he didn’t seem all that bad. He did happen to invite himself to the table though, grabbing a chair from an unoccupied table next to them.“I was in the year above, if you ever heard Bakugou screeching in the corridors it was probably because of me.”, he hummed, sounding almost proud before turning around, “Little Boss! C’mere!”Bakugou had already turned around and downed two more glasses, flipping the other off over his shoulder without looking. “Dear lord… don’t mind him, he’s not in a good mood. I dragged him here to let off some steam but he’d already drunk two bottles of wine before I got there. Can you believe it?! That guy hates wine and he still drank it!”“That… might have been my fault.” Uraraka laughed awkwardly.“Oo, did you reject him? He doesn’t take the word ‘no’ very well.”, he leaned against the sticky table, helping himself to a nacho even as Mina dragged it away from his reach.
“No, no! I knocked the cupcake he just bought out of his hand on purpose.”, the guy burst out laughing.“Seriously?! That’s why he’s upset?! That’s hilarious!”, he banged his hand on the table, shaking it and near spilling a few of their drinks, “That’s adorable. A cupcake?!”Everyone merely laughed with him, not really knowing what else to do or say but as he calmed down, wiping a tear from his eye, he spoke again, “I doubt that’s the actual reason, don’t worry. I don’t think he’d get upset over something he’s never tasted before.”“Oh… phew. I really thought…” Uraraka put a hand over her heart, sighing in relief.“He’s never had a cupcake before?” Eijirou pointed out, the guy looked at him with a smile but before he could say anything, a presence loomed behind him. It was Bakugou himself, the topic of the conversation. He was swaying as he stood, face flushed red. His friend paused as he was about to speak, knowing full well who it was lurking behind him with a fierce look on his face.
Bakugou reached for the guy’s collar, yanking him back, himself stumbling on his own feet, “Quit it. Let’s go somewhere else.”“Aw why? I’m having fun!”, he grinned but Bakugou wasn’t buying it, his eyebrow twitching, “You’d enjoy yourself if you joined us you know!”“Like hell I will.”, he tugged on the collar again as the other guy rolled his eyes.He started to flap his arms around, stomping his feet like a child, “No! I’m not going! Never!”Bakugou grimaced, letting go as he watched his friend latch onto Midoriya, “Screw you! Midoriya is way funner than you!”Rather than being offended, Bakugou looked disgusted with him. Eijirou wasn’t sure if it was the childish tantrum he was throwing or something else but the interaction was mildly amusing to watch. He was hoping that Bakugou would sit with them after that but he just went back to his place at the bar, ordering more drinks for himself. Eijirou wondered if he really should be drinking even more than that, he’d watched him down more than several drinks already and, according to his friend, two entire bottles of wine. Somehow he was still coherent… somewhat at least.“Do you still do Judo Midoriya?”, he asked, huffing as he noticed Bakugou wasn’t coming back. Eijirou stood up himself, everyone had quickly gotten used to the new body on their table that they had slipped back off into their own worlds. Iida, Todoroki and Yaoyarozu having their own conversation on the far end of the table and the rest mingling between. Only Mina really noticed him leave, assuming he wouldn’t be long but raising an eyebrow when he decided to sit by Bakugou. Sliding into the chair that his friend had once sat at with a smile.“Hiya dude.” Bakugou spared him a short glance from the corner of his eye before turning his attention to the glass pressed up against his bottom lip. Eijirou watched him, leaning his head in his hand, “You rushed off earlier, I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”“Had places to be.”, he grunted, if his place to be was his stash of alcohol then Eijirou supposed it counted.“Did I convince you to join any clubs?”“No.”, he waved over the bartender again, “Maybe when you learn to swim.”Eijirou chuckled, “Dude, that’s impossible.”“Exactly.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Drinking was an escape. He found himself hardly caring about the stares he got when he did, his own mind floating on the alcohol. The world around him would spin and so would their faces, their eyes the most distorted. It didn’t mean he couldn’t feel it though, all the staring that stabbed his back. The prickles and goosebumps on his skin reminded him of that so he’d drink more and more. He hated the taste, always did, but the burn, he loved that. Alcohol dulled his senses and despite that, it made him feel like he was really alive.
It was strange, Katsuki didn’t enjoy living. Dying seemed like the better option. He supposed proving he was alive made him realise everything was real, it would only fuel that desire to be free even more. There was a time when Katsuki had decided to end his life; it had been way before the present. He remembered the first time failing and the second, he couldn’t remember the second. All there was to that fleeting moment was a bridge and a person he couldn’t recall the face of. But who cared about that now?
“Why aren’t you with your friends?” Katsuki huffed to Red, next to him. He only knew it was because of obvious red hair taking up most of his blurred, spinning vision. Everything was barely perceivable.
“Your friend left you alone.”, Shindo was far from his friend. He was obligated to make sure he was fine and then he’d report back to his mother about it. Katsuki would say he is more of a pest than a friend. He
was
one.
“Not my friend.”, Katsuki would rather be packed in a room full of people like a can of sardines than ever call that snitch his friend. The thought of calling him his friend made him shiver.
“You still hang out with some random guy you went to high-school with then?” Red laughed although Katsuki didn’t find it particularly funny.
“Forced to. He works for the hag.”, he spat, staring down at the ice in his whiskey.
“I’m assuming you mean your mother. That sounds cool though! I don’t wanna assume but he seems like a sound guy.”, Kirishima added, slowly creeping his hand to Katsuki’s cup. Though he tried to swat it away, he missed completely and his drink was seemingly confiscated from him. The guy even went as far to drink it himself, his face squirming at the aftertaste, “God, what is that?”
“Why did you drink it not knowing what it was?”, he huffed. In a situation where he was literally mugged right in front of his face, his alcohol stolen and all he could do was watch, Katsuki wanted nothing more than to just get more, “You’ll end up in some unknown alley if you keep doing that.”
“I only did it because you look like you’ve had enough alcohol. Wouldn’t want you to die of alcohol poisoning!” Red patted him on the back out of pure instinct, it seemed so natural to him to touch others. Katsuki couldn’t imagine ever being like that, his whole body shivering at the touch but, he didn’t hate it as much as when his ‘friend’ had so casually laid his arms around him. With Red, it was different. He wasn’t sure if their first chance meeting had anything to do with it; however, he didn’t feel as though his very soul was being peered into and judged for the chaotic evil that it was.
Katsuki hummed. Alcohol poisoning, stabbing, a blow to the back of the head, a bullet; whatever way he were to die, Katsuki didn’t have the right to choose. He could think about it, the ways he wanted to, his ideal way but, there was no sense in trying to attain it. Although, there was nothing to his life, it was all drenched in death and blood. His own hands were stained with it. There really was no sense in choosing.
His life could be taken away from him at any moment. Before he would have fought it but, perhaps, now, if given the option, he’d put himself in that situation. Whichever way they did it, he’d gladly accept.
“You okay dude?”, a hand was placed on his shoulder.
Katsuki scoffed, “That’s new.”
He wasn’t sure if the other was going to speak, Katsuki stopped him before he could find out, “What’s your name anyway?”
“Eijirou Kirishima.”, his voice was bubbly and enthused. Like a dog, happy to hear its own name being called out.
“Red.”, he merely stated, forgetting to continue his own sentence despite saying it to himself in his head. Eijirou was far better than Red. “Eijirou.”
“My hair is pretty red.”
“Why?” Katsuki leaned over the sticky counter, his head thumping into his palm as he stared at the red blob in front of him. “You look… like, … a
— What do you look like?”
“The alcohol finally getting to you?” Kirishima laughed, “That took a while.”
“I’ve been drinking since— “, he hiccuped, counting on his hand and stopping at two, waving them in front of Kirishima’s face.
“Since you were two?” Kirishima sounded obviously distrustful about the statement but, of course, because he misinterpreted it.
Katsuki shook his head lazily, his arm nearly giving out under the heavy feeling of his head, “Grade. Middle school.”
“Ah.”
“You?”
“Me?”, there was a hint of confusion for a moment before the lightbulb lit up in his head, “Not until I was legal. My mum would have had my head if I drank any earlier than that.”
He started to wonder. What if his mother did care? It was hard to imagine really. Growing up normal or mostly ordinary was nothing but a pipe dream to him. What if he didn’t have all this money? Would his life be better? Easier?
“Good thing really. It makes the first time you drink alcohol all the more special.”, did it? The first time he drank alcohol, one of the first times at least, he was in his room with his friends in middle school. His parents weren’t home as always so they had free reign of a house far too large for three barely teenagers. Naturally they had raided the alcohol. It wasn’t anything special, it was just something that was done on a whim so he would seem cool. He supposed waiting until you were legal stopped the stupidity and mistakes, allowing for fun. “Drinking with friends is fun. I would offer to have you join us but… well, you should probably stop drinking so maybe next time?”
Katsuki’s eyes widened.
Next time? Why?
“Why?”
“Why not?”, the answer to that was obvious. He didn’t know them. The one he did know Katsuki had sworn to never go anywhere near again yet, here they were, a few strides away from each other. And all those people? Katsuki couldn’t do that.
He breathed in, turning his head so his face was buried in his hands. Katsuki felt a hand lay gently on his back, the touch sending waves of chills all over him.
“You’re not gonna throw up are you?” Kirishima asked.
“No.”
“Do you want to go home?” Suddenly, Katsuki loved the idea of laying in his bed and letting the blankets swallow his entire being. He nodded. “Alright. Hold on.”
He heard shuffling and steps taken away from him but it wasn’t even moments later when the steps returned to his side. Quiet movement around him and careful hands. No one had ever treated him as a piece of china, delicate and fragile. That’s how he knew it wasn’t Shindo currently picking him off his stool and getting him to stand.
“I thought of a great idea!”, but Shindo’s voice was heard hollering in the background. He couldn’t quite make out what he said but, Shindo was never a bright guy.
“I don’t think that’s—”
“It’ll be fine! Lets go, lets go!”
There was haziness and the next thing he knew, he was blinded by the lights to his apartment. Groaning and squinting at the floor before standing up straight, the warmth around him never let go.
“Are you alright?”, it seemed Kirishima was the one to take him home. Although he tried to pry himself off of Kirishima’s side, the other kept a hold of him. “Where’s your room?”
Katsuki took a moment to look at where he was in his apartment, just in the door. Since his apartment had an open floor plan, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t see.“Stairs.”
It took them a while to just get to the stairs with Katsuki’s stumbling and when they did reach them, there was a brief pause. Katsuki almost didn’t want to go up them but waiting for him was the comfort of his bed. Something he desperately wanted and he wouldn’t settle for the couch. But there was no doubt he’d trip up those steps.
“Here, hold on to me a sec.” Kirishima guided Katsuki’s arms over his shoulders. Had he been sober, Katsuki would have refused. “Uh… please don’t throw up though.”
He grumbled, glaring up at the other. Katsuki didn’t want to either. He didn’t feel like he was going to but when his feet were suddenly no longer on the floor and his hold around Kirishima’s shoulders tightened, for a brief moment he gagged. The quick motion of being hoisted into someone’s arms, rocked his brain. “Warn me next time arsehole.”
“My bad…“ Kirishima laughed, “You’re not going to throw up though, right?”
Katsuki’s head flopped onto Kirishima’s shoulder, “... No.”
There was a first time for everything and Katsuki thought being carried was, well, not too bad. Especially when, having had no alcohol in some time, his whole body was getting tired. Although he didn’t know if it was Kirishima or the alcohol still circulating through his body, it was warm. It rivalled that of his bed but the idea of falling asleep around another person wasn’t appealing at all. Even though his eyes were drooping, trying their hardest to close, Katsuki fought against it.
He occupied his mind with other things, like the sound of Kirishima breathing or the straw-like texture of his hair in his hands. He’d been wondering if his hair was naturally that ridiculous looking still, he didn’t know if it reassured him any to know it was just hair gel. Who would want their hair to look like that? And why?
“Your hair is weird.”, he muttered out, running his hand through the sea of red to mess it up and flatten it. It caused Kirishima to stumble slightly as he carried him up the stairs.
“Come on man…”, Kirishima sounded a little defeated as he let out a whine, “It’s not even that different from— yours…”
Kirishima paused at the top of the stairs, his head turning to Katsuki whose head still rested on his shoulder. His eyes trailed all over Katsuki’s face, mouth hanging slightly agape. The abruptness caused Katsuki to peel his head off Kirishima’s shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “What?”
“Nothing…” Kirishima turned his head with a smile stretching onto his face, his hands squeezing tighter around him. “Which door?”
“Left.” Katsuki had been expecting to be put down but it did not happen. Kirishima carried him until they reached the side of his bed. He set him down and even took his shoes off for him. He did it all with the biggest grin and Katsuki didn’t even know why. All Katsuki could do was make faces at him, grimacing because there was nothing to be happy about yet, Kirishima was smiling. He couldn’t bring himself to ask, the words caught at the back of his throat.
“Do you want water?” Kirishima stayed on his knees in front of Katsuki, widely grinning up at him. “Do you have any pain meds too? You probably need those.”
“I don’t need shit.”, he huffed.
“Course you do man! You’ll feel like death tomorrow.” Kirishima insisted, placing his hands on Katsuki’s knees. “How will you be able to get up tomorrow?”
“I won’t.” Katsuki thought the answer was obvious.
“You can’t do that.”, he laughed, using Katsuki’s knees to push himself up, “Look, I’ll get you some water and run to the store to get you some meds. Do you need help changing before I go?”
“I’m not five.”
“Do you want me to get your pjs at least?”
“I sleep naked.”, he deadpanned, watching Kirishima mouth an ‘O’ as he silently nodded.
“I’ll be back then.”
Katsuki doubted he’d be awake by the time Kirishima came back. Even as he slowly stripped himself of his clothing and left it in a pile on the floor, he did it so slowly he thought Kirishima would turn up at the door and find him naked but he didn’t. It gave him time to crawl under the covers and bury himself in the warmth. He sighed out in relief, finally being able to greet his bed and let his eyes finally close without a care of who may walk in.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Katsuki undoubtedly felt like death when he stirred well into the night. He grumbled, not even wanting to open his eyes despite already lifting his head up. Even if he did open his eyes there wouldn’t be much of a difference, the room would still be pitch black. At any time of the day, his room was dark. It was all black after all.
His pounding headache only got worse with every movement, even the pit in his stomach was growling and gurgling at him. Every time he drank, he regretted it. It wasn’t even funny. He didn’t enjoy drinking, he’d never consider it to be fun. But every time something happened — it helped him forget what he didn’t want to remember. Even if he didn’t know where he was when he woke up, he’d forget he never left the confines of his apartment. That was amusing.
The feeling of bile rising in his throat had him standing immediately, stumbling to throw on a pair of joggers he fished from a drawer to rush next door to the bathroom. The next thing he knew he was spewing his guts out in the toilet, the remainders of the alcohol he hadn’t absorbed into his being. It was when he looked into the toilet and only saw liquid, he was reminded that he hadn’t eaten anything. But, he couldn’t focus on that when the acid of his stomach was burning his throat and making his eyes water. “Fuck– me.”
He gasped, finally getting time to breathe air. Every time this happened he swore off alcohol, it was obvious he never really did swear off it. He went back to it after every minor inconvenience as if it was a non-existent ex of his. He’d probably continue to do it until he died. Maybe he really would drink himself to death one day.
Hoping that was the last, he pulled himself off the floor and flushed the toilet. Even though he hadn’t eaten anything, there was no way he was going to now. Splashing his face with water, shivering as some of the cold landed on his bare torso, he stared at his reflection. Past the exhaustion and the scowl on his face, there was nothing. When he was younger his eyes used to be brighter, more red. Now, they were nothing more than the colour of his mother’s wine. They made his face look even paler than it was but it wasn’t bright, it was dull. It was quite the difference from his younger self. Everything was better back then, he had no guilt or regret. He clung onto his own insignificant life for as long as he could, finding any reason to keep going.
‘For his parents’, that sounded like a joke now. He was an oblivious fool back then.
‘For myself’, why? There was nothing great about him despite what he thought back then. He put himself on a pedestal, thought he was better than everyone around him. The title ‘Little Boss’, something he’s had since the age of 5, got to his head. He hated it now more than anything.
‘For power’, power for what? Over what? He had nothing to protect, nothing to gain. Power on its own did not gain respect.
All of that was gone. It left him as quickly as a gushing river, swept up in all the anger. The anger he directed outward turned inward; it swirled around in his head so much it made him want to scream. He felt too heavy to even do that anymore.
He forced his arms to brush his teeth before he retreated back to his room. Katsuki would have wanted to go back to sleep if it weren’t for the aching heart that refused to let him. Even his heart felt forced to keep beating.
Sighing heavily, he picked up his laptop. He may as well get his mothers task over and done with since it had been sitting long enough, his mother was bound to ask him about it. He plugged the USB in, and started watching the video with dry eyes.
There wasn’t much to see really. The attack had been done during the night and despite his mothers abundance of money, she didn’t buy quality CCTV cameras. Katsuki was more or less staring at a dark screen. Until the fire happened, however that occurred. It was dark and suddenly the warehouse was burning bright orange. He could watch it as many times over as he liked, he didn’t see anyone. This hadn’t been the first time one of his mothers warehouses had been attacked. But they’d steal something or just kill the guys in there without taking anything. They’d be annoying and inconvenient. Fire was new.
Rather than wasting any more of his time, he merely texted his mother he couldn’t find anything nor see anyone.
Hag:
Come to the office Friday.
At first, he wondered why she was even up so late but it was around the time she got up for work, to be the CEO of her company. He’d been staring at the screen for hours.
Rather annoyed, he decided to finally get something to eat. Only when he turned to place his laptop on his bedside table did he see the cup of water and pain meds, they were placed neatly on the side with a sticky note.
‘XXX-XXXX-XXXX - Text me!! (Eijirou)
P.S Only two tablets :)’
Katsuki grimaced, throwing the note aside. He’d consider it later. Although, he did take the tablets with water with the hope that it would cure his headache. With that, he trudged down the stairs with a sigh and headed straight for his kitchen. He wasn’t really sure what he was going to eat, he only had ingredients in his house so perhaps an omelette or something? It would do.
He switched on the dim lights to his kitchen, soon after grabbing what he needed and throwing on an apron. It was something simple and quick so he could just eat and go back to sleep. Why not throw on some music too?
Although, the minute the music was on he could have sworn he heard a groan. The first time he ignored it but the second time, he swivelled on his heels and reached for the underside of the island as he stared at the living space. The light was starting to brighten up his apartment so, squinting, he could see half a dozen or so bodies lounging around his apartment — on his couches and chairs or on the floor. He looked at Shindo, shirt wide open and tie wrapped around his head, sleeping peacefully. He should have known he’d pull a stunt like that. How many people? Everyone that had been at the table at the bar? Even the guy he bullied was all snuggled up with that girl from yesterday on his couch.
He soon grabbed a cup load of ice-cold water, stormed over to Shindo and threw it at him. His anger boiled as he watched Shindo collapse onto the floor, his arms flailing around as he cried out, “Huh?! What—”
Shindo’s eyes soon fell on the looming figure that was Katsuki, hands on hip and glaring. The others around soon began to stir also, “Hey! Little Boss! How’re ya?”
“Shit. Get out.”, he spat without a second's hesitation.
“Aw, come on Little Boss—”
“No.” Katsuki couldn’t believe him at all. He invited them here, people he didn’t know? Shindo wasn’t even his friend, none of them were. “Out.”
He turned around and stormed back over to his kitchen, he didn’t even want to look at the state of his living room. Bottles and cans, pizza boxes spread out everywhere. Katsuki promptly turned the music off, letting everyone rise in silence.
Shindo strolled over to him, laughing awkwardly as he did so, “You’re looking great in that apron but aren’t you cold?”
He tried to place his alcohol-ridden blazer over his shoulders but Katsuki threw it off, slapping Shindo’s hand away and taking a fistful of the other's collar to pull him closer, “Do you want me to throw you out? Physically? I’ll throw you off that damn balcony if I have to, just get. Out.”
The other put his arms up in defence, although he whispered, “Your back, Little Boss.”
For a moment, Katsuki froze. He’d forgotten about it. It had been so long that the very existence of those scars had been wiped from his memory. His eyes flickered to the others, some of them were still waking it up and others hadn’t noticed but red eyes met red. He looked fully awake and appalled. He grimaced, “Fucks sake.”
Letting go of Shindo, shoving him back into the island, he stomped towards the stairs, “You shits better clean that!”
There was nothing more annoying than forgetting something important. The details. Katsuki stared at them in the mirror in his wardrobe. He gathered today was the worst day he’d had in a while. There were physical reminders of things he shouldn’t ever forget; the things he should keep hidden lest he were to lie or ruin his mother.
Back when he still lived with her, in his first year of high-school. He’d experienced pain before but there was nothing like letters being carved into his upper back. His hands reached to his wrists following the tingling sensation that spread up his arm with the memory.
“I can’t believe you Katsuki!”, his mothers words echoed in his head. He remembered being bound to a chair; his mother didn’t care about the pain it caused his stitched wrists or the fact that he was crying and screaming. “Why? Why?! Haven’t I done everything for you?!”
She used the same knife he had used to try and kill himself. She repeated herself over and over again, ‘Why?’, whilst she etched it into his back, allowing the blood of her son to warm her cold hands. Back then Katsuki had been angry, wishing he had just stabbed himself in the gut.
The thing was, Katsuki didn’t know either. He couldn’t remember why then, he didn’t even remember doing it. But, why would he? He would have been drunk no doubt. Just the thought of his mother, that day, the searing pain, had his brain buzzing. He would have laughed. Part of him wished he could revisit that day, do it all again and again and again. That way he wouldn’t forget. He wouldn’t put himself in a situation that made it difficult to explain — so he wouldn’t have to say ‘it was necessary’.
Deep down he knew that it was. It was necessary so he could die the same way as the ones he had killed, so he could live and be punished for spending his life tormenting people. But he hated the pitying looks he got when he repeated what his mother told him to say. They didn’t understand that he agreed with her.
Of course, they never would.
He threw on a loose jumper and put the apron back on. When he got to the stairs he saw most of them diligently doing as they were told and tidying up the mess they had made. Katsuki saw no reason to interrupt them so he merely wandered back over to the kitchen where his breakfast sat waiting for him, a certain redhead grinning at him like an idiot as he walked over. Katsuki wondered if he was, by any chance, part dog.
“Hey man! How’s your head?” Kirishima leaned over the island, pushing the plate over to Katsuki who stood on the other side. “I saved you having to make breakfast yourself.”
“Do you want a pat on the head or something?” Katsuki scoffed but the other immediately jumped up, jogging around the table to bend his head down and wait. However gobsmacked Katsuki looked didn’t bother Kirishima. “... Are you still drunk?”
“Nah… I stopped drinking after I carried you back here.” Kirishima laughed, eagerly staring at Katsuki’s hand that was resting on the countertop.
“Are you on drugs?” Katsuki watched as Kirishima reached out to his hand and moved it to the top of his head himself.
“Never.”, he hummed. Katsuki didn’t know Kirishima could look any happier until he succumbed to ruffling his hair so he would leave him alone. It was amusing to see his hair even messier than before.
“You’re on fucking something.” Katsuki huffed, pushing the others head away from him.
“Hey… Little Boss, I’m leaving now. Girlfriend is calling.” Shindo waved his phone at him with a grin. Katsuki scoffed at him.
“Take that lot with you.”, he pointed at the people still lingering in his living room.
“Of course… of course!” Shindo nodded, waltzing over to round them all up like sheep.
“Can I use your shower?” Kirishima asked.
Katsuki opened his mouth to say ‘no’ but, “Do whatever.”
He supposed letting him stay wouldn’t hurt. Katsuki, at least, knew him. Well, well enough that letting him borrow his shower wouldn’t hurt. So whilst everyone else was busy leaving and taking their mess with them, Katsuki guided Kirishima upstairs to the bathroom and handed him a towel with the plate of food in his hand.
“I won’t be in your hair for long, I have to go to work soon.” Kirishima reassured as he turned to Katsuki who was standing eating the omelette. “Is it good?”
Katsuki hummed in response before turning away, “I’ll be next door.”
“Gotcha! Thanks again.”
Soon after Katsuki returned to his room, he heard the shower running. Katsuki shocked himself, letting someone stay and even use his stuff. There was a first time for everything he supposed. Like eating food made by someone that wasn’t him or his mother. It was good. Unfortunately, he’d already finished it. All he could do was set the empty plate aside and stare at his ceiling, listening to the sound of running water.
There was someone else here. That water reminded him he wasn’t alone. It was someone he tolerated at the most but, someone that didn’t truly know him. It wasn’t his mother who, for what it was, raised him. It wasn’t Shindo that had been by his side since high-school. It was just someone he met a day ago. As ridiculous as it sounded, he seemed to prefer him over the company of someone he actually knew.
He doubted they would continue interacting for much longer though. His relationships with other people never really did last long if his mother wasn’t the one keeping it together. Katsuki reminded himself as he drifted off to sleep again that he shouldn’t get too close or let the other get closer.
It wouldn’t be good for either of them in the end.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Warm water ran over his body, his face; warmth surrounded his once cold body. Eijirou’s heart hasn't stopped pounding since he walked up those stairs for the first time. He recalled the time he regretted living — not in a sad way but fondly. That time was long over for him, it no longer hurt or made him cry thinking about it because he’d gotten better. He could speak about it freely and even recall the happy memories he had amongst all of that. Like his mother finally getting a divorce with his dad and moving away with him. She then found happiness in a woman not long after.
And then there was that one time he stood staring out over rushing water, the rain had been pouring for a few days and the tide was high. Eijirou thought at that moment that ‘today was the day, today, he would die’. His father was always a drunk, could never keep his hands off the bottle. Whatever anger he had, he directed towards his mother and then to him, when he caught him kissing another boy in his room.
A waste of space
.
After so long, he had gotten used to hiding in the shower stalls to get changed for gym. He’d gotten used to ignoring the pain every time he stretched. It had gotten to his head one time, he really was just wasted air so, he took a deep breath in as he stared down at the water beneath his feet and climbed over the railing of that bridge.
But, a strained voice spoke out beside him, “The water is high isn’t it?”
The croak in his voice had him jumping and nearly slipping to his death but he clutched onto the railing at the last second. The one who spoke to him was leaning against the railing staring at him with red eyes.
“Huh?! Who—” Eijirou was angry back then. He grabbed the others hoodie and yanked him forward but the pained grunt made him regret it. Being so close, Eijirou could smell the familiar bitter metal.
“You’d probably die if you fell in there.”, his voice was rough but quiet. Only then did he realise that this guy was there for the same reason he was. Unlike Eijirou, he was empty. Eijirou was just full of hate.
He had let go and climbed over, his socks sopping wet and cold. The other looked at him curiously. “You not gonna?”
“What?”, he breathed, “Are you seriously asking me that?”
He shrugged, crouching down and thudding his back against the railing but letting out a hiss as it happened. Eijirou assumed his circumstance was similar to his yet, he wouldn’t ask. He had no right to. He joined him in sitting on the wet concrete — it made no difference, both of them were already soaked through. “Why would I do that in front of someone?”
“Does it matter?”, the other pulled out a cigarette, groaning when it wouldn’t light. Why would it? It was still raining. Still, he offered one to him, “We’re both here for the same reason. Why would it matter?”
“Are you old enough to have those?” Eijirou pointed despite taking one anyway.
“No.”, he chuffed, “Are you?”
“... No.” Eijirou held it in his mouth as the other tried to light in for him. Surprisingly it worked after a few attempts. All the other did was cup his hand over it to block out the rain. Truth be told, Eijirou had never smoked before. He’d always been curious. One breath had him spluttering and coughing, “That tastes awful!”
The other spat out into laughter, “It’s not supposed to taste good. Here—”
He held the cigarette to Eijirou’s lips, a small smile on his face, “Slowly.”
Doing as he was told, Eijirou inhaled slowly. It didn’t taste any better but he didn’t choke this time. That was until he breathed out, coughing out smoke into the others face. “You’re useless at this.”
“How can you smoke that stuff?” Eijirou grimaced, holding out his tongue with the hope that the rain water would rid him of the taste. The guy next to him watched him, resting the side of his head on his arms as he let the cigarette burn away between his fingers.
“Beats me.”, for a moment, they both stared at each other. The other's eyes were glowing bright red, unlike his dull red. It was a much prettier colour. “Want a drink?”
“Like… alcohol?” Eijirou watched the other pull out a bottle of soju from the pocket of his hoodie. He wondered what more he had stashed away somewhere but there were other things he was curious about, “Are you drunk?”
He hummed, “Always.”
“Does your mother not get mad at you for that?”, either way it didn’t sound healthy.
“No, she doesn’t care.”, he let out a sigh, “Not about that anyway.”
It was then he realised that he was lucky. His mother cared for him, she always put him over herself. “Does yours?”
“My dad is an alcoholic… so yeah. I don’t want to end up like him either.” Eijirou never thought alcohol was anything great but, he supposed he’d only ever been exposed to one kind of drunk. Because, despite being drunk, he was relatively calm. He supposed his dad always loved to go above and beyond when it came to drinking and using his fists.
“Would your mum cry if you died?”, he asked. Back then, it hit him hard. His mother would probably be devastated. Her life had been bad enough since getting married and to then lose the child she was sticking through it all for? Eijirou didn’t even want to imagine her reaction. He didn’t think about her when he decided to die and just one question made him regret ever thinking about it. It made him feel like an idiot.
He nodded, burying his head in his hands, “Yeah… god, I’m stupid. What type of son am I?”
“A good one?”, he replied, lifting his head up, “You can’t help the way you feel but you regret trying because there is someone out there that would be sad if you died. If that makes you try and turn things around… then doesn’t that make you a good son? Living for your mother and all.”
Eijirou never thought he’d ever have a pleasant conversation with a drunk person but there he was, getting consoled by one. “What about you?”
“I’m a bad one.”, he reached towards his wrist, rubbing it, “But, she wouldn’t cry if I died. She’d just be angry.”
“Why?”
“Dunno.”
They sat there for a while, talking back and forth like that. Eventually, it stopped raining and the sun started to come up. Eijirou had been surprised to turn around and see the sun’s light at their backs but Katsuki didn’t. He didn’t seem to care. Perhaps too drunk after drinking the entire bottle on his own. But, he’d learned a lot of things talking to him. He used to think if he was rich, life would be easier, but Katsuki was rich. He gathered that his relationship with mother wasn’t great.
But he also learned that Katsuki’s favourite food was the spicy noodles at the noodle stand in town. He said it went great with soju. Perhaps he could take him there — to drink in moderation of course.
Eijirou remembered when Katsuki finally pulled his hood down, he was in awe. Unlike his dull black mop, Katsuki’s hair was bright and bold. Under the sun’s light it glowed, it looked as though he had a halo.
“You’re… pretty.”, his mouth spoke for him, his eyes widening once he realised what he had said. He began to flail his arms around with a flushed face, “Wait– that— “
A hand reached out to him, moving his bangs out of the way. His hands were cold against his forehead. Katsuki was smiling, “Red suits you.”
“Are you making fun of me?”, he pouted.
“No.”
“Seriously man…”, they were both startled by the sound of a phone ringing. It was Eijirou’s. His mother was calling him, “Ah— my mother… I have to get to school, she probably came to wake me up…”
“Go then.”, there was no sarcasm or annoyance in his voice. It was calm and quiet, he was really telling him to go but Eijirou didn’t want to leave him alone.
“Ah… but—”
“Go.”, he had nudged him slightly before reminding him to put his shoes back on. He ushered him to leave so he did, waving him goodbye. But every night, at the same time, Eijirou returned to that bridge and waited for a while. He hadn’t seen anything show up on the local news so he had thought perhaps Katsuki had left too that day. But, he never showed up again.
Eijirou spent every day for a while wondering if he was still alive. He even dyed his hair red remembering that he had said it suited him. That was after his mother got the divorce and moved them both away of course. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten. He’d tried to style it in the same way as Katsuki’s too — it was difficult and had him sit in front of a mirror for hours.
‘Not that different from yours’, Eijirou was trying to copy him. He’d tried so hard to not squeeze the guy and never let go. He was refusing to let him go ever again. He was so unbelievably happy.
But, thinking back to the scars on his upper back, the countless ‘Why’s’ torn into his skin. It filled him with anger. That day, on the bridge, they were there and fresh. He doubted, gathering from the drunkenness, that Katsuki would remember him. But Eijirou wanted to stay with him this time. He could keep him safe. He was sure of it.
Stepping out of the shower, Eijirou ran a hand through his red hair, now free of hair gel. He tried his best to hype himself up in the mirror — the boy he hadn’t known the name of back in high-school was literally next door. The unknown pretty boy he had crushed on for months after spending a few hours talking to each other, Eijirou was currently in his house.
After drying himself off, Eijirou wandered over to Katsuki’s bedroom, taking a deep breath as he did. He took in the scent of cinnamon that circulated the apartment before gently knocking on the black door in front of him. Although, he got no answer. He tried again and still nothing. Rather than knocking again, he quietly pushed the door open.
Katsuki was sound asleep. He was rolled onto his front like before, fluffing up the pillow in his arms to create a softer surface for his head. Eijirou couldn’t help but grin at the sight.
Katsuki was so pretty.
He crouched down by the side of the bed. It was a bit creepy perhaps, just watching him sleep like that. He couldn’t help himself though. From the way, Katsuki’s face softened and crinkled on the occasion to the way he drooled. To Eijirou, it was all so cute. He reached out to brush a stray hair out of Katsuki’s face. Sure, Eijirou was letting himself fall down the same rabbit hole he had fallen into years ago. But who could blame him? Katsuki had saved his life.
Why couldn’t he do the same for him?
If Katsuki needed someone to help him cry, he’d be that person. If Katsuki needed someone to get him away from his mother, he’d do just that. If Katsuki needed someone to love him, he was right there.
Katsuki hummed, groaning as he squeezed his eyes closed. Eijirou retracted his hand and held his breath. Red eyes met red eyes; one squinted and unfocused. “...What?”
Eijirou whispered back, “Sorry, did I wake you?”
He watched the blond blink a little before pressing himself up and really looking at who was in his bedroom. “Oh… it’s you. I thought it was that ass-wipe coming back.”
“You mean Shindo? Nah.”, Eijirou kept his voice quiet, “Does he usually barge in?”
Katsuki’s head flopped back down onto the pillow with a huff, “They all do.”
The thought hurt him a little, did ‘they’ all just do whatever they wanted? “Do you want to stay at mine for a bit then? No-one will barge in on you there, it’s a bit small though. Much smaller than your place anyway. It’ll be great, pinky promise, we can watch movies and eat pizza.”
“Are you not tired of pizza?”, Katsuki groaned. They did stay up for quite a while eating pizza, he also ate an entire two boxes himself.
“Well… I’m not that great of a cook so no?… I eat it all the time” Eijirou was only good at the basics, anything else he usually burns. It was quite sad considering he’s lived on his own for a while.
“You made an omelette though.”
“Yeah… that’s the extent of my abilities.”
Katsuki scoffed, “Loser. I’ll show what real food is.”
“So… a yes then?”
“Whatever.”
Eijirou was chuffed. He wasn’t sure if he was easier to convince because he was still half-asleep but, a win is a win. “Where’s your phone? I’ll add my number for you so I can text you the address. I have to go to work so…”
He really didn’t want to go to work today though. Not to mistake him for hating his job, it was the best one he’d had and the co-worker he is often on shifts with is weirdly similar to him but, there was something so much better in front of him he hated to have to leave. However, he needed the money. Unfortunately, bills couldn’t pay themselves and food wouldn’t just magically appear in his cupboards. He wished they would though.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Katsuki vaguely remembered Kirishima waking him up from his nap but, well, he had gone straight back to sleep after that. He was doing a lot of sleeping and a whole lot of nothing. There wasn’t much to do anyway. He still had a week until classes started up again, even then, he probably had some tasks to do before they started but he could do it all later. If he was younger, he would have gotten it done the moment it was set. Now, he liked to bide his time and let it marinate.
He’d get it done before the due date so it was fine.
Opening up his phone, letting the brightness of his screen burn his dry eyes, Katsuki stared at the messages Kirishima sent him. Yes, he somewhat remembered agreeing to something. He didn’t think that something was going to stay with him though.
And he said he wanted to keep him at a distance. Who was he kidding? Whatever Kirishima was, he must be using some sort of strange black magic because Katsuki couldn’t believe it. But it was true, staring at those messages. There was an address, a flat number and a suggested time. Even a little message saying they could go out shopping together for the food.
Katsuki groaned, looking to check the time. He had about two hours until the suggested time. He checked the address, how far away it was from him, a mere 30 minutes if he walked. Of course, he wasn’t going to do that. Katsuki could shorten that trip to about 2 minutes if he took his motorbike which is exactly what he was going to do.
He could have just told him he was no longer going. But, he felt compelled to just go. He didn’t know why. It was something he didn’t understand.
It wasn’t another hour until Katsuki dragged himself out of his bed, to the shower. Everything had been put back exactly where he had left it. Apart from the towel the other had used to dry himself obviously. It was like no one had even been here at all. For some reason that irked him. He knew someone had been here yet there was barely a trace of them.
It made him feel lonely.
That was a feeling he’d always had though. Whether he was watching his parents leave for work, or listening to the maids in his childhood house talk about things from around the corner. Or watching the kids play at kindergarten and act like children. There was always this shroud of darkness around him, it kept him separated from everyone else.
He should be used to it. However, the more he appears the more he isn’t. When he is around, his vision is veiled in red. But not in a bloody or violent way. It was just Kirishima. Katsuki didn’t know what to think of it. He didn’t know if he could trust him — he wasn’t one of his mother’s men coming to check up on him, he was just some random man that dragged him around one day. That was only a day ago.
Now, that man had been to his apartment, saw his scars and said nothing, and Katsuki was apparently going to his apartment now. Saying it in his head sounded ridiculous to him. It was suspiciously fast paced.
That, to him, made it seem like its destruction was all the more inevitable.
Even saying that, he still ended up going. Actually, he ended up being half an hour early. He sat outside the block of apartments on his motorbike and made himself look busy on his phone.
Eijirou<3:
I’m on my way now!
The bastard had clearly taken it upon himself to name himself on Katsuki’s phone.
Eijirou<3:
The person taking over from my shift was late so I had to wait an extra ten minutes ;;
He was spammed with a bunch of crying rocks. Honestly, this is the most he’d probably texted someone in one go. Naturally, he’d only read the texts and not actually replied to them but even then, no one had texted him this much because the idiot was still going.
Well, he was the first person on his phone that his mother didn’t know. He should expect he would be different because he didn’t know his mother.
Katsuki:
Quit talking and hurry up.
Eijirou<3:
YOU’RE ALREADY THERE?
Katsuki:
Just now.
Eijirou<3:
I’m moving as fast as my legs can take me!!! Waittttt
He noticed Kirishima liked to use random stickers, predominantly of rocks, after typing something. They were stupid. What rock has legs?
After five minutes, Katsuki heard the sound of something running. Looking up, it really was Kirishima, all sweaty and out of breath. No one had run to him with such haste just to hang out with him.
Kirishima didn’t have his hair spiked up, it was tied back. Katsuki huffed, it didn’t look too bad. He watched the other try his hardest to catch his breath, gasping for air like there was very little of it.
“Have— you been here– long?”, he grimaced, letting out strange noises Katsuki hadn’t quite heard before.
“No.”, he rolled his eyes. He had literally just told him, even though it was a lie. “This thing is quick.”
Katsuki patted the gas tank of his bike. He dearly loved his bike like it was his child or something. Though, the thought of actually having a child irked him.
“Ah– I saw that yesterday! It suits you.” Kirishima beamed. “How long have you had it for?”
“A while.” Katsuki answered with a mutter. No one had really been interested in him having a bike, not that he particularly cared what other people thought but actually talking about it was foreign to him. “This is my second one. I crashed my first one.”
“Oh dude. You crashed?” Kirishima looked concerned. It wasn’t that big of a deal though, apart from the fact that he hadn’t been wearing any proper gear other than a helmet and was riding around at high speeds. Still, it wasn’t like he had learned his lesson. He still didn’t wear gear that often, in the winter maybe. Right now, he was merely in a hoodie and joggers.
Katsuki shrugged, “Broke my leg. The bike was completely wrecked though.”
“Ouch.”
“I think it blew up.”, he added, thinking back to it without much thought. He did remember something like that happening.
“What?!” the other yelled, looking even more concerned than before. “They… do that?”
“Sometimes.” Katsuki swung his leg over his bike, “Cars do it too, not that big of a deal.”
Kirishima mumbled something under his breath before turning to the building, “Let’s go in! I think I need another shower…”
They made their way up the stairs until they got to the fourth floor, the elevator was out of use but quite frankly, Katsuki didn’t like elevators all that much so he wasn’t complaining. It wasn’t what he was used to, to say the least, Katsuki had an entire floor to himself but Kirishima actually had neighbours. One of his left and another on his right, his neighbours had neighbours.
“It’s probably a bit messy… I’ve been studying…”, was the last thing Kirishima said before he opened the door. He was hit with the smell of coffee— if that didn’t wake him up, Katsuki didn’t know what would.
“Studying already?” Katsuki wouldn’t even think about it. He hated the course he was in, he wanted to spend minimal time with it as much as possible.
“My grades this year determine my placement as an intern next year… I really want to do well so…”, he sighed, kicking his shoes off and leaving them lying around. He supposed the mess made it look lived in. And it wasn’t that bad, just many papers strung about his coffee table, some with cup marks on them. “It’s kicking my ass at the moment though. I’ve never been good at studying.”
“What are you studying?” Katsuki took a peak at the papers, it was a bunch of legal jargon.
“Criminology.” Kirishima had already disappeared into his room though, leaving his room door open. Katsuki hummed in response but, inside, his suspicions were only confirmed. He thought, ‘
Yeah, this is going to explode
’. “I want to be a criminal investigator.”
In his mothers eyes, Kirishima was an enemy. But, Katsuki couldn’t find it in him to care.
“You?” Kirishima reappeared shirtless. Katsuki was right about him being built, he was ripped.
“Taking over from my mother.” Katsuki’s eyes ran down the tanned skin glistening with all the sweat. There were no scars in sight; he was utterly flawless. His eyes stopped once his eyes found a few hairs trailing and disappearing under the fabric of his joggers. Though, he tore his eyes away, staring at a random object in front of him rather than the man to his left.
“Ah… do you want to do that though?” Kirishima asked. The answer was no but he had no choice. Other than that, what could he do? “Sorry– that was a bit… you don’t need to answer that.”
Katsuki didn’t particularly care though.
“I’m gonna shower real quick so feel free to sit wherever.” Kirishima closed the door behind him, leaving Katsuki to mindlessly wander around the apartment. It was small. The living room and kitchen were only a few steps away from each other, the sofa was a two-seater opposite a small television with a coffee table in the middle.
Unlike his apartment, there were pictures hung up on the walls. The ones with his friends seemed to be the most recent. Katsuki, for some reason, took it upon himself to count every single person that wasn’t Kirishima just to pass the time. Some he recognised, he’d seen them briefly; others he’d never seen.
In total, there were roughly twenty people that looked around his age. From the newest to the oldest, one person came up frequently. A girl with pink hair, Katsuki recalled seeing last night. He was assuming they were dating, childhood friends or something. He had to say though, Kirishima was almost unrecognisable as a kid. Black hair that covered his face, the only way he recognised him was through the sharp teeth. The black hair didn’t look bad though.
Kirishima burst out of his room, almost re-energised, with a grin spread widely across his face. Katsuki took his chance to look between Kirishima now and, who he assumed was, Kirishima before. There were similarities. It was hard to tell from a picture though.
“Oh…” Kirishima strolled over with a laugh though, standing directly behind Katsuki and merely looking over his shoulder, “I dyed my hair.”
“Why?” Katsuki had assumed that was the case, not all of his hair was red. The hair on his head was perfectly red, recently re-dyed probably.
“Someone said red suited me.”, he hummed.
Katsuki nodded slowly. They weren’t wrong. “If someone said a bullet in your head suited you, would you shoot yourself?”
The other looked at him shocked for a moment before bursting out laughing, “You sound like my mother!”
He turned around, eyebrows scrunching, bottom lip jutting out in a pout as he let the other continue laughing. It took the other a while to stop though, he was borderline crying when he straightened back up. Katsuki didn’t think it was quite that funny though. “Does it suit me?”
“Huh?” Katsuki’s eyes flickered to meet Kirishima’s. It was only then he realised how close they were and the scar that adorned his right eyelid. He very rarely liked other people invading his personal bubble.
“The red. Does it suit me?” Kirishima’s smile was no longer full of teeth, it was a gentle smile. Though, there was something different in his eyes Katsuki couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“... It’s–” Katsuki’s chest fluttered, unknowingly he took a step back so he was flush against the wall. As uncomfortable as it was, Katsuki could hardly care for it when his own breath was, for some reason, caught in his throat. He had to force the words out. But all he could get out was a simple, “Yeah.”
Kirishima tilted his head, his smile growing wider, “Aw, thanks.”
“Oh!” Kirishima stood back a little but Katsuki’s head was already spinning. “We should probably go shopping if we don’t wanna end up eating take-away.”
All he could do was nod in agreement.
“What should we have?”, Kirishima hummed, walking over to the door to put his shoes on. Though, Katsuki hadn’t moved an inch since Kirishima stepped back. “Bakugou?”
“Huh?”, he snapped his head over to see Kirishima grinning at him over his shoulder.
“You comin’?”
“Yeah.”, the minute Katsuki leaned off the wall, one of the pictures fell off the wall. Despite managing to catch it before it reached the ground, Katsuki couldn’t figure out how to put it back on the wall for the life of him. There was no hook on the wall.
All he could think was, ‘yeah, black magic’, knowing that it didn’t exist.
“It’s fine, it’s fine! Leave it, I use these sticky things that don’t leave marks on the wall. The stick must have come off.”, Kirishima beckoned him over. Katsuki then brought it down to the fact that he had never stayed over at someone’s house before. It was unusual, it felt weird, that’s why.