Kirishima POV

Ugh. It's hot. Why is it so hot, it's almost winter?

I rolled out of bed and stood up to go grab a drink of water, which was something that I wouldn't normally consider a mistake, but this time, it definitely was. The second I put weight on my legs, I felt my entire body cave in as my legs collapsed underneath me.

Embarrassingly, I fell down. That's basically me saying that I ate shit. And it wasn't like I caught myself before I hit the ground. My reflexes weren't working and my face had made solid contact with the floor before I realized what was happening.

It hurt. A lot. I tried to get up. I planted my palms down onto the floor and pushed myself up with all the strength I had in me, which apparently wasn't much, because I only managed to get a few inches off the ground. Instead, I rolled onto my back and did a sit up, which eventually worked.

I felt like a turtle stuck on its back. I probably looked like an idiot, but I couldn't really focus on that because my whole body felt weak and everything hurt. And it was still unbearably hot. I was sweating like crazy, the sweat staining my red t-shirt and turning it into a maroon colour.

Everything was spinning around me and I tried to get back into my bed. I was on my feet, but just barely. Walking was a slow and difficult process. It took a minute or two to take a step. I felt like absolute shit.

I gave up on trying to get back to my bed. I laid back down on the floor, looking at my ceiling. My head started to hurt, along with my chest. I curled up on my side and hoped the pain would go away and I would either fall asleep or be able to go back to my bed. Then, my stomach started hurting, only adding onto my suffering.

Pathetic as it was to admit, I couldn't do anything but lie on the floor. I felt as stupid as I looked. And, to make matters worse, I head a knock at my door.

Great. Now somebody's going to see me like this.

I was surprised to hear the knock. My eyesight was blurry and I couldn't clearly make out the time on the clock, but I knew it was the middle of the night. Whoever was knocking should be fast asleep.

"Shitty hair, open the door." It was Bakugou. I made no move to open the door, and not just because I couldn't even if I wanted to. The last thing I wanted to do was have Bakugou come in here because I was too weak to take care of myself.

Bakugou considered me, of all people, to be his equal; it would be a total embarrassment to him if anyone found me looking so delicate and breakable. I was supposed to be unbreakable, Bakugou was supposed to be able to rely on me. I can't disappoint him.

"Go to bed Bakugou, it's late." I did my best to sound normal, but my voice was rough and scratchy, which I wasn't surprised by because my throat felt like it was on fire. I didn't hear an answer from him, only footsteps walking away from my door and back to his room. I heard his door open and then close.

I let out a sigh of relief. I closed my eyes, trying to sleep once again, but there was no way. I was somehow sweating even more than before and the pain had started to take over my whole body, with every last part of me burning from the inside out. I knew I had a long night ahead of me.

Then, I heard the sound of Bakugou's door opening and closing once again. I listened carefully as his footsteps approached my room once again. This time, there was no knock. There was, however, the quiet click of a lock and my door being swung open. I'd completely forgotten that I gave Bakugou a key to my room.

His eyes met mine and I wanted to disappear from existence. I knew I looked totally pathetic and there was nothing I could do about it. I hated it. The closer he got to me, the more I wished I had the strength to stand so I could jump out my window. Every gentle step he took towards me made my heart sink even further down.

Why do I have to be so weak?

"Hey, Kirishima, lets get you back into bed, ok?" His tone was so soft. Bakugou was never soft with me, he always acted like his true self around me, which sometimes involved a little yelling and screaming, but I never cared because that was the real him and I never wanted him to change for me. This quiet, soft Bakugou made me want to scream.

"Here, let me help you up." He gripped my arms tightly and tried to lift me up, but I squirmed until I was out of his hands and back on the floor.

"Bakugou, it's late. You should get some sleep." I sounded awful. "Why are you awake anyways?"

He tried to hold my arms again to pick me up, but I pushed him away. So, he wrapped his arms completely around me and picked me up like that. He laid me down on my bed and pulled the blanket up over my sweaty figure. "I heard a noise which I'm going to assume was you falling." He pressed the back of his hand to my forehead. "You've got a really high fever. You need to rest and sweat it out."

I nodded. "Thanks. Now you should get to bed."

He looked at me like I'd just said something stupid. "Kirishima, what's going on with you. You've been acting weird lately. I know I'm not great with words or advice, but if something's wrong I want to help."

I refused to look at him. He tried to turn my face towards him, but I wouldn't do it. I couldn't stand seeing the look that I knew was on his face. "Bakugou, I'm fine. Just go back to sleep."

I heard him sigh, but, thankfully, he left my room. I noticed that he'd put some medicine and water next to my bed on my nightstand. He must've got it from my desk when I wasn't paying attention. I reluctantly took the pills and, after a couple hours of pain and sweat, I finally started to relax and felt myself succumb to sleep.

—————

The next morning, I woke up in more pain than the night before, but because of the rest I'd just gotten, I at least had enough energy to move around without collapsing. I headed downstairs to get some food and saw a small plate with a note left on it.

The plate had some breakfast on it. And the note read:

I told sensei that you were sick and that you wouldn't be in class today. There's lunch in the fridge, eat it.
If I get back and see you anywhere but in bed, I'm gonna kick your ass. Seriously.
Get some rest.
-Bakugou.

I crumpled up the note in my hand and quickly ate the breakfast he'd left for me. I went to the fridge and grabbed the lunch he'd left. I brought it with me to my room and slide shoved it in my bag. I scrambled to get my uniform on, which resulted in my tie looking like Midoriya's.

I looked at the clock and realized that school had already started two hours ago. I checked the alarm on my phone and noticed that it was turned off. Bakugou must've shut it off so I would sleep in.

I cursed at myself and started running to class as quickly as I was physically capable for the time being, which wasn't very fast.

I was ignoring the pain, it had become bearable. The sweating had also, thankfully, subsided. However, I still worried that I would topple over at any minute. My body simply wasn't functioning the way it should've been.

I reached the classroom door and swung it open, bowing to Aizawa sensei apologetically. "I'm sorry for being late sensei, it won't happen again." I headed to my seat.

"Kirishima, I was told you wouldn't be in class today. Honestly, I don't think you should be here either. You're clearly sick. In the nicest way possible, you look horrible. You need to get some rest. Since you're already here, you can stay until lunch, but during lunch I will have someone escort you back to the dorms."

"But sensei, I'm fine! Besides, I shouldn't be laying in bed doing nothing, I have to train and get stronger so that I-" I was interrupted by a hand smacking the back of my head.

"Do you not know how to read! I told you to stay at the dorms! Dumbass! Now I have to beat you up!"

"Well, you don't have to beat him up."

"Shut it dunce face, yes I do!"

"Bakugou, please sit back down. You are not beating up your classmates. But, since you seem so concerned, why don't you escort Kirishima back to the dorms at lunch."

"... fine."

"Can you please sit down so I can continue my lesson?" Bakugou walked back to his spot in the classroom, but kept his eyes locked on me. There was a strong emotion scrunching you the featured on his face, but I couldn't tell what it was. It seemed like a fusion of anger, concern and disappointment. I hated myself for being the reason he had that look on his face.

Goddamit. What is wrong with me? Why do I always do shit that upset him or disappoints him? Why can't I be as good of a person as he expects me to be? Nothing I do is ever enough! No matter how hard I train, I'm not strong enough. No matter how hard I study, I'm not smart enough. I'm trying to keep up with him, but I just can't match him. I can't afford to miss a day of school because that will onto widen the gap between me and him.

How can I call myself his friend if I'm not even on the same playing field as him. It's not fair of me to hold him back like this. I have to be better in every way.

I have to.

Bakugou POV

That stupid shitty haired idiot was being dumb, as per usual. He looked like absolute shit, he was fucking sick, yet he just walked into class like a moron. He'd been pushing himself way too hard for a while and it made me worry.

I'm not the type to get close to others, and I certainly don't give a shit about most people, but Kiri's different. He likes me for me, the real me. The one that's annoying and loud and explosive and rude to everybody. He likes that person and I can't understand why, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that I make him feel as cared for and happy as he makes me feel.

He couldn't focus during class. I knew that he couldn't and I was willing to bet that he hadn't taken any medicine before he came to class. I thought turning off his alarm would be enough, but I should've barricaded his door too or something. That would've kept him in.

Eventually, class was over and it was time for lunch. The dumbass snuck out of class before I could grab him by his stupid spiky hair that wasn't spiky today because he didn't have time to style it before he ran to class.

I looked all over the cafeteria for him, but saw no sign of him. I walked the hallways and looked in classrooms, but still saw nothing. Finally, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of bright-ass red hair in the gym.

I stormed over to the gym and threw the door open with so much force it hit the wall behind it with a deafening thud. Kirishima turned to look at the source of the noise, but his reaction time was slow and before he could say or do anything, I'd already grabbed him.

I had my arms wrapped tightly around his torso and I lifted him off the ground. I carried him out of the gym and towards the dorms. He tried to push me off, but I was not letting go of him. "Bakugou, put me down! Cut it out, this isn't funny!"

I just held him tighter and kept walking. Until we were out of the building and outside am the dorm and up to his room. I unlocked the door and dropped him down onto his bed. He had no energy left in him. He'd spent the entire walk fighting my grip. He was completely worn out.

"Bakugou, I have to get back to class."

"No, you don't! You dodged my question last night, but that's not happening now! We are going to sit here until you tell me what's going on with you! Actually, I'm not concerned with what you're doing, I've figured that out already, I want to know why you're doing this."

He laid down on the bed, burying his face in the pillow. "I'm not doing anything."

"Yes you are! I can see it! I see how you push yourself harder than anyone when we're training. I know that's why you got sick. You're asking for too much from your body, you need to rest! On top of that, I know that you're going out of your way to not tell me things. When something is wrong, you should come to me for help, but instead you're running away from me. I know I'm a piece of shit, but I hope you know that I would try to help you with anything!"

He wouldn't look up at me, he just kept his face buried in the pillow. But I saw the slight shaking of his shoulders, heard the tiny hiccups. I knew he was crying. I laid down on top of him gently, trying not to put my full weight onto him. I wrapped my arms around as much of him as I could, holding his shaking figure against my chest, feeling his warmth.

"Can you please tell me why you're doing this?" My voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. "You mean so much to me and I never want to see you hurting. Let me help. Please."

Kirishima POV

My silent sobs were causing me so much pain, but I couldn't stop. Especially not after what he just said to me.

I shook my head and cried some more before I'd calmed down enough to speak. "Bakugou, I'm not good enough for you, but I'm trying to be."

I felt the mattress beneath me dip down as he settled into the bed next to me, lying down properly now. He held me so that my back was to his chest. My head was resting on one of his arms while the other was settled on my hip. "Kirishima, you are more than I deserve. Everythign about you is perfect and there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

He kissed my shoulder lightly. "I'm not perfect Bakugou. Of all the people you could've chosen to care for, you picked me. The problem is that's an honor that I haven't earned. You consider me an equal, but that's an insult to you. I have to work harder to be better. Then I can finally consider myself to be your equal."

He kept kissing my shoulder and his lips moved to the back of my neck. "I have never once considered us equals." He kissed the spot where my pulse fluttered. "Not even I am so arrogant as to believe that I can compare to you." He pushed himself up so he was almost on top of me. He kissed up my neck and to my cheek. "You're kind and caring. You bring out the best in others, even shitheads like me." He kissed my nose and my forehead. "You make everyone happy just by being you. Just having you sit next to me makes every day better."

He moved me so I was lying on my back and he was fully on top of me, our foreheads almost touching. He was so close to me. I could feel every curve of his body pressed against me. "Kirishima Eijirou, you are so amazing and I love you so much."

I looked into his eyes as he said those words. I could always tell when he was lying by looking at his eyes, but I could see that he meant what he said. He told me he loved me and he meant it.

I couldn't hold back anymore. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down onto me, connecting our lips like the last piece of a puzzle. Everything was waiting on that moment and after it happened, the world fell into place.

Our lips moved in synch as my hands tangled in his hair. His hands traced my arms and occasionally my chest, but it wasn't like he was trying to start something, it just felt like he was admiring me. Like he was trying to feel out every part of me so he could memorize it.

Unfortunately, the kiss had to end at some point and I pulled away, breathless in more ways than one.

He laid down next to me, never once letting go of me. We held onto each other as we laid there, content.

"Bakugou, don't you have to go to class?"

"Do you want me to leave?"

"...no."

"Then I'm not going anywhere."

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Word count: 3009
It's literally 1 AM and I have no idea what this is, but here you go ig.
Also, I've been reading some of the comments on this book and I just- 🥺🥺🥺 you guys are so nice and it seriously makes my day. I just want to say I love all of you and I hope you're having an amazing day 💗