Touch Therapy

Chapter 3

Kirishima wasn't sure what woke him up. The windows of his dorm room were left open, the silver light of the moon bathing his walls in it's gentle glow, and the only sound in his room was the gentle hum of his computer, and his own breathing.

He rolled over in his bed, kicking the blanket to his feet, before checking his phone for the time.

3.45am.

"Seriously? Ugh." He groaned, scrubbing his hands over his eyes. Kirishima had never been an early riser, much less this early.

Sighing, he climbed out of bed, concluding that if he's awake, he may as well make use of the time. He usually went for runs each morning anyway, and there was a certain beauty in being the only one awake when the rest of the world was asleep.

So, pulling on a singlet, track pants, and his sneakers, he walked out into the hall, tying his hair back in a small ponytail as he went.

The dorm building was just plain eerie at this hour, the sound of the floor creaking under his feet echoing in the darkness, bringing goosebumps to his skin.

He made his way downstairs, passing through the common room and out into the night, the crisp air biting his naked hands and face, and set out on his usual track around the school grounds.

~~~

After about fifteen minutes of running, Kirishima decided to take a quick break, pausing to lean against a nearby tree, his panting breaths making puffs of white with each exhale.

He closed his eyes, leaning back onto the bark, and just enjoying the sounds of the birds beginning their morning songs.

"What the fuck are you doing out here, Shitty Hair?"

Kirishima jumped, slipping back on the tree, and yelped loudly when a sharp branch scratched the back of his left arm.

"OW SHIT, WHAT THE-"

Kirishima's eyes opened then and...

What a sight.

Bakugou's porcelain skin had a pink tinge colouring his cheeks and nose, the corner of his lower lip pulled slightly between his teeth, eyes glued to Kirishima's own. He was wearing simple workout gear, a tight black tank top that hugged his figure perfectly, and baggy cargo pants that were rolled up messily around his ankles.

Kirishima felt his breathe catch in his throat, and rather than making any coherent sounds, all that came out of his mouth was a strangled squeaking noise.

Bakugou arched one eyebrow slightly, looking faintly amused, as he waited for Kirishima to speak.

Kirishima, on the other hand, could do little else but blink owlishly at him, feeling his own cheeks heat up as his embarrassment and awe battled to the death inside his mind.

After a few more agonising moments, Bakugou's expression became confused and he walked over, lifting one hand to press the back of his hand against Kirishima's forehead.

"Your face is red as fuck, are you sick or something?" Bakugou asked, peering into Kirishima's eyes.

He was so close, their breathe mingled in the space between them. Bakugou smelt of smoke and coffee, the scent reminding Kirishima that he had forgotten to brush his teeth before he left, and he probably smelt rotten.

This snapped Kirishima out of his daze, and he stumbled to the side, a few steps away from Bakugou, laughing awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry dude, I'm not usually up this early," he chuckled, his voice strangely high, and he coughed, trying to regain some manliness about himself, "I'm still half asleep."

Bakugou rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly, but seemed otherwise unbothered by; or perhaps just hadn't noticed; Kirishima's strange behaviour.

"Whatever. Coming?" Bakugou said pointedly, jerking his chin towards the running track.

Kirishima smiled widely, thrilled by the offer, and took off sprinting.

"Oi!" Bakugou shouted, the wind carrying his voice, before he raced to catch up, not taking long before they were running side by side.

~~~

"Fuck," Kirishima buckled over, planting his hands on his thighs and speaking between each panting breath, "It wasn't a race ya know!"

Bakugou shot him a look, his lips curling into a slight smirk as he reached his conjoined hands above his head and pushed his chest forward slightly, stretching.

Kirishima immediately dropped his eyes to the ground, heat rising in his cheeks yet again.

It honestly felt like he spent more time with a hot blush on his cheeks when he's around Bakugou then he did without it.

"What's the point in training if you're not gonna put in your all every time? Seems like a waste of time to me." Bakugou mused, as he slipped into another stretch, moving one leg forward while transferring his weight to his other leg, and reaching down to pull his toes back, stretching the back of his calf and thigh.

Kirishima watched him for a moment, and felt a wide grin spread across his lips, crinkling his eyes.

"You're so manly Bakugou!" he exclaimed, a strange giddy feeling bubbling in his stomach as he watched his friend.

Bakugou glanced up, expression unreadable, as his eyes studied Kirishima's face for a moment before he hummed and looked away.

Kirishima couldn't stop smiling now, even as he joined in the stretching.

Bakugou was surprisingly flexible, and he kept throwing looks at Kirishima every time his stretches couldn't be matched.

When they sat down side by side, legs stretched out in front of them and leaning forward to grab their feet, Kirishima could only just reach his ankles while Bakugou could wrap his hands around the arches of his feet.

"Tch..." Bakugou said suddenly, after watching Kirishima for a second, before pulling himself to his knees and moving to crouch behind him.

"What are you-" Kirishima began, as Bakugou placed one hand on his upper back, and his other on his lower, pressing down, "Oh."

Kirishima leant forward into the stretch, Bakugou pressing his torso down further, and Kirishima actually managed to catch his toes, a triumphant smile spreading on his lips. They held the position for a moment, before Bakugou stopped pressing down and Kirishima straightened up, his back flush against Bakugou's chest.

Bakugou jumped like he had been electrocuted, leaping to his feet and turning so that his back was facing Kirishima, his face hidden from view.

"Sorry..." Kirishima murmured, an awkward chuckle leaving his lips.

Bakugou glanced back over his shoulder, a red tinge to his face, the colour sitting high on his cheekbones, before it faded, quick enough that Kirishima figured he must have been imagining it.

"Let's get back. I need a fuckin shower." Bakugou muttered, and without hesitating, began walking back to the dorms, Kirishima close on his heels.