Harder to Love

Lost and Alone

When Kirishima woke up late due to a lack of alarm, he rolled over to wake Bakugou up, only to find that he wasn't there.
Where had he gone?
And why?
He reached over to his bedside table, finding his phone and u plugging it.
He had a ton of messages, mostly from his friends. He opened the ones from Kaminari since it was the most recent.
Dude?? Where are you?? Class started!

I thought you were gunna show up today.

Bakugou isn't here either. ;) what are you two doing?

Shit dude. Look at the news!

The news? What the fuck was going on?

Right below that message was a link to a live feed from a news channel. He tapped on it, opening a video.
The footage was from outside the Quirk Rehabilitation Facility. There were protesters crowded around the front door, one single form standing out among the rest.
Ground Zero.
"LISTEN UP YOU FUCKING ASSWAGONS!" He shouted into a megaphone. "YOU GUYS FUCKED UP MY FRIEND AND I WANT FUCKING VENGEANCE! I'M OUT FOR BLOOD!"
Kirishima swallowed. What was he doing?
He climbed out of bed, eyes still on his phone. His feet landed in Bakugou's floor bed.
It was cold. He must have been gone for a while.
Maybe all night...
"YOU TOOK MY FRIEND, YOU TOLD HIM HE WAS WORTHLESS, AND YOU BROKE HIM. YOU BROKE MY BEST FRIEND! YOU BROKE SOMEBODY I LOVE!"
Kirishima stumbled, almost falling. Did Ground Zero really feel that way about him?
Suddenly, he remembered the night he was caught, Zero's soft lips against his own.
Zero genuinely loved him...
Romantically...
Fuck.
He went into the bathroom, tripping over Bakugou's bag.
Where WAS Bakugou?
Why did he leave his stuff beh-
Kirishima stopped, blinking at something he saw sticking out of the bag.
He pulled on the green belt, removing an accessory that was familiar to him.
The straps that Zero wore on his costume...
"Oh..." He didn't know how else to react. Why would Bakugou have Ground Zero's belt?
He looked back at the live footage. Zero most definitely wasn't wearing his straps in the footage.
How had he been so stupid?!
"If you're just joining us," the voice on the new site started, "we are reporting from the Quirk rehabilitation facility where a young vigilante has started a protest against correctional quirk removal. He has stated that the facility has damaged the mental health of his friend, who he claims has saved many lives due to his quirk."
Kirishima swallowed. Ground Zero...no...Bakugou was putting himself in danger for this? To prevent other people from suffering the way he had? To bring justice to those who had been through the same thing?
His feet moved before he could stop them. He left his apartment, still barefooted and in pyjamas, nothing in his hands except for the belt and his phone, which still played the news footage.
"There was this kid. He was caught in a house fire and nobody would fucking save him because he had a quirk. He didn't ask to be that way, but the fire department, the cops, people who were SUPPOSED TO PROTECT, decided he should loose his life because of it. But Red was there. Red saved that kid just because it was right to do so. Do you think he would have tried if he didn't have his quirk? Of course he wouldn't. He wouldn't be strong enough! But you went and punished him for it. Do you not want people to be safe?" There was a crack in his voice that shattered Kirishima's heart. He had never seen Bakugou so emotional.
And, God, he was emotional over KIRI.
He thought back a few weeks to the truth or dare game, to the line that had broken his heart.
If he had known that the "BFOS" had been himself...
But of COURSE it was. How could it be anybody else, he realized.
He ran and ran, thoughts racing faster than he moved, until he reached the facility. It looked just as it did on the news.
He locked his phone, pushing his way through the crowd until he reached the fountain that Bakugou was standing on.
"IF YOU COWARDS DON'T COME DOWN HERE AND FACE ME, I'M GONNA BLOW THIS ENTIRE BUILDING TO-"
"ZERO!" Kirishima called out.
Bakugou's eyes dropped down to the crowd gathered around him, landing on the redhead.
Kirishima lifted the belt, slipping his phone into his pocket. He climbed onto the fountain, setting the belt in Bakugou's hands.
"You forgot something." He whispered. "...Katsuki."
"Eijirou..." There were tears in Bakugou's eyes, but he didn't see them for long because suddenly he was pulled deep into the blond's arms.
"Fuck, Kirishima. I'm so sorry. I tried to tell you."
"Bakugou..." He pushed him away just slightly, setting his lips against his. The kiss set his entire body on fire. He heard people clapping and others booing but he didn't care. This moment was only between the two of them.
They broke apart, panting heavily. Bakugou wiped his eyes.
"Katsuki...I love you."
"I love you too, shitty hair."
Kirishima stepped away and Bakugou lifted the megaphone back to his lips.
"LISTEN UP! I LOVE THIS BOY MORE THAN ANYTHING AND ANYBODY WHO MESSES WITH HIM GETS A FUCKING EXPLOSION TO THE FACE, YOU HEAR ME?!"
"Bakugou, please." Kirishima felt his face turn red.
"How about a brick instead, you fucking mutant!" Somebody in the crowd yelled. Bakugou ignored it, but Kirishima turned just in time to see a brick flying through the air, headed toward Bakugou.
He moved before his mind could stop his legs.
Normally, this was a natural reaction, and a rightful one at that. But since his quirk no longer functioned, it was probably his biggest mistake.
The brick hit him squarely in the head, causing pain to erupt. He was vaguely aware of Bakugo calling his name followed by the sounds of explosions.
And then everything went black.
Fuck.