CUPID'S LIST (Kirishima x Bakugou)

Trust

Kirishima swallowed his curry and despite a cough, he didn't lose his grin. He took a big sip of water before he could get out an astonished "Really?"

Bakugou shrugged his shoulders. "What's the matter? We're together, it'd be normal, wouldn't it?" The blonde looked a little uncertainly to the side, a slight redness on his cheeks.

Kirishima nodded smiling. "You're right, you just surprised me. Then call me Eijirou, too."

Bakugou nodded. A little smile tugged at his lips before he turned to his curry again.

---

Later in the evening Kirishima and Bakugou lay together on Bakugou's bed. The blonde had put his laptop on his desk and put on a movie. He'd already seen it, but Kirishima hadn't yet and he wanted to do something special for him. They sat with their backs against the wall, which they had padded with a few pillows. Bakugou had one arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and Kirishima's head lay on his shoulder, his arms wrapped around Bakugou's lower body.

Bakugou didn't focus very much on the film since he already knew it anyway and instead he focused on the warm body at his side. It was so weird. They were only officially together since this afternoon and yet they were so intimate. It wasn't because of his sudden realization that he loved him or that they were a couple now. He had looked after him before, even loved him and how he couldn't realize it before was still a mystery to him.

He looked at Kirishima's profile. The redhead watched the movie intently, his big eyes fixed on the laptop. Bakugou couldn't resist and stroked his thumb over the sharp contour of Kirishima's lower jaw. The redhead blinked in surprise since he was completely immersed in the story. He smiled briefly at Bakugou, snuggled a little closer to him and focused back on the movie.

Bakugou smiled. He loved that redheaded idiot so much. He closed his eyes and simply enjoyed Kirishima's closeness as he absently stroked small circles on Kirishima's shoulders.

He opened his eyes again when he heard the ending music. Kirishima moved a little and he took his arm off his shoulder. The redhead stretched and yawned heartily. Bakugou giggled slightly. The yawning, in which he revealed his sharp teeth in combination with his hair destroyed by the cuddling, reminded him of a lion.

"The movie was really good," Kirishima said, smiling.

Bakugou nodded, even though he hadn't really watched. But it was true, the film was good.

"Eijirou, how are you?" Bakugou asked tentatively, not knowing if he was sensitive enough for the coming conversation. Nevertheless, he had to do it.

"Why? Good?" said Kirishima, still with a smile on his face.

Bakugou frowned. He was bad at reading people, but he knew that he couldn't really be well. His father had died last night and he smiled at him as if nothing was wrong.

"No, you're not okay. Why do you say that?" Bakugou couldn't help but notice that his voice had an angry undertone.

Immediately the smile disappeared from Kirishima's face and he nodded slightly. "Sorry, Kat. I can't turn it off that easy." He lay down on Bakugou's bed, his eyes directed to the ceiling. The blonde lay down beside him. He propped himself up on an elbow and looked at his redheaded boyfriend, frowning.

His gaze was still fixed on the white ceiling when Kirishima hesitantly began to speak. "It's not like I want to pretend to others. But when that started with my father, and his personality changed, I found relief in normality."

Bakugou took his hand and squeezed it firmly to encourage Kirishima to continue speaking. He wanted to understand him, help him and hoped that his boyfriend would fully open up to him.

Kirishima struggled a little before he continued. "You know my father had FTD. It's an early form of dementia that causes the nerve cells in the temporal lobe to degrade. That's where emotions and social behavior are controlled. At first, the doctors didn't even recognize the disease. They thought it was a mental disorder like schizophrenia or that he was depressed." He closed his eyes briefly and a tear ran down his cheek. "My father was always a cheerful person who talked a lot, sometimes a little too much." He laughed briefly through his tears. "But during the illness he not only constantly forgot things and mixed everything up, but gradually became less and less talkative until he fell completely silent. For half a year, he hadn't recognized me."

Kirishima opened his eyes and looked at his friend with a tortured smile. "I could only deal with it by finding normality at least here, since it was anything but normal, almost depressing, at home."

Bakugou nodded slowly and stroked a loose strand of hair from the redhead's face. "I understand. Thank you for trusting me and telling me that." He smiled at him and squeezed his hand even harder.

"I'm really sad, Kat." Kirishima said in tears and the blonde leaned down to him and held him tightly in his arms. Kirishima sobbed and buried his face in his friend's neck. With a trembling voice he continued. "But, can I tell you something awful?"

Bakugou nodded silently, knowing that the other couldn't see the movement, but could feel it.

"The first thing I felt after my father died was relief." Kirishima tensed against Bakugou's shoulder. "I feel so guilty about it, I loved him more than anything. But ... for me he hadn't been my father for a long time. He was only someone who was wearing his face."

Bakugou embraced him a little harder, not knowing what to say in return.

"I know it's terrible," Kirishima whispered against the crook of his neck, squinting his eyes.

"No, Eijirou. It's all right. Your father will surely know how much you loved him. You have no reason to feel guilty."

Kirishima said nothing for a while and just enjoyed the comforting embrace. Telling Bakugou everything felt good and that he didn't judge him for it strengthened his trust in the blonde hothead.

"Because I should be sad, it feels so surreal," the redhead finally muttered.

"Hm?" hummed the blonde and pressed up a bit to look at him.

"That you make me so happy," Kirishima explained. Tears were still swimming in his big eyes, but he had a smile, an honest one, on his lips. "Thank you for everything, Kat."

Bakugou smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. "I will always be there for you, Eijirou," he said seriously as he looked into Kirishima's red irises.

"Thank you, Kat." Kirishima repeated whispering before putting a hand around Bakugou's neck and gently pulling him down to himself. His smile grew a little bigger as he closed his eyes and Bakugou's lips touched his.