Growing up in the city, Bakugou wasn't used to large yards or sprawling corn fields. Big wrap around porches and forests with trees taller than houses seemed like something he'd only ever see in movies. Bakugou liked his life in the city just fine, but even he couldn't deny the way he felt when they peeked over the mountain. The sky pale grey in the late spring rains as the asphalt shimmered from the heat.

The trees standing tall and bright green- covering the landscape and making Bakugou feel so small even that high up. Tiny little houses with white and grey roves, barely able to be seen, scattered in between. The early summer rain gave way to the foggy atmosphere allowing Bakugou to think that for just a moment- he was in the middle of a goddamn movie. The ride back to Kirishima's was a masterpiece that Bakugou never grew tired of.

Kirishima himself was someone Bakugou never grew tired of. The boy was nice- far too nice to be his roommate for two years, let alone best friend, let alone /boyfriend/. He was incredibly patient, even with all of Bakugou's eccentricities. Even on the days where the world was just too loud and annoyed the shit out of him, Kirishima took all of Bakugopu's insults and ignored them in favor of suggesting movie nights. Waited throughout the entirety of the Aliens franchise some nights or until Bakugou would clear his throat. Then Kirishima would turn the volume down and listen as Bakugou stared at the screen and spilled all that had been bothering him.

During those days where no amount of talking would get rid of the ache in his chest- when a walk back to the dorms would make his hands shake or when even the feeling of his shirt collar grew too much- Kirishima would sit with him until the feelings gave way. Patience like a warm blanket swaddled Bakugou anytime the redhead was near. During the few times Kirishima wasn't near, he ensured that the rest of their friends, so called "the BakuSquad", found their way to him in ways that were constructive and actually what Bakugou needed.

Wild kindness and chaotic energy all bundled up with hair dye and filed teeth. Kirishima's friendship was something so entirely different from what Bakugou had experienced before that it felt like he was on an entirely different planet some days. Kirishima was certainly one of the oddest people Bakugou met, however he couldn't help thinking that the boy was also one of the best people he'd ever met. Though Bakugou was certain he'd rather die than admit such a thing.

Kirishima didn't need to do much to drag Bakugou out to the middle of nowhere for the summer. Despite the nigh perfect horror movie set up, Bakugou was excited to see Kirishima's old stomping ground and get to know about the place that raised his best friend. Thrilled to learn all that he could about where Kirishima came from. And, due to Mina's presence in the town as well- their other friends from uni (funnily enough- dubbed the BakuSquad) would come up for a visit in the coming weeks as well. Bakugou could only imagine the chaos that was to ensue once the group of them all piled into the cabin on the lake that Mina's parents were allowing them to borrow.

There was a peace that had settled over Bakugou during the first couple of days. A type of peace that wasn't entirely new, but was far more fleeting during his time spent at home or on campus. He wasn't sure quite yet what it was- if it was the stunning sights or the pleasant company- but Bakugou's temper wasn't nearly as bad compared to the first summer he went back home. His first summer home he had been angry about having all of that freedom ripped away so quickly. To go from living his life and on his schedule to suddenly be back home and under someone else's control. It led to plenty of fights and it left Bakugou to dread the next summer.

The city was so loud compared to the country. With her constant alertness and bustling streets, it was easy to get out of routine by the nature of everything being open. You learned to tune out most of the loudness. To let the yelling, the hundreds of people walking, and the traffic to become ambiance. Grey noise to tune out and pretend simply didn't exist.

Comparatively, the country was quiet. In Kirishima's small town the only places open past ten were typically fast food joints, the Walmart on the edge of town, and the occasional 24 hour gas station. One late night Bakugou had suggested pizza and was shocked to find that not only was there not a single place open at one in the morning, but that Kirishima's house was so far outside of town that no place would deliver.

However, as the days passed and Bakugou found himself outside by the fire pit more often than not- he realized that the country came with her own soundtrack.

Crickets and cicadas went all night long, with frogs croaking occasionally joining the mixture. Apparently there was a swamp of sorts not too far away from the property that the house sat on, lending the property to having a lot of bugs. The mosquitoes would buzz by just as the sun was setting, then the bats and the owls would come out. Bakugou nearly screamed the first time he caught a bat hanging from the rafters of Kirishima's back porch- not having expected to look up and see a mass staring back at him in the early morning light.

Despite all of that, Bakugou found himself outside each morning and night, even if it was just to watch the sunset or the sunrise for a little. That day had been the hottest one of the summer yet and Bakugou had spent most of it outside. The Kirishima's had a lot of projects around the house that they wanted to get done. That day it had been re-graveling the driveway along with the daily gardening chores. Bakugou sweat through three shirts in total and had to shower twice that day. Now the air was starting to cool off, but the house clung to the heat. So, he took his hard lemonade that he graciously accepted from Mrs. Kirishima before propping himself up against the railing of the stairs on the back porch of the house.

Watching the sun turn red and set over the treeline always brought Bakugou a sense of peace. It was amazing to see golden lit clouds against a sky of blues and pinks. The way the last rays of sunlight cast the whole world in orange colored rays and despite the way the air around him had a chill- Bakugou felt as though he could still feel the lingering warmth. "Golden hour" Mina had called it when Bakugou sent pictures in the group chat. And Bakugou was the last person to follow trends, but he couldn't help himself from enjoying the hour and allowing his brain to go quiet for once.

"Enjoying the sunset, I see," an all too familiar voice came from behind him. Bakugou didn't have to turn to know who it belonged to. Instead he simply listened to the creak of the screen door being eased open, followed by the slam of it being left to close on its own. He smelled the rosemary and mint of Kiri's shampoo before the tanned skin of a leg came into his peripheral. Soon enough, Kirishima was sat beside him on the steps, lounging casually.

"I was listening to the birds," Bakugou hummed, letting his eyes wander before taking a sip of his lemonade. The icy cool drink cooled his throat, however the alcohol that was mixed in made his tongue and throat burn just a little afterwards. As he tilted the drink up- he spotted the damp spots on the front of Kirishima's shirt. It was in a line of sorts- soaked up from where he had leaned against the sink while doing the dishes. He could only imagine the mess that Kiri's oblivious splashing more than likely caused.

"Listening to the birds? You know that's the sound of them trying to attract mates, right?" Kiri teased, nudging Bakugou with his elbow. He had brought his own drink, just a simple bottle of water.

"No different than listening to you- then."

"Hey!"

The indignant shout caused Bakugou to laugh- allowing Kiri the opportunity to shove him. Bakugou didn't bother fighting back- as both of them started laughing together. Bakugou allowed himself the moment to just admire his boyfriend. More often than not- it was difficult for Bakugou to truly express himself the way he wanted to. However, he found himself wishing he knew how to wax poetic just so he could better capture the moment.

Kirishima with his hair down- still damp from the post-dinner shower. In the soft golden light, looking relaxed and happy as he giggled over his stupid jokes and poked fun at Bakugou. All muscles and tanned skin, with one of Bakugou's shirts and a flannel tied around his waist. Bakugou found himself leaning in- eyes glancing between amber colored eyes and pink lips.

He watched the confusion make its way on Kirishima's face, before recognition took its place and an all too familiar mischievous look glinted in Kirishima's eyes. The same knowing smirk the boy always wore when he figured out exactly what Bakugou wanted appeared not too long after. Like with everything about his boyfriend, the kiss was sweet. Refreshing in it's own way, soft lips leaving Bakugou feeling re-energized. It was a chaste kiss- with Kiri pulling back almost as quickly as he had leaned in.

"I'm really glad you came for the summer," Kiri murmured, voice quiet now that they were so close. Still leaning into Bakugou's space, he took a moment to look out at the sunset that had Bakugou's attention just a couple seconds earlier.

"Yeah?" Bakugou asked, taking his boyfriend's hand and shamelessly taking his time to continue admiring his boyfriend. "Not tired of sharing your bed yet?"

"Only a little."

"Really?"

"I like sleeping beside you more," Kirishima stated, turning his head to meet Bakugou's gaze. He wore a kind smile, a sweet expression as he sat and watched the blonde's reaction.

It was something Kirishima often did- sideswiping him with always came out of left field and caught Bakugou off guard- leaving him speechless and pondering just how he managed to let someone have that much power over him. Bakugou hadn't dated much before Kirishima and nothing nearly as serious as this. He was an ass and the few that could see past that always ended up having an obsession with fixing him.

Kirishima recognized him for who he was- not who he wanted Bakugou to be. Kirishima looked at him like he was so much more than an old gifted kid on the edge of burnout with unresolved mommy issues and in dire need of better anger management. It was something he really didn't very often. Kiri looked at him like he was something to be heralded- like Bakugou was somehow worth all this grueling effort and time. It killed Bakugou a little each time he was reminded of that.

"You just like the morning sex," Bakugou grunted back, ignoring the warmth in his cheeks in favor of sipping at his drink once more. He'll blame the blush on the alcohol- maybe.

"That is a major bonus- I'll admit," Kirishima responded in his usual blunt manner of speaking. That was another thing Bakugou appreciated about his boyfriend. The man knew better than to sugar coat or to walk on eggshells around Bakugou. He said it as it was and wasn't afraid of calling Bakugou out on his bullshit- something the blonde really needed. Still did.

Not bothering to wait for Bakugou's reply, Kirishima shifted closer. Leaning into his space, Kirishima moved to rest his head on Bakugou's shoulder. Bakugou couldn't understand how the redhead couldn't hear the way his heart spiked every time he did that. It was always the stupidly innocent things that got to him. During the first couple of times that Kiri did this -made his heart jump and race- he had thought that he was starting to develop Deku's damn heart issues. How Kirishima managed to make his heart race with the most innocuous things still baffled him to no extent.

"You're shockingly quiet- should I be worried?" Kirishima whispered, one hand moving to rest on Bakugou's thigh. It was an innocent enough touch- the warmth of Kirishima's hand just barely resting above his knee. Yet it still made Bakugou go wide eyed and look around quickly as his face heated up.

"Just thinkin'," he mumbled, ignoring his boyfriend in favor of chugging the rest of his lemonade. He cleared his throat from the fire and the dredges of the alcohol. If Kiri noticed the pink high on his cheeks, he didn't mention it.

"Katsuki," Kiri whispered and /fuck/ if that didn't make the warmth in Bakugou's face burn a little hotter. "You can tell me anything."

Bakugou never understood how words could hold so much weight behind them. Especially when he just threw them around so casually back in the day. How come the thought of telling Kirishima the truth could just absolutely kill Bakugou- make his hands sweaty and his throat clench. Taking a deep breath despite the lump that had formed, he held it as he looked down at his boyfriend. He'd later deny the anxiety that filled him in the moment, however it was plain as day on his face.

"I love you."

Just like that it was over. The moment was done. Bakugou had said the words after almost a whole year of dating. There had been plenty of times where he had thought them, but to say them was an entirely different beast.

"Katsuki," Kirishima repeated, voice still just as soft as he shifted to face Bakugou properly. They sat knee to knee now, Kirishima's face invading his space completely now. "Oh, baby... I love you too."

"Fuck you," Bakugou grunted, looking away to avoid the tender look that Kirishima was giving him. It was bad enough Kirishima was giggling and pulling him into a tight hug, but hearing him whisper /that/ and his name all at once only served to make it worse for Bakugou. He managed to let out the breath he had been holding- his shoulders slumping as he allowed Kirishima to hug him.

"You can't take it back!" Kirishima insisted, making Bakugou roll his eyes. He felt Kirishima's still damp hair tickling his neck and Bakugou found himself smiling despite it all; feeling as though a major weight had been lifted off of his chest.

"I'm stuck with you, aren't I?" He huffed, glad that Kirishima truly understood him. He didn't have to take the time to ensure that he was saying everything perfectly- he could be entirely himself and his boyfriend would understand that he still cared. He didn't have to explain that he loved the man- he just had to grumble on and Kirishima would get it. That Bakugou wanted to spend his whole life just curled up in the man's arms like this and never ever let go.

"Mhm!" Kirishima's slow hum answered. Bakugou shook his head at the other boy's antics. They stayed like that for a while, though it wasn't long before Bakugou's hands begun to slide down to hold Kirishima's hips. Moving his head off of Bakugou's shoulder, the redhead leaned back up. Bakugou let himself go easily under his boyfriend's ministrations, hands squeezing those perfect hips and tilting his head back so Kirishima could get better access to kiss at his neck. Though they were gentle kisses and the occasional quick nip that made Bakugou jump, they didn't do much more than that. Instead sticking to keeping it tender and loving while they were out where anyone could stumble upon them.

When Kirishima finally pulled away from sucking a lazy hickey into the junction between Bakugou's neck and jaw -just under his ear- the light from the once golden sun had faded into a gentle blue. The world around them was just a little duller, the forest looming in the dusk light. Bakugou couldn't care less about the rest of the world at that moment, however. Not when Kirishima was grinning at him, eyes dark and features soft and painted in pale blues. That movie feeling came back and there were a thousand songs that could play in the background that would express his love and adoration for his boyfriend. However, Bakugou doubted any of them would get it just right- none of them would be perfect enough to describe his boyfriend.

"I love you, Katsuki."

"I love you too, Eijiro."

They stayed there for a little while longer. Tangled up on the back steps of the porch to Kirishima's childhood home. Until the sky went from soft blues to the navy of the night sky and the stars came out to greet them like they were coming back home. And when the moths had fluttered in to kiss the light on the back of the porch, Kirishima and Bakugou finally untangled themselves to bring their weary bodies back upstairs to sleep.