***Warnings: Langauge, Mean and Rude Bakugo, humor, sexual language, talk of animal slaughtering, talk of whipping, violence towards an innocent chair

Chapter 3: Don't Go Back On Your Word

Bakugo kicks the chair over in his rage. It's more confusion than rage, but it's the confusion that enraged him to become enraged in the first place. He growls at the chair, stomping on the front left leg until it snaps off. Bakugo curses the chair even though he knows it's ridiculous. But, if Kirishima were still here, this chair would be the redhead.

He doesn't like it — not one bit. The spiky-haired moron managed to do what no other could; Kirishima withstood his forcefulness- and enjoyed it. Was Kirishima really a first-timer? He's never done that before with anyone? Kirishima's good at it, and the redhead had a hint of shyness mixed with wanton need. Kirishima's too dumb to play the fool, or try to pull a fast one on him. If Kirishima is used to sexual acts, then he wouldn't be so far behind in taxes and buried in debt. It's well-known that the tax collectors can 'ignore' or 'write-off' a missed payment in return for sexual favors. Most people would accept to escape the expense. Kirishima didn't. Either the man has more pride than him, or Kirishima is just oblivious.

Whatever the reason, Bakugo was not expecting Kirishima's reaction. If he had asked Kirishima to stay, the other would have. Most of his bed partners can't wait to leave. Bakugo's not a gentle lover, and he knows this. Deku says that he is only 'rough' and 'mean' during coupling because he is afraid of falling in love. The last three words had him sticking his tongue out with disgust while the rest of his body suffered from a shiver of the same. His brother is wrong. Deku only thinks that because he is married and starry-eyed for the half-and-half bastard.

'You're so afraid to have anyone love you because you don't want a commitment,' Deku tells him. 'You don't want anything holding you back. But that's no way to live life!'

'You keep 'romance' how you like, and I'll keep 'romance' in MY way!'

Deku isn't wrong. Not entirely. Bakugo has made his way to the top without anyone's help. There was no one to hold him back, he had no responsibilities to a person, a spouse or child, and he's just too smart for a relationship. He made something of himself without knowing anyone who could push him to the front of the line or put in a good word or pay his way into this position. He did it all on his own. ALL on his own!

So, why does he keep thinking about Kirishima? Why did he give permission for the man to stay on in his house? He's a judge; he can overturn the decision if he so wished it, but he doesn't want to. With another roar of rage, he stomped the other front leg of the chair off, faster than the first.

"Great! Just fucking great! Now I need a new chair!"

Kirishima lifts the ax over his head and brings the blade down to split the wood. He had a fitful sleep and woke up before dawn feeling anxious to see a layer of fresh snow has covered the ground. The stableman was just getting up when he did, and Kirishima asked the older man if there is anything he can do or something that needs to be done. The man smiled at Kirishima and asked if he can split the wood. Kirishima could tell the older man was delighted and relieved that someone else is wielding the ax. It's not an issue for him. He likes chopping food. He finds it oddly calming, which is what he needs after the event of last night.

'What did I do wrong?'

Kirishima keeps coming back to that same question, wracking his brain for an answer. Bakugo's reaction didn't fit the pleasure the other man felt at the time. Kirishima didn't bite him, did he? No, not bite, but maybe scratched the skin with the tip of his teeth? He's confident his lips encased the jagged edges entirely for he has the indents inside his mouth to prove it. So, what other reason is there?

'I felt a connection...it was special. Did Bakugo feel it too? Is that why he got upset?' he grins. 'He's probably just scared of his feelings! He's a hard-shelled guy! I'm sure that's it! Best keep it to myself, though.' Kirishima feels a spot of wet on the tip of his nose. He looks up to see the gray sky fluttering with snowflakes once again. 'The first real snow of the season,' He says, sticking out his tongue and crossing his eyes to watch as a snowflake lands on the tip of his tongue. 'I should be grateful I have a place to stay for the winter.'

"Hey! Spiky-Hair!"

Kirishima spins around, still holding his ax and almost strikes Bakugo with it. The judge easily dodges by leaning back.

"You idiot! Are you trying to kill me?" Bakugo hollers.

"No! No, I wasn't! I'm sorry! I was just startled, and the ax is in my hand!" Kirishima drops the tool and puts his hands up. "I really didn't try to hurt you!"

Kirishima took a quick moment to appreciate the manly handsomeness of Bakugo. The gray fur on his shoulders stretched down and around his torso while the rest of his body's covered by the thick black wool of the cloak. Even with the scowl, gazing upon Bakugo in the winter air with light snowflakes fluttering around him is a picture he wants to paint so he can remember it forever. If he knew how to paint, that is. It's easy to blame the redness he feels in his cheeks on the cold.

"I came out here to tell you that I've changed my mind about you staying here," Bakugo says. "I want you to leave," with that, Bakugo turns and begins to walk away.

Kirishima follows him. "Wait! Wait, Judge Bakugo! You-you can't! Don't go back on your word now!" Kirishima leaps in front of him, but the frowning judge ducks around him. "Don't ignore me! Last night, what happened, what I did, I really liked it!" He continues to follow Bakugo through the courtyard. "Please, if I did something wrong, or something you didn't like, then let me correct it! Please!" He is now stepping backward while Bakugo progresses forward. "Please, just give me a chance! I can- GAH!"

Kirishima's back bumps into something hard and a pile of snow falls onto his head and shoulders. "It's cold! It's cold!"

Bakugo points and laughs at Kirishima. "Ha ha ha! Get a load of you! You look like a snowman that's been beaten by the stupid stick!"

Kirishima shakes and brushes the snow off, ignoring Bakugo's comment and laughing as well. "Good thing nothing went down the back of my pants! That would really be cold!"

"Maybe I can keep you on as my personal fool," Bakugo offers.

"I can do that!" Kirishima says. "I'll do anything you want me to, Judge Bakugo! Just please, let me stay here? Let me work off my debt! Whatever I did to upset you last night, I'm sorry! I'll make up for it!"

"Move out of my way, peasant!"

"No! You're a judge! Give me a solid, lawful reason why you are kicking me out of your house and going back on your word! I've done everything you've asked of me so far! Look at all the wood I've split! And the boar! And...and last night. I can be a lot of use to you! But I want a lawful reason. A lawful one!" Kirishima demands.

Bakugo narrows his eyes at the redhead. He can see the determination in the other's eyes, and it pisses him off. "A lawful answer? Hm. I see. How about, I just don't want you here?" He gives a rude smile to the other. "Case closed. Now get out of my way!" Bakugo pushes past Kirishima but feels something pulling him back. What's got his cloak?! He looks over his shoulder to see Kirishima, flat on the snow, gripping the end of the cloak. "Are you deaf as well as stupid! I said, 'LEAVE!' Get the hell off me, you asshole!"

"Please let me stay!" Kirishima begs. "You've brought me to my knees! See! I am a desperate man! An honest man! I just want to work and get my home back!"

"You bleat and cry like a slaughtered goat!" Bakugo shouts at him, trying to pull his cloak from Kirishima, but the other's grip is strong! "LET GO OF ME YOU FUNGUS!"

Bakugo begins kicking snow in Kirishima's face. In this action, however, Bakugo loses his footing and lands on the ground. Shocked, bewildered, and his anger rising, Bakugo slowly blinks the snowflakes from his lashes, thinking of ways he is going to pummel the life out of the redhead. He sits up and glares at Kirishima's stupid, crooked face and smile. So, the bastard thinks this is funny?

"I'm sorry, Judge Bakugo! I'll help you up!" Kirishima is on his feet and holds a hand out to Bakugo, but it's slapped away.

"I can get up on my own, bastard!" Bakugo stands up and brushes the snow off of his cloak and pants. "I ought to horsewhip you for what you did!"

"If I let you do that, will you let me stay?"

Bakugo stares at Kirishima, his face hard, but his eyes wide. "You've got to be shitting me," he smirks. "No one would willingly offer their backs to get it whipped!" The serious look on Kirishima's face says otherwise. "Are you a complete moron? Do you hear what you are saying?"

Kirishima nods. "I speak the truth. Unlike you, Judge Bakugo, I honor my word! You told me to show you how far I would go to pay off my debt! I honored my word and came to your room. You still can't give me a reason why you sent me away last night! If you don't give me a reason, then I will have to earn your respect and my place here in another way. And if that means enduring pain, then it is a small price to pay."

"Fine. Put your money where your mouth is, if you had any, and get your ass to the stables. I have a firm hand when it comes to dealing with those who piss me off! Move it!"

Bakugo follows behind Kirishima as the redhead goes into the stables. Bakugo instructs him to brace himself against one of the posts. Kirishima removes his jerkin and shirt, bearing his muscular back. Bakugo already has the horsewhip and taps it against the palm of his leather glove. When Kirishima folds his arms over his head on the post, Bakugo frowns. The idiot is really doing it! That same determination and fearlessness he witnessed in the courtroom shows itself again! Bakugo raises the whip, ready to strike the skin, but he doesn't. Going back on his LAST word, Bakugo tosses the whip to the hay covered floor and says,

"I'm not going to whip you; you sack of horse shit! Put your damn clothes back on and go back to splitting wood! After that, fetch water from the well, get the potatoes peeled, slaughter one of the lambs, and shovel the grain!"

Kirishima smiles as he listens to Bakugo's orders while dressing. "So, this means I can stay?"

"Oh, you can stay," Bakugo points a threatening finger at him. "But I'm going to work your ass off! I'm going to work you so damn hard you'll be begging me to cut you some slack, and I won't! I've got a whole list of things you need to do, and you have to do them without fail! Got it?"

"Yes! Yes, thank you, Judge Bakugo! I'll get started on all of that right now! You won't regret this! I'll give the chores all the best of me and then even more some!" He flexes his biceps. "You can count on me!"

"Quick flapping your gums and get to work, fungus!"

Bakugo spins on his heel, and as he is leaving the stable, one of the horses in the stall lifts its tail and lets out a fart. Bakugo freezes in place, his back stiffening, as he hears muffled snickering behind him. He spins around again to give Kirishima a death glare. The man is looking up at the ceiling and biting his bottom lip, trying not to laugh. Bakugo decides to keep his unbreakable dignity and exits the stable without a word.

Kirishima is still laughing about the horse and Bakugo while peeling potatoes in the kitchen. The maids busy themselves with preparing dinner. He's come to learn their names; the old cook is Madam Kayo. The three younger maids are Riki, Chuya, and Tamura. The head maid, who runs the manor and holds the duplicate keys, is Aya. The old stable hand is Matsu. There are others he hasn't met yet but has greeted them in passing.

He is two potatoes away from finishing when the distant sound of a musical tune reaches his ears. Kirishima pauses in peeling to listen. The song sounds as if it is coming from a flute.

"Judge Bakugo plays the panpipes when he's aggravated," Madam Kayo tells Kirishima while kneading the bread dough. "It helps to soothe him. Judge Bakugo is an intelligent young man. Full of talent, he is," She adds more flour to the dough. "I don't think there's anything he can't do if he tries it for the first time. He can dominate anything!"

"Really? Huh. I guess I'm not surprised by that," Kirishima looks in the direction of the music. "Sounds nice, though. The tune, I mean. But panpipes don't seem like the type of instrument a guy like Judge Bakugo would play."

"He plays a lot of them," adds Riki. "Like the drum and the lute! Oh! And the hand harp, too!"

"Wow? All those? I can only play the feasting horn," Kirishima says and they all laugh.

"Judge Bakugo is a hard one to put up with," comments Madam Kayo. "But he just needs the right person in his life to help remind him to be humble, and not so self-centered."

"Oh, I hear ya," Kirishima says while peeling the last potato.

Chuya comes back into the kitchen and says, "Don't forget, we need to bring more wood to Judge Bakugo's chambers."

Kirishima leaps up from the floor. "I'll carry it, no worries!"

Kirishima gathers some logs from beside the stone oven and carries them to Bakugo's chambers. As he gets closer to the room, the music becomes louder. He sees that the door is slightly open, and with his shoulder, Kirishima gently nudges it open. Peeking around the wood, he spots Bakugo sitting in the windowsill, dressed in a cream-colored bell-sleeve tunic and brown pants. Bakugo's lips glide along the panpipes; his eyes closed in calm concentration while the snow falls outside as if dancing to the music. The image of Bakugo like this will forever be frozen in Kirishima's mind. His spying is revealed when the door releases a creak.

Bakugo removes the panpipes from his lips and looks at the door only to frown at the sight. "Oh, it's you."

"Hey," Kirishima says in greeting, carrying the wood over to the fireplace. "Chuya told me you needed more wood for the fire, so I brought you some."

"Whatever. Have you done all your chores?"

"All except the slaughtering," Kirishima says. "What's the lamb for, anyway?"

Bakugo snorts and turns to look out at the falling snow. "It's my brother's stupid birthday in two days, and he wants to celebrate it here. Mutton is a favorite of his. I don't want to host, but it looks good in the public eye."

Kirishima puts a log on the fire for him. "Does Izuku play any instruments?"

"That's Sheriff Izuku to you," Bakugo reminds him. "And yes, he does. Only the flute, though. He's not that musical."

"I wouldn't think you are musical," Kirishima says. "I would think your brother is the one to play music."

Bakugo snorts again, turning to Kirishima with a hard stare. "There is nothing I can't do! I want to know anything and everything that I can! Music is just one of those skills that take talent, which I have an ocean of."

Kirishima laughs. "I know that! But you play really nice music, Judge Bakugo. Are you going to play at Sheriff Izuku's celebration?"

"No. The husband will do that. I'm just hosting the damn thing. Fucking annoying is what it is,"

"Well...let me know if you need any help getting things together for it," Kirishima offers. "I'll have the lamb slaughtered by tonight, and it will be ready for the celebration."

"Good. Now leave me be,"

"I can stay for a while...keep you company?"

Bakugo smirks. "What makes you think I want YOUR company?"

Kirishima scratches his cheek and gives a lopsided smile. "Just...you know. Some man time. Man to man, you know? We can arm wrestle or talk about our manly deeds?"

Bakugo lifts his brows. "Man time? Really? You consider that a thing to do?"

"Well...yeah. I guess? I like being around you, Judge Bakugo."

"Look, just because I fucked your mouth doesn't mean I like you. Is that what you think?"

"N-No. I know you don't like me. You've made it clear," Kirishima flushes. "I just think that...you would like some company. Companionship. Loyalty. Trust."

Bakugo rolls his eyes. "If I want all that, I'd get a damn dog!"

Kirishima sighs. "Okay. I guess the answer is no. Sorry to bother you, Judge Bakugo. I'll just go."

Bakugo thinks for a moment, then calls out to Kirishima. "Hold up,"

Kirishima looks back at him.

"You play cards?"

"Yeah, actually! I do!"

"Have you ever stripped while playing cards?"

"No?"

Bakugo smirks. "Sucks for you then," he stands from the windowsill. "Because I'm damn good at strip card games, and it's something men like you should know. You'll be completely naked in no time. One piece of clothing for every game you lose. Are you a sore loser?"

"I'm not. If the challenge is honest and fair, and I lose, then that's how it is. I do challenge you to cards, Judge Bakugo!" Kirishima smirks and closes the door. "Maybe I'll have YOU naked!"

"Oh, now you're in for it," Bakugo says, going over to the desk to take out a deck of cards, shuffling them in numerous styles. "You'll soon be sitting in that chair, bare-assed and freezing, while I make a seat cushion out of your clothes!"

Kirishima sits at the table and slams his fist on the dark surface. "Alright, let's do this! First one fully naked has to suck the other off! Or are those stakes too high for you, Judge?"

Bakugo's smirk matches Kirishima's. "Ha! You think that will put me off? I never lose, so I'm not concerned! I guess it wouldn't hurt to see you on your knees again," Bakugo slams the deck in the center of the table. "Cut the cards!"

"With pleasure!"

TBC