Eijirou and Bakugou got ready for bed quickly, washing up, putting on pajamas. And as the seconds ticked closer and closer to bedtime, nerves started acting up. And when the two boys emerged from the bathroom, faces washed and teeth brushed, it was time to confront a very serious question, one that had been bothering Eijirou all evening.

"So… Um." He trailed off, gesturing vaguely at the bed. He could feel his cheeks burning up. "How exactly is this going to work?"

"Just get in the damn bed or something, I don't know."

Well. That certainly wasn't enough information to ease his doubts. Like, what amount of physical contact was acceptable? None? They didn't have the futon, after all, so their cuddling could no longer hide under the pretense of 'comforting a bro' without a nightmare happening first. Their safety net was gone, and if Eijirou made the wrong assumption, things would get very awkward, very quickly.

The silence had settled over them must have irritated Bakguou, because he spoke up rather irritably. "Stop thinking so fucking much," he mumbled, flipping off the light and climbing into bed. "Your thoughts are so goddamn loud, they'll keep me awake if you keep it up."

"Sorry," Eijirou laughed nervously, making his way to the bed as well.

He sat on the edge, looking down at the body that lay behind him. Even though the room was dark, he could see that Bakugou was on his back, right in the middle of the bed, so there wasn't much room for Eijirou to have his own space. Which, if he knew anything about Bakugou, meant…

He threw any and all hesitation out the window, shuffling under the covers, until he was snuggled tight against his friend's side. Bakugou tensed, for just a moment, (he still wasn't used to things like this, Eijirou remembered), but then he turned to face Eijirou, his eyes already closed, bringing an arm around him, gently tugging his even closer. The redhead mirrored his movements, until they were both fully immersed in the other's body heat. He felt every shift of Bakugou's body, no matter how small, felt his own heart beating, hammering, yearning.

"You know, if we're like this, you might not even have a nightmare at all tonight."

"That's the plan."

Right. Their actions had a reason. He wasn't just cuddling with Bakugou, sleeping next to him, to keep him company. He had a duty. He needed to stop forgetting that.

Maybe it was because this was the first time both of them were fully awake and alert when it happened, the first time they didn't have the futon as a shield covering the bizarreness of the situation, but it hit Eijirou.

This was really, really strange, wasn't it?

"Hey, Bakugou?"

"What is it now?" His words were gravelly, but that was from sleepiness and not actual annoyance.

"Ah… Nothing much, just… thinking about this whole situation."

Bakugou's eyelids opened. He looked over to Eijirou oddly. "What about it?"

"Well. If you think about how this all started… it's a bit crazy, isn't it?" His voice was breathy, barely there. "Like, two weeks ago, you wouldn't even let me in your room. And now… now, not only are you interacting with other classmates, but you are letting me help you like… like this. Two weeks ago, I would never have imagined it."

Bakugou merely hummed, closing his eyes once more, letting him continue talking. And Eijirou felt like talking. He couldn't help but feel talkative – he was just so content, so proud, he couldn't stop from smiling. His heart felt like it was bursting. How could he not want to share the feeling with the world?

"It's… kinda weird," he laughed to himself, his words buzzing with excitement. "Not that I'm complaining or anything. I've thought this all along, but I really feel privileged when I hang out with you. I've just watched you grown so much, it's amazing."

"Whatever…"

Eijirou held onto him tighter. There was a grin on his lips, tears threatening the corners of his eyes, ones that felt joyous. "I'm always here for you, bro. I'm just really glad that you feel comfortable with me."

"Yeah."

There was no empty space around him, no void within him to fill. He was at ease, and everything felt so right. He felt a connection with Bakugou, something that attracted them, like two opposite ends of a magnet. Kinship? Was that what it was called? Well, whatever he had with Bakugou now was the closeness that he had been looking for, for months. Perhaps, he had never felt this close to anyone before. It was strange. Wasn't it?

"Bakugou?"

"Hm?"

"You do know that most friendships aren't like this, right?"

The words hung in the air, their bluntness taking even Eijirou himself by surprise.

Bakugou frowned, his brows furrowed in uncertainty. "I… I mean, I guess." There was an unspoken 'I wouldn't really know'.

"Don't get me wrong, I like this. I really do. I feel like I'm helping you and that makes me really happy. But normal friends don't usually do things like this."

The frown didn't leave Bakugou's face. He shrugged, slowly flipping over so his back was to Eijirou.

"Then normal friends are dumb."

It was not one of Bakugou's nightmares that first pulled Eijirou out of his restful sleep. Nor was it the rising sun. It was the sound of the door bursting open.

The bridge of his nose scrunched in confusion, and he let out a long groan. Judging by the shuffling of the body that was in his arms, Bakugou was beginning to stir as well. And then came the words.

"Hey bro, sorry to barge in – please don't blast me – but I ran out of shaving cream, and I was going to ask Kirishima for some but he isn't in his room and you're right next door so…"

At the sound of his name, Eijirou jerked fully awake. He sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eye with one hand, mumbling in a half-yawn, "Wha…?"

When he took his hand away from his face, his eyes locked with Kaminari's. His breath caught in his throat.

Oh, shit.

"Uhhh…?" Kaminari was paused in the doorway, with his head tilted to the side, his lips pursed in mild confusion. He quickly glanced around the room, as if making sure he was in the right place. Then, location confirmed, he was staring at Eijirou in shock, wide-eyed, drop-jawed. "Uhhhhhh..."

Eijirou stared back at him, equally as wide-eyed, his mouth opening and closing, his brain blanking on speech. Then, there was a groan from the bed next to him. And his stomach dropped.

Ohhhh no, no, no…

Bakugou rose, still half-asleep and yawning, letting out a "who the fuck?" And Eijirou could actually pin-point exactly when the 'oh shit' moment happened – his eyes bulged, a tiny squeak was forced out of his throat, and his entire body just froze.

In fact, the entire room felt frozen in place, as all three looked on.

Kaminari gaped, looking from Eijirou to Bakugou, then back to Eijirou. Then back to Bakugou. Each head-swivel widened his eyes even more, making his cheeks and the tips of his ears turn beet-red. He coughed deep in his throat once, then twice, as if trying to find his voice.

"Ahhh, wow. Okay, umm… Sorry to interrupt." With that, he turned on his heel, strolling out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

For a few more seconds, the remaining two stayed unmoving, stunned.

"Ahhh shit." Eijirou finally breathed.

And at that, all hell broke loose.

"You motherfu—Get back here!" Bakugou barked, his hands smoking, eyes completely livid as he scrambled out of bed.

"Shit, shit, shit…"

"I said, get back here you bastard, I'll kill you!" In trying to untangle his legs from the blankets, the blond fell to the floor with a loud thunk, a string of curses and small explosions following.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold up, Bakugou-" Finally able to take control of his limbs, Eijirou clambered after him, grabbing onto his shoulders, turning his friend until they were kneeling face-to-face. "Bakugou! Calm down."

He struggled against Eijirou's grasp, trying to push himself onto his feet. "He's gonna jump to the fucking wrong conclusions—"

"I know, I know, just…Hang tight, stay put, let me talk to him, please." The redhead gave a gentle squeeze, releasing Bakugou's shoulders and darting to the door without even waiting for a response.

"Oh no you don't!"

"Please! Trust me!"

When his pleading eyes met Bakugou's, the blond pursed his lips. He gave a single, curt nod. 'Okay.' Eijirou gave him a blinding grin before closing the door behind him. With Bakugou's go-ahead, he didn't waste any more time. He sprinted after Kaminari, who had just passed through the door at the end of the hallway. A few seconds later, Eijirou burst into the stairwell after him.

"Hey! Dude! Wait up!"

At the words, Kaminari paused for just a second before continuing down the stairs. "You don't have to explain yourself, man, I get it. We're all teenagers here. Stuff happens."

Eijirou let out a dry laugh, leaning onto the railing as he leaned down to yell, "But I promise, it's not what you think!"

"Not what I—But how?" Kaminari, now at the first landing, turned to face him, his face taken aback. "You were in his bed!" He squeaked out, flailing his arms with the lunacy of a man whose world had just come crumbling down around him. "In his bed, in just boxer-briefs!"

Kirishima glanced down. Oh. So he was.

"Could you maybe keep your voice down?" he hissed. "Not my fault it's hot as balls in here! I must have tossed stuff off in my sleep!"

"Su-ure, dude." Kaminari took a step back up the stairs, letting his voice fall to a whisper. "You sure there's not something you want to tell me? I won't judge, bro. Promise."

"Before you start making stuff up, can I please explain?"

Kaminari shrugged, smirking. "Whatever makes you feel better, buddy."

Eijirou retreated up the stairs toward his room, Kaminari only pausing for a second before following suit. Once they were behind a closed door, the redhead shuffled through his drawers quickly, settling on some old jersey basketball shorts – great, his sweats were at Bakugou's – and a tank-top. Kaminari sat on the bed, watching him with bewildered amusement. With a snap of the waistband on his hips, Eijirou fell onto the bed next to him.

"Okay. So." He let out a huff. "I know this sounds crazy, and it wouldn't feel right if I went into details because there's some baggage involved that isn't mine to tell. But Bakugou needed comforted about some things, so we stayed up last night talking, and…" he made a vague gesture, "… yah. But there isn't anything between us, I swear. I was just helping him with some bad stuff he's going through."

"Okay…" Kaminari nodded slowly, a look of doubt still on his face. "Rewind a bit for me: how did all of this start?"

"Um." Eijirou blinked. "What do you—?"

"Come on, Kirishima, I'm not stupid all the time," Kaminari snorted. "Bakugou has been nicer these past few days, especially to you. So I'm guessing this has happened before?"

Eijirou looked away.

"Bro. Whatever you're up to, at least let me know how long it's been going on."

He closed his eyes, clenching a fist. No use hiding it now. "A week…?"

His friend's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh mygod. Dude. And… and he just, lets you?"

"Yah, so?"

Kaminari let out a low whistle that was all too suggestive.

"What?" Eijirou glowered. "He's my friend. I just want to help."

"And you help all your friends like that, do you?"

"Hey. You know me. If they need it, then sure."

"So you say…" Kaminari looked at him curiously, a crease in his brow. Then, a gentle smile tugged at his lips. "You know, you're a great friend, Kirishima."

"… Thank you." Eijirou gave a small, hesitant grin in return. "So does that mean you believe me?"

"Well, even if you're lying, it's not really my business anyways. But yeah. I believe you."

That had been… surprisingly easy. Eijirou sighed and looked ahead, nodding slightly, contented. The two fell into a silence.

"Hey, uh," Kaminari's voice was just above a whisper, and a little higher-pitched than normal, as if he was nervous. "I have a question for you, do you mind if I ask?"

"Not at all."

"It's kind of a weird question, I'm warning you now…" he scratched the nape of his neck tensely.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Do you like Bakugou?"

The words hung in the air, heavy and significant, and Eijirou's brain drew a complete blank, trying to process them. Then, brain on overdrive, he seized up, a pit widening in his gut.

"You mean… like like, don't you?" he asked, slowly.

Kaminari nodded.

Ejirou sighed, rolling his eyes. "No way man. I mean, Bakugou is cool and all, and I really like hanging out with him a lot, but… but…" he trailed off, becoming quiet. His mind wasn't working like he wanted it to, it was short-circuiting as a sense of confusion took over. "I…I-I..."

Kaminari's smile grew. "No way, man! You totally have a crush on him!"

"Oh my god, shut up, I don't… That's not..." Eijirou's words were still just not coming out, why wasn't his voice working? His chest felt awfully funny as well, and somewhere in the back of his mind the thought occurred that he was terribly embarrassed. His face was absolutely blistering hot so he buried it in his hands.

"Aww, you're blushing, that's adorable."

"Shut up," he let out a noncommittal groan, curling in on himself, trying to hide his face even more. "I-It's not like that!"

"Come on, be honest with yourself, man. Do you like him or not?"

"I mean, yeah— no, I don't know!"

"You don't know? Like, you aren't even denying it or anything, you just don't know?"

Eijirou whined in frustration, running frantic fingers through his hair. "It's not my fault, it's not like I've had a crush on anyone before."

At that, Kaminari simply tilted his head to the side in surprise. "Wait, seriously?"

Eijirou sucked in a breath, looking down with a slow nod. "I mean, nothing more than passing thoughts or whatever, like if someone is really nice maybe. But everything I've been feeling lately, it hadn't even crossed my mind that it could because I... you know." He couldn't even say it, his heart was beating too fast, his face blushing up even more at just the thought. "But what if that's not really how I'm feeling? I want to be close to him, sure, but maybe I just want to be his friend. This is so confusing. And I can't afford to be wrong about something like this."

"Okay. Here's my two cents: I think you like him, and for whatever reason you're just having trouble recognizing it." Kaminari shrugged. "But maybe not. So let's break it down, start with the basics: how exactly do you feel about him?"

How did he feel about Bakugou? Eijirou pouted his lips, deep in thought, tyring to sort through the whirlwind thatw as running rampage in his head.

"I dunno, I mean, we're friends. And I admire him, and he has this strength that I aspire to have as well. And… I know that the, uh, cuddling is a little weird, but I don't think I've ever been closer with anyone, so it just, makes sense to me. I trust him so much, and he trusts me. And that means a lot."

Kaminari had an odd shine in his eye, his lips upturned, but he was quiet, waiting for Eijirou to continue. And Eijirou couldn't help but think that it felt like a part of him was floating. He had never talked to anyone about this before, and it felt freeing to get it off of his chest, but there was still so much more he wanted to say. He felt like he was sitting on the edge of something big, some huge precipice that he was stumbling upon with every word he spoke.

"Sometimes, though," he started again, a crease in his brow, his words starting to run together in a haze, "I get upset when I think about not being with him. I want to hang out with him all the time, studying or talking about whatever, just to make sure he's okay, ya know? And sometimes I worry that maybe I'm overcrowding him, but he never seems too bothered by it and that makes me so happy. I just want to be there for him, give him a shoulder to lean on if he needs it, and hug him, and cuddle with him, waking up in the morning next to him, his face being the first thing I see… and…"

And then it hit him.

It gripped his heart, squeezing it tighter, making it difficult to breath. Eijirou nearly doubled over at the brute force of it, like a wind-wall that knocked the breath out of him. Everything, all that he had been feeling, for days, snapped into place in the blink of an eye. The thumping pulse, the sweating hands, the blushing, the want, the need to be there for Bakugou, to help him and protect him… The pure, unadulterated caring he felt, all the damn time, wanting to be closer, as close as he could get, the yearning to pull Bakugou into his arms and never let him go for even a second.

He jolted up, meeting Kirishima's watchful gaze, his face drained of all color, eyes frantic, lips only able to form one syllable:

"Oh."

"…Oh?" Kaminari prompted carefully, buzzing with excitement.

Even now, he could feel his face heating up, his heart beating out of control, his thoughts a hurricane that he would never be able to sort through in a million years. It left him breathless and dizzy and so overwhelmed. The feeling in his gut, the same feeling he had felt for days, was amplified to its fullest intensity as he finally, finally realized what it meant.

"Oh my god. I-I… Fuck, I…" he swallowed, his tongue feeling rough like sandpaper in his mouth. "I like him."

With just those simple words, came the relief – pure, raw relief, acceptance, blossoming in the center of his chest, making him gasp. It burbled throughout his entire mind and body, finally letting him breathe, letting him feel free. He liked Bakugou. He wanted to pump his fist in victory, he wanted to laugh until his sides hurt, he wanted to cry the tears of joy that were threatening to pool past his waterline. But instead, Eijirou let out a slow, shaking breath.

"You okay, man?"

"Yeah. Okay, wow, I…" he sniveled. "I like him, I really, really do."

"Dude, are you tearing up?"

"Shut up."

And then came a wave of sadness. He was already on the verge of tears, so the feeling of gloom that was consuming him was the last thing he needed to feel at that moment. Of all the people in the world, of course he had to have a crush on Bakugou, the grumpiest, most anti-social person he had ever known.

"What do I do? Kaminari?" He all but choked out, an edge of panic creeping into his voice. "What do I even do, this is Bakugou we're talking about."

"It'll all be okay, ya gotta think positive and stuff," Kaminari encouraged, his smile bringing an air of optimism. "Like, I can't think of anyone else who Bakugou would willingly have a sleepover with, so you must be pretty important to him. And he did ask me for your number a few days ago. He thinks of you as a friend, at least."

Eijirou looked up to him desperately, watery eyes hopeful like a stray puppy who just found a home. "Really? He asked you for my number?"

"You are a lost cause, my dude."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just…" Eijirou could hear his voice shaking, maybe his whole body was shaking too, he didn't even know anymore, he was existing on some astral plane where only words and emotions exist. He took a deep breath, wiping away a tear that was starting to form. "I think I'm just a little overwhelmed right now. I'm not used to all of this."

"Hey, don't sweat it. You should have seen me in middle school with my first crush, I was a mess. Heck, I never thought I would see anyone willing to date Bakugou of all people, so this is a little unexpected for me, too," Kaminari het out a chuckle, before making a quick correction, "Not that there's anything wrong with Bakugou. Although, I am curious, how did it happen? Like, I'm not judging you at all, sometimes crushes are completely unexpected and all, but I'd imagine that Bakugou is a rather difficult person to like, uh, if you know what I mean."

Eijirou shrugged, hopeless. "I've always known that I admire him. Even if he was a little… well, you know how he can be sometimes. But when I got to know him, like, really got to know him, I just… I couldn't stop thinking about him, and I didn't know why, I thought it was concern or something, because of how grumpy he was getting, but now it makes sense, I can't stop thinking about him because I like him, that's so crazy! I like his dumb face and his dumb overconfident attitude and…"

And once he got started, he couldn't stop. So he kept going, his words becoming more and more hysterical, both from overwhelming misery and general bewilderment, tears starting to sting the corners his eyes.

"… And he has this scowl whenever he's like generally displeased about something, and it's so cute, I think that every time he does it, and now I understand why I think that, and it's such a relief. He wears a blanket like a cape when he studies, for fuck's sake, it's adorable! And he literally explodes his hair to make it spiky, he just, shoves his fingers in his hair and poof, and I watch him do it every morning and I still honestly have no idea how it doesn't catch on fire, he's just so ridiculous like that, and so extra, even the way he eats kit-kats is extra, like seriously, he just, takes a bite, out of the whole thing, like who even does tha-a-at?"

Eijirou was a blubbering mess, and he knew it. He couldn't decide if he was gross-sobbing or laughing hysterically at the ridiculousness of it all, but either way he couldn't help it. He knew what he was feeling, what he had been feeling for so long, but now he finally had a word for it. He felt so happy, and so utterly hopeless at the same time, and it all felt so intense that it hurt. He buried his face in his palms again, letting out a couple shaky breaths.

Kaminari placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, patting it a couple times, giving him the time he needed to let it out. "Woah. You are in deep," he finally said.

Eijirou let out a hiccup, nodding as he wiped a tear from his blotchy cheek. "I feel like an idiot,"

"Hey, I'm not judging," Kaminari snorted, before turning thoughtful. "And I can tell you care about him a lot. It's really sweet. If anyone could make it work with him, with healthy communication, and support, and all that, it would be you."

"You… you really think so?"

"Definitely. You do no harm, but take no shit. That's a good attitude to have with him, I think. I've noticed this for a while now, but he actually treats with respect, and I think maybe that's why he's gotten nicer. Now that the two of you are closer, maybe he's started following your example. That's really, really good. And if it works out how you want it to or not, I know you'll be a good friend to him no matter what."

"Kaminari," Eijirou whimpered, resting a head on his friend's shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"No problem, Kirishima."

"Don't tell anyone though?" He pleaded. "Especially not him, please?"

"Of course not, man, my lips are sealed."

Eijirou hummed, pleased.

"But what about you?" Kaminari prompted carefully. "Will you tell him?"

Eijirou paused. This was all so new, he hadn't even considered that. "I… I don't want to lose his friendship, you know? I mean, maybe it wouldn't make a difference to him, as long as I treated him the same as always, but I just don't know. But… I would feel guilty if I didn't. Like, if we keep, you know, cuddling or whatever, I would feel like I'm using that just to feel intimate with him, and… yeah."

Kaminari nodded, letting out a breath of air with puffed cheeks. "Wow, yeah, that is a tough call, and I don't think I can help you much there. But I think you'll make the best decision for you."

Eijirou nodded. At that, silence blanketed the two of them again.

Kaminari scratched the back of his neck. "Hey, uh. I've got to keep getting ready for the day, maybe ask around for some shaving cream…"

"Yeah, sorry. Mine's at Bakugou's, otherwise I'd…"

"I gotchu, no problem," He started standing up, Eijirou following suit. "Sorry for leaving you so suddenly, but thank you for telling me all of this. Really."

Eijirou nodded.

"And good luck, man. Let me know if anything… you know, if anything develops."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks."

Kaminari turned the doorknob, "No problem," he smiled.

The door closed behind him. Eijirou just stood where he was dumbly, staring blankly ahead. His brain felt blank, but like it was working on overdrive at the same time, and the sensation left him feeling a little lightheaded. That had been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, huh? And all before 11 in the morning. Ridiculous.

When he finally regained motor control of his legs, Eijirou slumped to the bathroom, splashing some water onto his face, hoping it would help with how warm he still felt. He then lifted up his head to look at himself in the mirror.

Oh god, he was a complete mess. His face was blotchy with red blush, his hair unkempt. But it was nothing that wasn't unfixable. He braced himself against the sink, taking a few deep breaths before running fingers through his hair, blinking as he did to try to diminish the watery redness of his eyes. He couldn't look like he had just had an embarrassing freak-out moment, because he most definitely hadn't, and Bakugou didn't need to see him like this.

Oh right. Eijirou's heart fluttered. Bakugou was sitting in his room, waiting for him. They had to talk. They had to. Even if he didn't confess, just yet, he had to explain what happened with Kaminari.

He turned his head, looking at the wall that acted as a partition between them, praying that Bakugou hadn't heard anything. That slight anxiety squeezed his heart, making it pump even faster. But he and Kaminari had been relatively quiet – the only reason he had ever heard Bakugou before was because the guy had woke up shouting. There was no way they had been overheard.

He looked back to the mirror, making some last-minute adjustments to his clothes, splashing his face once more and drying it with a towel. Once he was sure he looked fine, he started going over to Bakugou's.

Bakugou.

Oh god. He was about to see Bakugou. He felt the rush of his pulse in his ears, like it had so many times before, except now he knew why. He knew why he always felt so giddy, why he looked forward to seeing his friend. And that knowledge made it so much worse. He lifted his fist, about to knock, but his hand was trembling, and something in his gut was being eaten away by his nerves, trying to pull his arm back. He stood for a moment too long, his hand hovering as a war raged in his head.

Then his knuckles rapped gently on the door. There was a moment of internal victory, but it was drowned out by his heart that was pounding, faster and faster. After waiting for an agonizing time that couldn't have been more than a couple seconds, it was opened.

Eijirou's heart stopped. Red eyes pierced through his own, and he couldn't look away. The world stopped turning, melted away, ceasing to exist. He took a breath. "Hey."

Bakugou grunted, looking to the side awkwardly, motioning him through the door.

The two sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Did you get everything sorted?" Bakugou was calm, very calm, all things considered.

"Yeah." His throat was dry. Why did his voice sound so distant? It rang around in his head a few times. "I didn't tell him why, so you don't have to worry about that. That's still between us. And he won't tell anyone else about what he saw, either."

"You sure?"

"Pretty sure," he let out a nervous chuckle. "I trust him."

"Okay. Good."

Then for several moments, neither of them spoke. He knew he was shaking, just barely, maybe not even enough for Bakugou to notice, but his jitters would not go away no matter how hard he tried to smother them. Bakugou was just so close to him, just a few inches away at most. He could literally reach his hand out, he could grab Bakugou's hand if he wanted to. And… he really wanted to. His fist clenched at the fabric of his shorts, thwarting the temptation.

Oh god, it was like Kaminari said. He was in too deep.

He looked down at his shoes that were on the floor by the desk. And he thought. He thought about everything that had happened. The nightmares, the help. The connection he felt with Bakugou. Maybe, these feelings were inevitable. He knew for a fact that he had never felt this close to anyone ever before, and it had only been a few days. It was the rush of time, the rush of familiarity, of emotions, of trust and respect, of...

Eijirou didn't want to think the 'L' word. Not yet. He was completely infatuated, sure, but he was still within his right mind enough to know that it was far too soon for that. He still held some concern that his hormonal teenage brain was mistaking friendship with romantic feelings. But, if things kept going how they were going… maybe in the future, that wouldn't be too crazy a word to think. For a brief moment, he wondered how Bakugou would react if he ever said it to him.

Eijirou shook his head, quickly.

He liked Bakugou. And Bakugou was sitting next to him, comfortably even despite the awkwardness of the morning. His friend, his crush, was right there, within his reach. In a way, he had been taking their sleepovers for granted, hadn't he? If he had known what his feelings were the whole time, he would have paid attention more, he would have cherished Bakugou even more. He would never make that mistake ever again.

"Hey, Kirishima?" Bakugou's voice rung out, quiet. Hurting.

Eijirou looked up, and when he found Bakugou's eyes, he once again felt breathless. "Yeah?"

"I think… you should probably sleep in your own room from now on."