When Kuri came to, her eyes were already half-open. Bakugo's face was directly in front of hers, their noses on the verge of touching. Neither breathed, neither moved. The memories from her drunken stupor flashed in her brain, filling Kuri in quickly. Bakugo stared intently at her, his crimson eyes glowing with a look that Kuri could not begin to describe. An element in his gaze compelled her though, as if beckoning her closer. Kuri drifted forward again, her eyes dipping down to his parted lips. Why not do it?
As their lips pressed together, Kuri felt like her brain was imploding. In a state of shock, her eyes were wide open. Blush bloomed across Kuri's face as reality dawned upon her.
Her first kiss. In the middle of a perilous mission, incapacitated only moments before, Kuri kissed her crush. It was not what she would have expected, not by a mile. And yet, it made sense for them in some odd way.
She looked at Bakugo, whose eyes were dutifully closed. She forced her own eyes shut, wanting to savor the moment. The second he pulled away, she'd have to consider the ramifications of such an act, but not now. Now, she could pretend to be happy. Kuri exhaled shakily through her nose. He was so soft she wanted to cry. She leaned into the kiss, wishing he'd never have to push her away.
Her hand wandered up to Bakugo's face, cupping his cheek as she drew herself closer. She squeezed her eyes shut, ill-prepared for the inevitable disenchantment that awaited her once Bakugo came to his senses and shoved her off. If only he liked her back. Ha, in her dreams, perhaps. When it came to Bakugo, love was out of the question.
They remained there for a strangely long time, holding the kiss with gentle caution as if withdrawing would break them both. Confusion began to sprout in Kuri. When would Bakugo cut it out and fracture the illusion? Realizing she needed to breathe, Kuri reluctantly pulled away from him and the kiss and the gentleness of it all. Her eyes traced up shyly, hesitant to meet his gaze.
Bakugo's eyes cracked open slowly, and a red hot blush spread over his face. He scrambled back on his hands, mouth agape and looking about as flustered as Kuri felt. His fingers felt for his lips frantically, then his head whipped around, and he turned to face the corner, hiding his face in his hands. Kuri looked away, though still leaning on her hands in the same position, feeling suddenly cold and conflicted.
Bakugo was definitely upset with her for the kiss. The look on his face when she pulled back said it all. Her hand tightened into a fist. Why did she have to be so flirty when she was drunk? Kuri's flirting had always been painfully awkward, clumsy, and not remotely romantic, but as soon as she got drunk, she asked for kisses like it was no big deal! Why had she even kissed him?! They were only supposed to be friends, having agreed upon that less than an hour earlier. Not to mention they were literally in the middle of WORK! Yet, she had decided to be an idiot and let her heart lead the way. She knew how tenuous their relationship was, and still, she did it! Stupid, stupid, stupid. Hot tears welled up in her eyes, and Kuri could not stop them from spilling out.
She drew back, backpedaling on her hands to sit up normally and sprawling her legs out beside her. Kuri clutched her hands close to her chest, clinging to whatever comfort she could find in herself as she suppressed her sniffles. Everything between them was bound to fall apart now.
As the droplets rolled down her face, she couldn't help but question Bakugo's actions. Since he didn't like her, why didn't he just push her away? Was it out of some twisted politeness that he allowed her to kiss him? Was this all just some stupid prank extended from her disastrous poolside confession? That damn pool… Kuri doubted he was purposely leading her on, considering they were friends; he wasn't that heartless, but a part of her remained suspicious of him. In any case, Kuri didn't appreciate how confusing he was.
She winced abruptly as she again was made aware of the gash on her leg by a sudden throbbing pain. She glanced at it, recalling Bakugo had patched it up while she was drunk. Looking at the blood seeping through her sleeves from the cuts on her arms, Kuri remembered the severity of their situation and hastily wiped her tears away. There would be time for crying later; now, she had to be a professional.
Woah.
I…
I just kissed Kuri…
Katsuki Bakugo was never one to believe in the magic of a first kiss. It was bullshit, that lovey-dovey feeling one supposedly got upon receiving someone else's germs. A rite of passage—or something—for those actually interested in romance, which was in itself a concept unfamiliar and heretofore undesired by himself. Or so he thought.
…and I liked it.
Katsuki clasped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. What the fuck was that thought?! What did it mean—okay, fine, he knew he was beating around the bush.
At some point, he had to stop pretending. And he had decided that this would be the moment. He would admit it to himself. Though it humiliated him to his core, he would confess it. Yes, he really would because despite his long-lived disinterest in romance, he knew his acceptance of this idea was crucial. So why wouldn't he say it already? What was keeping him? Was it still too embarrassing? Was he so pathetic that he couldn't even say within the confines of his mind what he already knew deep in his heart? Damn it, the kiss had jumbled his brain. Kuri held so much power over him. Just one little peck and he was coming apart at the seams! He was getting off-topic. Would he just admit it already?
Katsuki slapped himself across the face, grimacing upon remembering the cut on his cheek. He inhaled sharply, then let out the air in a huff.
I'm in love with Kuri Nakano.
The mere thought of the phrase gave Katsuki the urge to kick his feet and roll around like a lame-ass teenager in love. Which he kinda was, huh. That was embarrassing for him.
Well, loving Kuri was not embarrassing. She was cute and sweet and kind and smart and strong and his friend. Kuri was always there for him and had been one of the few to incessantly approach him and get to know him. She was silly and sometimes an idiot, but he found even her dumb moments endearing. And even when they fought and both would say things they'd regret, she was quick to apologize and forgive. Kuri had stuck by him through his most rude treatment of her, and most amazing of all, he'd stuck with her. Maybe that was a testament to his love. Even though it took him this long to realize, there might've been something there all along.
Katsuki smiled slightly, suddenly giddy with his newfound infatuation. He turned around, not exactly ready to face her but wanting to look with new eyes and gaze upon the girl he now could call his crush. He was surprised to find her back turned to him; she'd been so clingy only a bit before. Kuri was sitting stock-still. He shuffled over on his knees, and the sound of his rustling clothes made her suddenly perk up. She looked halfway over her shoulder, not quite at him.
"So…" she said tentatively. Katsuki realized that she had sobered. "I don't know what happened that led to the… thing just now." Katsuki turned beet red. Oh god, she doesn't remember anything. Does she think I tried something weird?!
"Kuri, it's—" he stumbled around his words. "It's not what you think!"
"Let's talk about it later," she said quickly. Katsuki couldn't tell if she was angry or not, as she seemed to be refusing to look at him. "For now, we have to catch those two."
Katsuki gulped and nodded, watching her closely as he rose to his feet. He was bubbling with anticipation at the promise of a continuation of the conversation. He needed to explain himself, but what would he say? That while drunk, she tried to kiss him, and he let her because he didn't think to back away? He should just admit that he was into her. What a riot that would be. He pushed those thoughts aside to focus on the task at hand.
Katsuki scanned the hallway, examining the multitude of doors lining the way. The dim light emitting from the room strobed slightly. They were supposedly just in another version of the dreamscape's terrain, but something was unmistakably different about it compared to the other rooms. He felt a heaviness in his chest—or perhaps his very soul.
"Where are we?" he asked Kuri, taking a few steps closer to where she sat by one of the doors. She tilted her head slightly, then glanced around the hallway. After a moment of quiet, she cleared her throat.
"Probably just another dreamscape platform," Kuri said. She tapped the luminescent ground contemplatively with her index finger. "But it could be her memory core."
"Memory core?"
"Would you like me to explain?" Kuri asked, turning her head to look at him. For the first time since the kiss, they made direct eye contact. Her eyes were rimmed with red. Katsuki gulped, unsure if he should break away from her gaze. But the decision was made for him when Kuri looked away, her eyes suddenly downcast. "Or we could just find our way out of here. I'm sure you'd prefer that over hearing me ramble on—"
"No!" Katsuki blurted. Kuri looked back up at him, surprised. "Please, tell me. I want to hear about it." A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Well, don't just stand there awkwardly. Come sit," Kuri said, patting the ground beside her invitingly. Katsuki ambled over and sat as Kuri began to explain the schematics of the dreamscape.
"I think this explanation may serve to our benefit, so that's how I'm going to justify us sitting around for a while," she prefaced. "Anyways, I think I should start by explaining that the dreamscape is layered." She gestured with her hands, referring to a layer on the top. "There's the surface level stuff, which is the most superficially complex. It can move fast, and Hayami has a lot of control over it. Basically, it's all that stuff we were fighting Nana in, like the room that crumpled."
"And her control extends to us, considering she made us change outfits," Katsuki remarked.
"Yup, and that has to do with why we've changed back to normal," Kuri said, gesturing to her hero costume. "You see, as you go deeper into the dreamscape and pass through the top layers, it gets weird. And slow. That's why nothing really happened in that last room, I think."
"What do you mean by 'weird?'"
"It's like… the dreamscape inhabitants start acting strange. We keep descending closer to Hayami's physical body, so we're getting closer to her heart. Something about that seems to impair the temperament of anyone inside. Basically, you don't act like yourself because you're viscerally connected to Hayami, which can be emotionally taxing."
Kuri looked down at her hands reflectively while Katsuki had his own thought: Was the dreamscape making him think he was in love with Kuri? He furrowed his brow, beholding her for a moment. He noticed that her ponytail had loosened through all the fighting, and her elastic was on the verge of falling out. Though disheveled and a bit bloody, he still found her pretty. But was that really a product of their proximity to Hayami? He had already liked so many things about her before the realization. Or had he? He could no longer remember.
"I think that's why I was acting so weird back there," Kuri confessed. She traced circles on her left arm, her eyes tilted down in shame. "I'm sorry you had to see me be all… violent and stuff. I feel a little better now that Nana's out of sight, but I don't know how things will be once we face her again."
Kuri continued to fiddle with her arms, something Katsuki had learned to recognize as one of her nervous behaviors. He tightened his fists, angered at the notion of the dreamscape warping Kuri's personality to the point where she feared herself.
"If you feel weird when we get closer, tell me," Katsuki said. He looked into her eyes, hoping to convey his sincerity through them. "I won't make you face them if you think you're going to do something you don't want to."
She blinked at him in silence, a slight blush crawling across her cheeks. A flustered grin grew over her face.
"Okay, I'm counting on you. Also, that reminds me, the effect wears off once we're out of here. So if you're struggling with anything right now, that's your consolation. And feel free to count on me as well," Kuri said, putting a hand to her chest.
Katsuki's eyebrows quirked up in surprise, flattered and dually intrigued with the new information. Once they got out of that hellhole, he could determine the validity of his feelings because any supposed effect would be gone. He tried not to think too hard about his newly known crush since the question of whether it was real or not would be answered soon. They just had to catch those annoying-ass vigilantes first…
"You sure found out a lot about those two," Katsuki said, changing the subject.
"Well, shockingly enough, UA faculty granted me access to their archives so I could read up on all the info they gathered while Hayami and Nana were students," Kuri replied with a modest shrug. "Though, to be fair, Endeavor pulled a couple strings for me, thanks to Shoto asking him to on my behalf."
Katsuki thanked her for putting so much extra effort into the investigation, and Kuri thanked him for the thanks, successfully ending their conversation. An awkward moment of silence followed as they continued to sit and say nothing.
Katsuki wondered if they should try moving yet or if Kuri still needed to rest. She was staring down into her lap, pulling at her fingers. Katsuki gripped his knees, unsure of how to break it to her that they really needed to get a move on. Or did they? There had been a complete lack of aggressors, so far, in the so-called memory core—which Kuri still hadn't fully explained to him (she had a tendency to get off track). Perhaps they could just sit there forever. Just him and Kuri, talking until the end of time. Suddenly, she cleared her throat and caught Katsuki's attention.
"I know I said we should talk about it later…" Kuri said hesitantly. "But can you explain what happened while I was drunk? I'd like to know." She peered at him from the corner of her eye bashfully. Katsuki cringed internally, in no way desiring to awkwardly break it to her. He gulped and gripped his knees, praying he wouldn't fuck up with his words.
"Well, first, I bandaged you," he said slowly. "Then you started saying some weird things, and um…" Kuri eyed him worriedly. "You tried to… kiss me. And I, uh, didn't have time to react." Katsuki internally groaned at his stupid excuse. No way would she buy that crap. Kuri's gaze had already turned suspicious, but luckily for Katsuki, she did not question him. He looked back down in relief.
"I think I owe you an apology," Kuri said, chuckling awkwardly.
"What do you mean?"
"I, like, just asked you to forget about… well, my confession, and now I'm going to have to ask you to forget about something else," she said. She shifted to face him, but Katsuki refused to look into her eyes. His head filled with panic, anticipating what she was going to say.
No, no, I don't want to forget.
"So, I'm sorry for acting like that while I was drunk."
Why? You didn't bother me. Please…
"I really do want us to stay friends…"
Friends. That's all we are, huh. And it's all we'll ever be at this rate…
"So please forget about the… you know."
"What if I don't?" Katsuki asked. He turned his head to face her again. They locked eyes, and Kuri blinked at him confusedly. Katsuki held his breath.
"Huh?" Kuri breathed anxiously. Her mouth hung half-open in surprise. Why didn't she get it? She must have known and was playing dumb. He stared her down, leaning in closer and watching blush spread across her face. He could feel heat blooming over his own too. Shit, she was cute when she was flustered, but Katsuki didn't want to concern her any further. He wasn't sure his own heart could take it either. The stupid dreamscape must've been making him act up.
"Never mind, I will," Katsuki said, pulling back. Kuri was still for a moment before breathing a heavy sigh of relief.
"Don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed, letting a laugh into her voice. Katsuki was glad she took to his teasing so well, and that she hadn't scolded him harsher. He certainly deserved it. "Oh well, let's get going now."
Kuri tried to stand, and it immediately occurred to them both that there was a problem with that. Just as Kuri attempted to spring up, she cried out in pain, and Katsuki went to support her. She grabbed his open hand and let him guide her back to the ground.
"Forgot about my leg…" she said, wincing. Katsuki kneeled by her side.
"Are you okay? Do you need more antiseptic? A painkiller?" Katsuki offered. He gingerly let go of her hand and began digging through his pockets.
"No, I'm fine," she said, patting his hand to calm him. She looked back down at her leg. A few drops of blood had begun to bleed through the gauze. "Maybe I just shouldn't try walking."
"I'm sorry, Bunny," Katsuki said, heartache contorting his face into a pained frown. "You never would've gotten hurt if I hadn't been such a dumbass."
"Katuski, please—" Kuri cut herself off, pausing. He realized that she was apprehensive about using his first name again. After he did not say anything, Kuri continued. "Don't worry about it. Seriously. My recklessness is not your fault. If anything, I'm glad I got hurt because at least I didn't end up killing her. That reminds me, I feel like I should thank you."
"For what?" Katsuki couldn't think of one useful thing he had done besides blow shit up, which he always did.
"Shouting at me when you did," Kuri replied, referring to when he'd called her name in desperation. "Totally snapped me out of whatever trance the dreamscape had me under. Oh, and… thanks for patching me up."
"It's nothing," Katsuki muttered. He stood to his full height and looked off wistfully. Mending her injuries was the least he could do.
"I actually think it's a big deal. I might've just bled out and died without you." Kuri's morbid statement did not serve to comfort Katsuki. He stiffened, now forced to imagine a scene that tore him up inside. He was glad he was there.
"Bunny, you gotta quit it with the death talk," Katsuki said grimly. "We're not exactly out of the woods yet."
"Then do you wanna help me up?" Kuri asked, offering her hand. Katsuki glanced over, tentatively taking hold and lifting her onto her good leg. "Thank you."
She wobbled slightly, but Katsuki steadied her, letting her throw an arm around his waist for support. He diffidently slid an arm around her shoulders, unused to the level of touch they had going on. Kuri chuckled lightly, muttering something about hoping they would actually be able to face Nana in such a state. Katsuki, however, did not fear, because they were standing side by side. That's all that mattered.
