Once again he's being woken up by loud knocking.

It's not a good day.

What's new?

He slowly gets out of bed.

He remembers the Band-Aids, probably barely hanging on, and decides that talking through the door is enough.

Walking up to it, he stops and stares at it as the knocking continues. He really isn't feeling today.

"Yeah?" He answers quietly.

"Are you alright, man? Aren't you almost ready for today? School starts soon."

Sero.

"I asked for today off. Aizawa said it was fine."

He should put more effort into this. He shouldn't be an asshole.

"Can you open up? I can't really hear you."

He sounds kind of stressed. Kaminari doesn't want to open the door, but starts taking off the Band-Aids.

None of them fell off, so he holds all seven in his hand, crushing them with more force than necessary. He doesn't really like any of those things about himself today. Can't even pretend to do that.

He opens the door after what seemed like forever, revealing a surprised Sero.

"I thought you had just ignored me and went back to bed," he half laughs.

Kaminari laughs too, trying to grasp onto something other than dread and hopelessness. Even if it was fake, it was better than the empty feeling of today.

"What's up?"

"Not feeling well. Also going home again to help out," the blond says, not with a lot of eagerness.

He slowly gets back into bed, butt still hurting, but surprisingly less so, as he snuggles into his mountain of blankets. It's comforting.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

His face is hidden in the blankets, so Sero can't see his face, but he still has to play it off. He's fine.

He laughs. "The only reason I'm not is because you woke me up and I'm not even going to class."

Sero sighs, sitting on the bed next to the mountain that is Kaminari.

"You didn't show up when we were supposed to hang out and then texted us way later about it. Also, what was that in class yesterday? You didn't seem okay then."

The blond is silent for a while after that. He got called out, and he feels so slow right now, so no excuses are coming to mind. What can he even say? Everything, except the truth, will be unacceptable. Why would you go and ditch your friends without reason?

Same thing for class. What made him walk out like that? After he froze, too.

"We're just worried, man. That's all."

"It's nothing. I'm tired right now. Could you tell the others I'm sorry? Same goes for you, though. I'm really sorry I've been so flakey. Give me a bit of time to get my shit together, will you?"

Sero looks at him with the upmost uncertainty, but Kaminari would tell him eventually. They're all best friends. Even though Kaminari rarely ever got like this, usually he would finally come out and tell them. 

It seems a bit different this time for some reason, but Sero can't really say for sure until Kaminari finally tells them all what's up. 

"Don't worry about us right now, okay? We can all tell you're having a hard time with whatever it is. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to, at all. Just don't push us away, alright?"

Kaminari's breath hitches at how genuine he is, and in the quiet room- damn he still needs to get that fan- he's positive Sero heard it. With a positive hum from Kaminari, Sero stands up and makes his way to the door, really hesitating with leaving. He has class really soon, but it's not like he's ever early anyway, and his friend is more important right now.

People are more important than being early.

"Text me throughout the day, yeah? Even if you think it's dumb. I just feel weird not having you in class, so at least humor me and text me," Sero tries.

"Okay. Don't miss me too much," he jokes after Sero closes the door with a small click.

His chest is heavy still, but just a tad with happiness.

~~~~~

At around two in the afternoon, Kaminari decides to get up. 

He really needs to pee.

And brush his teeth.

Oh, and ask Aizawa if he could go home. 

He should probably ask his dad if he was even home at the moment. His butt still hurts, but his dad sometimes relents when Kaminari says he can't do that with him in that moment. He doesn't do that often because he's scared his dad will be mad or disappointed in him.

He knows it's irrational to care about that in that situation, but he just can't. Feels gross for that, too.

He cringes as he feels a phantom touch around his neck. 

His dad isn't here right now, so he's fine. 

Everything is completely okay. 

After doing his business and brushing his teeth, he goes back into his room, making sure to close the restroom door behind him, and takes out his phone to call his dad. 

Kisho doesn't work that often anymore, and when he does, it's just to do some quick delivery for a family business for some extra cash.

After a few rings, he picks up.

"Hey, Pa, are you home right now? I can go right now to help to make up time for yesterday. I have to head back as soon as we finish, though. I made plans already."

"Yeah, I'll be here all day. You need me to pick you up? I can also drop you back off once we're done with the framework," Kisho says, sounding distracted.

"Okay, that's great. What are you up to?" Kaminari asks.

"I'm setting up some better speakers in the living room cause the other ones broke on the left side. Couldn't find any like them without the rest of the set so I just decided to get a whole new system," he explains.

"Alright, I'll call you to pick me up in a bit, yeah?"

"Yeah." 

With that, the conversation is over, and Kaminari quickly double checks with Aizawa if it's okay for him to go home. After a quick yes from him, some deodorant, and a call to his dad, he heads down to the common area, before quickly remembering to shoot Sero a few texts.

It's the least he could do, anyway.

His dad came quick. His house wasn't that far, but still far enough to have to drive to get here quick. 

If he went walking, he'd take about twenty minutes to an hour. 

"How'd the conversation with mom go?" Kaminari asks as soon as he gets into the car.

"She was annoyed, but it was fine. She's getting out of work early today, so I'm taking her to dinner. Let's try to hurry, okay?"

The younger one nods in approval, thankful that his dad has plans. He can still feel the pain in his butt. Hyper-aware of it, in fact.

It hurts to shit, and to laugh. Or scream. 

And sit.

And lay down.

The point is that it hurts when it shouldn't and he hates himself with every bone in his body, but he can get over it. 

He's fine.

The empty feeling that has been a part of him since he could remember is getting old. 

Kisho's hand makes its way to Kaminari's thigh and he feel sick. 

He leaves it there, though. It's fine.

"How's the new sound system at home?"

"Oh, I had enough time to do everything, and it sounds great. It was annoying only hearing the movie from one side when it was supposed to coming from both. It was just off," he complains.

It really was annoying, though. When the side first stopped working, Kaminari refused to watch anything. 

He got used to it after the first three months. 

The first month was spent boycotting the damn television before he finally gave in.

"I know, right? Man, I can't wait to hear it," he says, trying to sound more excited. 

~~~~~

After getting back to the dorms at around six, most of the class was in their own rooms. He liked that, though. 

Hated when a lot of them were there and looked as he entered as if he was so interesting. He's really not. 

"Why have you left me on delivered?"

Shinso's voice startles him as he gets a glass of ice and water. His small flinch made him spill some of his water onto his socks and he gasps. 

Fuck, that's cold.

"Woah, man, you scared the shit out of me," he laughs.

"Oops," he says, not sorry at all, "anyway, why have you left me on delivered?"

Kaminari stares at him.

"You're not that important."

The taller flips him off and turns on his heel, heading towards the elevator.

"Let's go. They're waiting."

'They' is the Bakusquad, and 'they' don't like to be kept waiting. 

His mood was still not it, but the fact that his dad really hadn't tried anything made it better. The hand on his thigh was uncomfortable, and the same thing happened on the way back, but it wasn't as bad. 

He was a little sore from all the moving. Both in his ass and everywhere else, but he could hang out with his friends now. 

It was going to be awkward after ghosting them all for a while and then ditching class twice, but he'd be fine.

He is fine. 

He's all showered up, and he even sent Sero messages multiple times after that first time, so he knew Sero and him were cool. It would be really awkward with the others who he hadn't been texting randomly all day.

"I can hear your brain frying. Can smell it, too. Doesn't it hurt when you think?"

Kaminari frowns at the other as they walk down the hall to Sero's room.

"Don't you get tired of being an asshole?"

"No. Bet you get tired being such a dork, though."

"Fuck you."

Sero opens his door and beams at the two of them. God, did he take steroids for happiness or something?

"HI."

He's really happy, then.

After closing the door behind them, Sero makes his way around them, to stand in front of the whole group.

"I wanted to make this announcement," he clears his throat dramatically, "Aizawa said we all did great on this past test. Said everyone got above an eighty-five- the lowest was Mina and Mina only with an eighty-five- so he's getting Nezu to take us on a field trip to some buffet since this test was worth a lot of our final grade."

He really only made the announcement for Kaminari since the others were in class these past two days. 

The hyper blond feels a rush of pride at the fact that he got above an eighty-five. He's not at the bottom of the class this time.

"That's great, guys. A buffet? And I'm not at the bottom of the class? Suck on that Mina," he laughs to which she joins in. 

He feels the emptiness in his chest go away slightly more, and lets himself be happy. 

It will always be there. That feeling that he doesn't belong, but now, with his friends, it's way less prominent, and he can't ask for anything more.

Fuck the empty feeling.

***
Word Count: 1,846
This chapter is so ass, but I needed to write something before the next chapter cause I have stuff planned heheheheheeh. UHHHHHHHH anyway I hope yall liked it anyway. Kaminari's feelings towards Kisho is either fear, anger, or joy. There's no in between. LMAOO uh next update will be next sunday at 8pm central time. I love you all and tysm for reading <3