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A loud thud echoed through the safe house's living room, causing both Kirishima and Bakugo to snap their attention away from what they were doing. Emi stood in the middle of the room, her fists clenched, and a throw pillow lay discarded against the wall where she had just chucked it.

"Fuck!" she shouted, her voice tight with frustration. "It feels like we've been here forever, and there's still no sign of him."

Her shoulders heaved as she huffed, and Kirishima and Bakugo exchanged a brief glance. The tension in the room was palpable. They'd been in San Francisco for days, putting out feelers through social media, Hawks' contacts, and even some of Emi's former classmates. Yet Kazuo had yet to take the bait, and the waiting was grinding on everyone's nerves.

What gnawed at Emi the most wasn't just Kazuo's absence—it was the guilt. She'd dragged Kirishima and Bakugo into this endless waiting game, disrupting their lives for her fight. It weighed on her every time she caught them trying to kill time, and she hated that they were stuck here with her.

Kirishima stood up from the couch, his expression calm and steady as he walked over to her. He placed a hand gently on her back, the warmth of his touch cutting through the storm of her emotions.

"Ems," he said softly. "No one said this would happen overnight. You've got to give it time. Don't stress yourself out—it's not just on you."

His voice was soothing, but Emi's frustration wasn't so easily soothed. Before she could respond, Bakugo's voice cut through the room.

"Yeah, not like we're missing class for this shit or anything," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Unfortunately for him, Emi heard it loud and clear. Without hesitation, she grabbed another throw pillow and launched it straight at him. It hit him square in the face, the soft thump a stark contrast to the sharp glare she sent his way.

"No one fucking asked you to be here!" she shouted, her voice trembling with anger. Her fists clenched tighter at her sides as the words spilled out, hotter and angrier than she intended. "I didn't ask either of you to drop everything and get on a plane out here, so if you're going to complain, then just leave!"

The room fell silent, the weight of her outburst hanging heavy in the air. Bakugo pulled the pillow away from his face, his expression unreadable for a moment. Both Emi and Kirishima knew that at any second he could blow.

But then his lips twisted into a scowl, and he barked back, "Don't start spouting shit like that. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't have come, dumbass!"

His words caught Emi off guard, and she blinked at him, the sharpness of her anger faltering.

Bakugo's glare softened—just a fraction—as he crossed his arms. "I'm not sitting back while you deal with this shit on your own. Not because you asked me to, but because I'm not letting some asshole like Kazuo get away with this. So cut it out with the 'just leave' crap. You're not getting rid of me that easy."

Kirishima gave a small smile, stepping closer to her. "Bakugo's right, Emi," he said, his voice kind and steady. "We're here because we want to be. You don't have to carry this by yourself."

Emi pulled away from Kirishima's comforting touch, her body tense as frustration and defeat warred within her. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat fueling the storm of emotions that refused to settle. She couldn't—no, she wouldn't—give up now. But that didn't mean she had to keep dragging them down with her.

"Yes, I do," she said, her voice trembling and raw. She turned her face away, unable to meet their eyes. "It was my parents, he was my friend, and all of this... it's my responsibility."

The words felt like shards of glass in her throat, but she forced them out anyway. She didn't want their sympathy. She didn't want their reassurances. This was her mess, her burden to bear.

Kirishima took a step toward her, his hand hesitating as if reaching out might shatter her even more. "Ems—"

But before he could finish, Emi spun on her heel and stormed down the hallway, her movements brisk and unsteady. She felt their eyes on her as she fled to the room she'd been sleeping in, but she didn't look back.

The door shut behind her with a soft click, muffling the sounds of the safe house. Her chest heaved as she leaned against the wall, pressing her palms against the cool surface. The room was dim, lit only by the faint light of the streetlamp outside the window.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She wanted to scream, to punch something, to do anything to shake the suffocating weight pressing down on her. But instead, she slid to the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest.

Her mind raced with thoughts of Kazuo, her parents, the wreckage he'd caused in her life. And the guilt—it gnawed at her, unrelenting. She'd dragged Kirishima and Bakugo across the ocean for this, and all they'd done so far was wait. She hated it. She hated herself for needing them here.

But most of all, she hated that part of her was relieved they hadn't left her alone.

It had taken Kirishima a while to work up the nerve to find her. He didn't want to push too hard, but he couldn't just leave her alone, either. When he finally reached her door, he knocked softly, the sound barely more than a tap against the wood.

"Ems?" he called out, his voice quiet but steady.

There was no response.

Kirishima hesitated for a moment, then turned the knob slowly and pushed the door open. His eyes found Emi sitting on the floor by the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around them.

"Hey," he said softly, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "I just wanted to check on you."

She didn't look at him, her gaze fixed firmly on the floor. "I'm fine," she muttered, her tone sharp and clipped.

But Kirishima knew her better than that. The tension in her shoulders, the way her nails were digging into her arms and leaving crescent shaped marks—it was obvious she was anything but fine. He crossed the room slowly, lowering himself to sit on the edge of the bed near her.

"You don't have to go through this alone, you know," he said, his voice gentle. "I'm here, Emi. We're here."

That was all it took for her frustration to boil over.

"Stop saying that!" she snapped, her voice louder than she'd intended. Her head whipped around, and her eyes blazed with anger as she glared at him. "I'm so tired of hearing it, Kiri! You're here, Bakugo's here, Hawks is here—but what good has it done? We're just sitting here, waiting for him to show up, and it's driving me insane!"

Kirishima's brows furrowed, but he didn't flinch at her outburst. He could see the tears welling in her eyes, the way her body trembled with barely contained emotion. He knew that the rise in her voice wasn't directed at him and even though he'd rather it be that way, because if she was yelling at him instead of the world then at least he could figure out how to fix it. 

"Emi, I know it's frustrating, but—"

"Do you?" she cut him off, her voice breaking. She pushed herself to her feet, towering over him now as her fists clenched at her sides. "Do you really? Because this is my life. My parents are dead because of him. I trusted him, and he destroyed everything! So don't stand there and tell me you understand."

Kirishima rose to his feet too, his hands raised slightly in a gesture of calm. "You're right—I don't understand," he said, his voice steady despite the hurt flashing in his eyes. "But I want to. I want to help you. Let me help you."

Her chest heaved as she stared at him, her anger and guilt and pain all tangled together in a messy knot she couldn't untangle.

"Why?" she shouted, her voice cracking. "Why do you even bother? Why are you still here?"

Kirishima didn't hesitate. "Because I love you."

The words hit her like a punch to the chest, and her breath caught. Her anger faltered, replaced by a raw vulnerability she couldn't hide.

"I love you," he repeated, stepping closer to her. "And I'm not going anywhere, Emi. You can yell at me, push me away, whatever you need to do—but I'm not leaving."

Her knees buckled slightly, and she stumbled back onto the edge of the bed, her head dropping into her hands. The tears she'd been holding back finally spilled over, silent and unstoppable.

Kirishima knelt in front of her, his hands resting gently on her knees. "It's okay," he said softly. "You don't have to hold it all in. I've got you."

She shook her head, her voice muffled by her hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just... I don't know what to do anymore."

He gave her a small, reassuring smile, even though his own heart ached to see her like this. "You don't have to have all the answers right now. We'll figure it out together. One step at a time."

Her hands fell from her face as she looked at him, her eyes red and puffy but filled with a flicker of hope. Slowly, she reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly.

His thumb brushed against her skin, and she felt herself leaning into his touch, the tension in her body melting away bit by bit. Her heart pounded in her chest, the raw mix of emotions—grief, guilt, and a flicker of something warmer—swirling together in a way that left her breathless.

"Kiri..." she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?" he asked, his voice just as soft, his crimson eyes searching hers.

Emi's face rose from his chest to meet his eyes, and Kirishima's breath hitched at the swirl of emotions that lay within them. She was so beautiful that it was making him physically ache to keep focus on her features. And god, when she started to lean into him, he swore he was looking into the face of an angel.

Her hands slid upward, brushing over his chest before curling around the back of his neck. She hesitated for a moment, her lips parting as she whispered, "I want..."

He didn't give her a chance to say anything more. Leaning in, he closed the gap between them, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that was as tender as it was consuming.

Emi's eyes fluttered shut, her breath catching at the softness of his lips against hers. The kiss was slow at first, almost tentative, as if Kirishima was giving her a moment to pull away if she needed to. But she didn't. Instead, she leaned into him, her hands sliding deeper into his hair as her body melted against his.

Kirishima's arms wrapped around her, one hand sliding to the small of her back while the other cradled her jaw. The kiss deepened, their movements growing more sure, more desperate, as if they were both trying to pour everything they couldn't say into this one moment.

Emi's mind was a blur, her thoughts dissolving under the intensity of the kiss. All she could feel was him—his warmth, his strength, the way his touch made her feel safe in a way she hadn't felt in weeks. The guilt that had weighed so heavily on her just moments ago seemed to evaporate, replaced by the steady beat of his heart against her chest and the certainty in the way he held her.

She tilted her head slightly, deepening the kiss further as her body pressed closer to his. Kirishima let out a soft, involuntary hum at the contact, his hands tightening around her as if to anchor himself. He felt like he was drowning in her—in the softness of her lips, the warmth of her touch, the sheer weight of how much he cared for her.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Kirishima wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap in one swift motion. Her knees parted to rest on either side of his hips as her mouth opened against his to let loose a soft groan. He took the opportunity to swallow the sound, to pull her in closer and use a free hand to grab at the plush of her hip.

Emi felt like she was lying in the sun with how warm her body was getting, each trickle of heat traveling from her head down to her toes with each caress of his tongue against hers. She needed to feel him, to drown in the love he gave her until she felt nothing else. Without much thought, or care to who else was in the house, she rolled her hips into his, feeling a spark of pleasure at the bulge she felt hidden underneath the fabric of his pants.

"Oh, fuck." Kirishima groaned against her mouth, already panting from the tiniest bit of friction and swimming in a sea of desire. "Wait, Ems –"

"I – I want..." Kirishima looked at her as she spoke and almost lost every shred of resolve he had right about now. Her lips were still parted from their kiss and her brows were furrowed in concentration as she tried to catch her breath. And yet he could still feel her hips rolling into his.

He drifted his hand from her hip upward to cup her chin between two fingers, snapping her out of her daze and causing her to look him in the eyes. "Ems... angel, listen to me." Her half-lidded eyes open wider to gaze lovingly at him – god he was going to kick himself for this later. "As much as I want this – and trust me, I want this – I don't think now is the best time."

"But I'm fine." Emi pouted as she looked at him, her cheeks flushed with desperation.

Kirishima couldn't help but chuckle at her cute expression. "I'm sure you think that. But besides the fact that we are quite literally in a safe house on a mission... we're also not alone in said safe house."

As if on cue, a loud thump from the other side of the door snapped them out of the moment. Both Kirishima and Emi froze, their eyes darting to the sound. Beneath the door, the shadows of two sets of feet shifted awkwardly, followed by the unmistakable shuffle of retreating footsteps. Whoever had been eavesdropping was making a clumsy escape.

Kirishima blinked, then burst into laughter, his entire body shaking with the force of it. Emi, still pressed close to him, felt the rumble of his chest as his laughter echoed through the small room.

"Well," he said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, "I guess they both just wanted to check on you too."

Emi let out a small chuckle despite herself, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Seeing this, Kirishima grinned even bigger, as if trying to make up the difference for her.

"C'mon," he said, nudging her gently. "Let's go tease the shit out of them."

Emi hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly around his. She didn't want to leave the room. Didn't want to break this moment they were sharing. But he was right. God, she hated how often he was right. Now wasn't the time to wallow or indulge herself, no matter how much she wanted to stay wrapped up in him for just a little longer.

She shoved the burning pit of emotions deep down and took a steadying breath. Finally, she gave him a small nod, taking his hand as they padded toward the door together.

When they stepped into the living area, the scene that greeted them was almost laughable. Bakugo was seated on the couch, a random book clutched so close to his face it was practically touching his nose. The effort to look preoccupied was comical. Hawks, on the other hand, was pacing the room, his wings twitching slightly as he busied himself with a half-hearted attempt to straighten things up. The empty snack wrappers and trash from earlier remained strewn about, making his "cleaning" all the more unconvincing.

"Oh, Eijiro," Emi said dramatically, her voice dripping with exaggerated sweetness. Kirishima's head whipped toward her, startled, but the mischievous smirk plastered on her face said it all. She wasn't holding back.

"I'm so glad we could have some alone time," she continued, her tone theatrical as she leaned against him. "I've just missed you so much, it's been unbearable without your—"

"Alright, alright! Enough!" Hawks shouted, his hands flying to cover his ears as if her words physically pained him. His eyes screwed shut, and he groaned loudly.

Kirishima doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach as his booming laugh filled the room. Emi couldn't help but giggle too, especially at the sight of Hawks squirming under her teasing.

Bakugo groaned from the couch, letting the book he'd been pretending to read flop down onto his face. He mumbled something incoherent, but Emi caught the faintest hint of red at the tips of his ears.

Emi smirked, crossing her arms as she stepped closer to the couch. "Wow, Katsuki, didn't think you'd be so embarrassed. Aren't you supposed to be the tough guy here?"

Bakugo yanked the book off his face and glared at her, though his red-tipped ears betrayed him. "Tch. Embarrassed? You wish. I just didn't think you'd break so fast, old man," he added, shooting a sharp look at Hawks.

Hawks straightened up, brushing imaginary dust off his jacket, though his wings twitched slightly. "I wasn't eavesdropping—I was monitoring the situation. Completely different."

Kirishima, still laughing, threw an arm around Emi's shoulders and grinned at the pair. "Sure you were, Hawks. And I bet Bakugo here was just brushing up on some light reading."

"Shut it!" Bakugo barked, his face heating even more.

Emi leaned into Kirishima, unable to keep the smirk off her face. For the first time in days, the heaviness in her chest felt lighter, replaced by the warm glow of camaraderie. She could feel Kirishima's gaze on her, and when she glanced up, his crimson eyes sparkled with pride.

"You two are horrible. Spying on a couple in love? What if you had heard –" Kirishima was quick to muffle Emi's voice with a hand covering her mouth to stop her from continuing. She raised an eyebrow at him, and before he knew it, her tongue flicked out and licked a stripe across his palm to tease him.

He pulled his hand away, but didn't immediately wipe it off. "I think you've given them enough of a hard time, angel. I'm sure they were just concerned. Right?" Kirishima looked over to Bakugo and Hawks, and the latter nodded fiercely while Bakugo merely grumbled under his breath.

"But please, for the love of god, keep us in mind next time," Hawks groaned, dragging a hand down his face in dramatic discomfort.

"You pervert!" Bakugo barked, his voice echoing off the walls as he launched the book in his hand across the room with enough force to make Hawks duck.

"You know that's not what I meant!" Hawks shot back, his wings puffing slightly in indignation as he straightened up, glaring at Bakugo.

Emi couldn't hold it in anymore—she burst out laughing, clutching her sides as the tension that had weighed on her earlier seemed to evaporate. Despite the safe house's dingy walls and the gravity of their situation, the chaotic energy of these three made the space feel almost... normal.

Her laughter drew Kirishima's attention, and he looked at her with that soft, easy smile of his, the one that always made her heart feel lighter. For a moment, she forgot the anxiety, the waiting, the fear. All she could feel was the warmth of this strange little group she'd found herself in.

As the laughter faded, Emi leaned back against Kirishima, a wistful smile tugging at her lips. The familiarity of the banter made her think of her friends back at U.A., her dorm room, even her classes. It was a sharp pang of longing—one she hadn't let herself feel until now.

Maybe they'd go back. Maybe Kazuo would show up here. Maybe, just maybe, she could set things right. But those were thoughts for tomorrow. For now, all she wanted was to stay in this moment a little longer.

She turned her head slightly, catching Kirishima's gaze. His smile softened, and he leaned over to place a soft kiss to her temple. For now, she let herself lean into the comfort of their presence, giving in to her selfish want for happiness.

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