The silence between Kirishima and Bakugou, for the first five minutes of sitting in that alley, was deafening, ringing in Kirishima's ears like the dark memory of that day did in his dreams.
The redhead didn't expect it to end, but Bakugou suddenly spoke up out of nowhere.
"Still working for Fatgum, then?"
Kirishima didn't answer. He remembered what Bakugou said to him all those years ago. He wasn't supposed to talk to him unless it was work related. Maybe Bakugou had forgotten.
Or maybe this was a trap.
Kirishima didn't want to take a chance on that.
"Have you been talking to the others lately?"
He still didn't respond. His eyes stayed trained on the door. Maybe Bakugou would think he couldn't hear.
"Kaminari and Jirou are getting married. Did you get an invite? The wedding is next week."
He did get an invite, but he didn't plan to go. It would just be awkward for him.
"Look, you don't have to give me the silent treatment. I just wanna talk."
"I'm trying to watch the door." Kirishima grumbled. That was work related. He couldn't get in trouble for that.
"It's not like they're coming out this way anyway. Best Jeanist would've put somebody else back here if he thought the burglar would choose this door."
"We should still watch it." Kirishima leaned his head back against the brick wall of the building they were sitting beside. Despite promising Taishiro that he would go right to sleep the moment they got back to the hotel room, he hadn't gotten more than three hours.
He couldn't remember the last time he had a full night of sleep. He figured that getting out and moving all day would help him, but it hadn't worked for him so far.
"I need to tell you something." Bakugou reached over, putting his hand on Kirishima's shoulder. The redhead recoiled slightly, but Bakugou didn't let go.
"Can't you say it another time?"
"You're gonna run off if I do."
He wasn't lying. Kirishima really didn't want to talk to Bakugou anymore. Not like this; not when Bakugou knew how he felt and had rejected him for it. It was too weird.
But he knew Bakugou and he knew that the blond was stubborn. He knew that he had to listen or else he would never escape it.
"Then just say it now and get it over with so we can continue working." Kirishima held eye contact with his former best friend. It was intense and had his heart beating like never before.
Stop it! You're not supposed to still have feelings for him!
"Eijirou...I-"
He was interrupted by a loud crash. The door, the one that Kirishima had been so insistent on watching, flew open to reveal the burglar, cloaked in tight black. They noticed the pair sitting in the alley and jumped at the closest one, the one that happened to be Bakugou.
Kirishima took a few moments to get his bearings, and by the time he did, the burglar was sinking their teeth into Bakugou's neck.
"Hey! What the fuck?!" Bakugou pushed the villain off, starting to chase them as they fled down the alley.
The blond had almost caught up when his legs gave out from under him. He fell to the ground, the villain escaping over a fence.
"Bakugou!" Kirishima ran to his partner's side, whimpering slightly. This was all his fault!
He should have been watching the damn door!