The Universe Listened | Kiribaku

We are the dust of dust, we are the apple of God's eye

"Kiri and I would like to go there. You guys won't need to take us, though. We can walk."

Mina smiled at them. "Alright."

Kirishima fell asleep six hours into the drive, shortly before they stopped at some rest stop to pee and get more snacks. Mina switched seats with Kaminari and started driving.

Katsuki had never taken the journey on the ground before. He's always flown. Mina said she's taken the drive so many times she knows the routes by heart, which was true because she wasn't using a GPS. God, he really hoped she was as competent as she claimed to be. He would end up burying her on the side of the highway if he, even for a second, caught wind that they weren't heading in the right direction.

Kaminari passed out in the passenger seat. Snoring with his nose pressed against the window.

"How's he doing?" Mina asked.

"Stressed, I think. Kaori wouldn't really tell him much over the phone. She's worried we'll delay the wedding."

Mina sighed, tapped the steering wheel. "I'm worried things won't be fine, Katsuki."

"Me too. We're gonna have to help him."

"That's okay. We've been through it before," she said, glanced at him through the mirror. "Get some sleep. You'll be driving next."

⚘

In the middle of the night, during Katsuki's driving shift, he pulled into the parking lot of some random twenty-four hour dinner he saw a sign for a few miles back. He was craving real food, well as real as he could get without having to prepare it himself, and couldn't resist the short detour. Besides, he knows the moment the others were to wake up, they'd be complaining about how they need more than empty calories and would beg for him to pull over anyway. At least this way they could eat now and maybe bring some left overs that won't taste like shit when they're cold.

Gently, he woke Kirishima with a small shake and helped it out of the car before rounding to the front of the car and laying on the horn, startling Mina and Kaminari. That's what those assholes get for so rudely waking him and Kirishima. And neither of them said anything about it knowing full well that their punishment would take form in revenge.

Inside, Kirishima ordered whatever Katsuki ordered and sat in the both the entire time they were inside. When he's tired he gets a little more clingy than usual, but he's also worried beyond repair and had been trying to distress via cuddles and love. Sometimes, he'd fake it because Katsuki tended to be extra tender to Kirishima, coddling him until he falls asleep and then some. Watching movies and being lazy with him.

Katsuki caught on pretty early on into their relationship, and decided there was no point in pushing Kirishima away. He knew he was shit at showing love in anyway that wasn't aggressive worry, and when Kirishima was in his most vulnerable states, typically brought on by exhaustion, Katsuki felt he could be a little more free with his affection. No one was watching and Kirishima, the person he was trying to please, would graciously accept anything because he'd be too tired to do anything else.

He's gotten better though, with his love. Not much better, however it's an improvement for sure. Or at least that's what Kirishima told him.

"I have never came before, but I think this food might change that," Mina mumbled, sleepy and with a mouth full of food.

"First of all, shut the fuck up, you're gross. And second, that's a fucking lie. I've heard you and Sero before," Kaminari spat and pretended to have chills run down his spine.

"Both of you need to shut the hell up before I make you ride in the trunk the rest of the way," Katsuki said through closed eyes, a cup of coffee pressed against his lips. "You guys are pricks for giving me the night shift."

"The food isn't that good," Kirishima said, never looking up from his bowl as he moved the noodles around.

"Why're you expecting the worse?" Katsuki abruptly asked. He set his mug down on the table with a little too much force. "Cut that shit out."

"I'm not一"

Mina and Kaminari fell still. Not daring to move a muscle to lift their forks or even breathe,

"So we're lying now?"

Kirishima huffed and dropped his head into his hands. "I'm just... she's too young to be sick like this."

"Cancer doesn't care how young you, Kiri." Kiri. Katsuki never used that nickname. Not unless they were being intimate or were having a deep, important conversion. "Stop letting your mind wander. We haven't seen her yet."

"What if she's not okay?" he muttered into his hands.

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Katsuki firmly grabbed his hand, pulling him close, rubbing his freehand along Kirishima's back. "There's nothing that can be done now. Don't worry over what can't be done. You'll run yourself into the ground."

"I don't know how you could deal with this so abruptly... especially so young..."

He was talking about the death of Katsuki's mom.

"I think the suddenness helped. I didn't have time to prepare... and I wasn't grieving something that hadn't even happened yet." A deep intake of hair. "Kirishima, stop grieving your mothers death, she's not gone yet. I know it feels like your fucking heart is being ripped outta your chest but please. You will have time to grieve when it happens. Okay?"

Please never left his mouth. Not unless he was trying to be caring.

Katsuki heard the sniffles and the movement of Kirishima nodding against his chest. "Kaminari and Mina left..."

"Yeah. I heard them leave. It's fine. We don't have to go yet."

"Lets just say like this then..."

In the middle of the night in some town neither of them knew of until then, they sat in some off the highway dinner underneath their horror movie like lighting and listened to the silence, the beating of each other's heart. Katsuki held Kirishima tightly, a grip keeping him from falling apart all over the shitty red chairs they occupied, and let him cry. He could spout all the bullshit he wanted in an attempt to make him feel better, but Katsuki would never keep Kirishima from crying.

Never. He should be able to cry freely over the things that hurt him, a luxury that Katsuki never got the privilege of having. Kirishima deserved that. And so much more. 

⚘

Word Count: 2257
April 25, 2021

lol sorry i suck

i also managed to bag a new laptop (so nice to not be writing on a cracked screen) so maybe ill finish this shit sooner than i thought. but don't hold your breaths.

anyway. im writing a sakuatsu fic cuz i love them so much. it'll be on my ao3 for those of you who care

-StarsNeverLanding