To See You Smile // A Kirishima x Reader

Chapter Ten

Sometimes, when I say 'I'm okay.' I want someone to look me in the eyes, hug me tight and say, 'I know you're not.'
- Sanvello Community.

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When she sat on the bed, Kirishima sat on the floor in front of her with a small smile.

"Why are you on the floor, Eijiro?" Y/N inquired with a giggle, raising an eyebrow.

"Because," he replied, grinning, one of his sharp teeth being revealed, "it's comfy."

She chuckled at his response, humming softly. "There's something on your mind–go ahead. Ask me any question you want."

Kirishima sighed, staying silent for a while before speaking. "What happened? I'd like to hear more about your life, if you don't mind. . .Just so that I can understand why you do certain things. . ."

She smiled gently at him, taking a deep breath.

"Crimson Riot abandoned my parents to go fight a villain-"

"I know that part."

"Well, after the villain attack the other heros found me. I was put into foster care." Y/N saw him light up a bit at hearing that. He thought that meant happily ever after, but that was just the beginning. "I bounced around homes a lot and the place I stayed the longest was by far the worst. From the very beginning I knew something was off."

She was silent for a long time. She knew no matter how she described it, it wouldn't come across as bad as it was.

"My foster parents weren't home often, but when they were, they ignored our existence–when I say 'our,' I mean my foster brother Rukisow and me." She inhaled and exhaled slowly, humming to herself. "Most of the time that my foster parents were home I could hear Mei, my foster mother, yelling at Hiroto, my foster father. Their biggest fight ended in our house being burned down by Mei's quirk. I still have the scars from that day. . .She had a bit of a temper and whenever she got angry her quirk activated. After the fire, Ruki and I ran away. I don't know what happened to Ruki though. One day he was with me and the next he wasn't anywhere to be seen. After a while, Aizawa found me and took me in. Skip to a few years later and now we're here." Y/N finished with a small frown.

"I-" Kirishima started, not being able to form words. "I don't even know what to say."

She chuckled bitterly, not fond of her memories. "Let's change the subject, shall we? How about random facts like. . .Favorite colors and favorite foods."

"Alright!" Kirishima chuckled. "My favorite color is red and my favorite food is anything with meat in it. What about you?"

"Hmm. . ." She hummed, thinking about it. "I like (favorite color) and (favorite food)."

Kirishima smiled. "Reasonable."

Y/N grinned at him, before speaking. "What did the grape say when it got crushed? Nothing, it just let out a little wine."

The red-haired boy's face lit up as he laughed heartily, and Y/N laughed along with him. She laughed so hard that she fell off her bed, and Kirishima, having the quick reflexes that he did, reached out his arms and caught her, the laughter that came from the both of them being silenced.

"Kirishima-"

"Yeah?"

Their faces were inches apart. Anyone looking in on the scene would have suspected something. . . A breeze came through the cracked open window and danced with the curtains. Going unnoticed by either Y/N or Kirishima was a person listening in on the exchange. They left before they were noticed.

"You're the only person I've ever talked to about this outside of my family, and-"

"I won't tell anyone."

"It's not that, I know you won't. . .I just wanted to say thank you. You didn't have to care."

He looked away for a moment. "You do know that not a single person who has met you could possibly not care, right?" She thought he was being nice, but he meant everything he said. In his mind it would be impossible not to love her.

Neither of them took their position to thought. Kirishima held himself up over her as she laid on her back, absolutely enamored by the girl beneath him. She stared up into his eyes, trying to figure out the game he was playing. But no matter how she thought of it, no matter how she tried to convince herself she shouldn't, she trusted him.

He's like a mutt on the street you want to kick away but end up giving scraps to. Those damn puppy dog eyes. They beg to be trusted, for one to find comfort in them. Those eyes just want to do good, and the worst part, she thought, was that the person behind them is just as amazingly kind. That the person behind them is trying just as hard to be the one she can trust, and be comfortable around, and love.

Both stayed like that, unaware of everything, until his arms began to shake. It pulled him back to reality and his face matched his hair. He basically jumped off her. That's what cued her own blush.

"I'm so sorry." They said together.

"Penguins have a layer of oil over their feathers that keeps them warm." She said out of nowhere, trying to calm the tension between them. He looked over at her, astounded by her quick recovery from their incident. "Guess the oily bird gets the warm."

There was a moment where the tension rose. A moment she felt like an idiot and a moment he didn't quite get the joke. But then he tried suppressing a laugh and failed.

"Pft-" he broke out, holding his stomach from laughing so hard. "What do you call a cold penguin?" He didn't wait for a response. "A brr-d."

She tried to stifle a laugh too, but like him she had to hold her stomach because of a side stitch.

He smiled at her, a tooth poking out from under his lip.

"Y/N, though you try to be antisocial, you're actually very funny and cool, and, if you were a man, you would definitely be very manly."

She giggled, lightly punching his arm. "Don't be stupid." She laughed, before softly adding, "I'd never be as manly or as strong as you, though."

He smiled softly, his expression gentle as he looked at her fondly, placing a calloused hand on her cheek, gently caressing her skin with his thumb.

Abruptly pulling his hand away, Kirishima stood up and bade Y/N farewell for the night, returning to his own room where he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a good while, wondering what had happened to make him act so rashly.

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Words: 1103

(Hazard) YES it has been a while and YES I know you've all been waiting with anticipation but please bear with me here. Odd and I have been v e r y busy the past few weeks and when this chapter was done we (and by we I mean me) forgot to publish it. Yes I'm somewhat braindead. ANYWAYS. I'm hoping that the next chapter will be published in time for Valentine's Day, so romance? I don't know what Odd is planning. Anyway.

Stay safe, and happy reading!

-Hazard