Underwater (kiribaku/bakushima)

Square one

Still Bakugou's POV:

I didn't notice I was staring. I felt spaced out. Didn't think I'd relate to him.

I noticed he started shifting uncomfortably. Was it because I was staring? Shit-

"Crap, sorry for staring." Sorry? Who am I anymore??

Kirishima shook his head. No? What's he mean by-

He pointed to his face.

Oh. OH.
I forgot! It wasn't because is was staring, it was because he was in pain. In pain, huh?

"Shit! I completely forgot! Here," I said getting up and walking over to him. "I'll fix it now."

He shook his head and tried to take it from me.

"You think you can do this yourself? I saw you struggling to hold up your fucking tea cup! No way, I'm doing it."

Silence...

He finally nodded his head slowly.
"Ok," I said kneeling since he was still sitting on the chair. I don't think he can walk, that'll be a problem later. "Hold still. This will hurt like a bitch."

I dropped the medicine onto a cotton ball and dabbed it on his face. Surprisingly, he didn't even flinch.

Come to think of it, he doesn't usually do that.

How I picked him off the ground and he didn't even blink.
How Ryan hit and kicked him and he didn't protest.
It's like he's grown to adapt to this.

It's sad.

I wiped softly at his face.
I'm being pretty gentle and I don't know why.

"Uh.. you doin' ok?"

Wasn't listening. Typical.

I got to a particularly bad spot on his forehead.

That's when it hurt.

"A-ah!" I winced in pain, unable to keep his voice back any longer.

I pulled my hand back immediately, feeling guilt I have never felt before. The noise he made was almost puppy-like. I felt terrible. What made me feel worse was the face me made afterwards.

He had his hand covering his mouth and looking away. He looked guilty too. Why?

"Shit! I really didn't mean to, I thought you were okay with me touching the rest of your face I didn't think this part would fucking hur-"

"Sorry."

Wh....

"Why in the name of fucking fuck are you sorry?! You didn't fucking do anything???? What-?"

He didn't answer.

"Back to square one, huh?" I mumbled.

Though I probably shouldn't have said that. It made him look more upset.

"I...." his voice was something I have never heard before. It could even make someone as tough as me cry.

"I usually.... don't let the pain get to me like that..."

My heart hurts. Fucking why.

"I'm sorry." He apologised.

"Don't," I started "fucking say things like that."

It made me think.

He did hurt.
What both me and Ryan did, it hurt him.
He was just hiding it.