Harder to Love

Heartbreak

Kirishima didn't go to school for three days after that.
He was just...So in shock about Bakugou's words. He thought he had been making strides toward getting Bakugou to like him. But instead, he was only getting in the way.
His friends stopped by every day to give him his homework and make sure he ate, but that was the only contact with the outside world he let himself have.
"Dude...I told teach that you're feeling sick, but you'd better be back by Monday." Kaminari said on the afternoon of the third day, a Saturday.
"I don't want to go to school ever again. I'm dropping out." Kirishima couldn't face Bakugou again. He was too embarrassed.
"Like hell you are!" Sero scolded. "You need an education."
"Can't I be homeschooled?"
"Listen, bro, it's not manly to avoid your problems like this."
He sighed. Sero was right. This whole depressive episode was stupid. It wasn't like Bakugou rejected him outright. It wasn't like he had confessed either. Kirishima would be happy enough acting as friends with Bakugou.
"I think I'm going to do some patrolling tonight. It's been a while."
"That's a good start!" Mina clapped him on the back.
"That's our crime fighting baby boy!" Kaminari smiled.
"I'm not your baby. I'm the mom friend!" Kirishima insisted.
"So...uh...there's something I should probably tell you..." Sero ran his finger along the surface of Kiri's table. "Bakugou was asking about you yesterday."
"What?! Really?"
"Yeah...he asked why you were sick. He said he needed to talk to you about something when you got back."
"Bakugou? Wants to talk to me?"
"Look...don't get your hopes up about this. He probably just wants to touch you up or scold you."
"Shhhh. Don't get Kiri excited!" Kaminari teased.
"Kinkshaming." Kiri deadpanned.
"I just guessed that since you were into Bakugou, you would also be into getting scolded in the bedroom."
"I mean..." Kirishima blushed. "I haven't really considered what I like in the bedroom."
"Because the place you REALLY want to fuck at is Denny's?"
"No!"
"Well, I think you should have a long talk with him, anyway. At least let him know that you want to be friends." Mina said. "And if you can get info about this other person, we can track them down and murder them."
"Don't murder them." Kirishima scolded.
"We're at least going to rough them up. Nobody steals our Kiri's man." Kaminari shook his fist.
"No. Don't do that. They didn't ask to have Bakugou attracted to them. And besides...maybe they don't like him back."
"That would be AMAZING!" Mina shrieked. "If they rejected him, then he'd be heartbroken and you could pick up his pieces and make him fall for you."
"Sounds manipulative." Kirishima sighed.
"Dude, do you want to date Bakugou or not?"
"I do, but I want him to love me naturally. Not because I made him feel better over a rejection from somebody he ACTUALLY likes." Kirishima explained. "If he fell for me because he was projecting that other person's personality onto me as a coping mechanism...it wouldn't be real."
"You're gonna die alone if you keep this mindset." Kaminari teased.
"Nah." Kirishima shrugged. "I'll always have you guys..."