Lesser of two evils. [feeling no pain in the face of someone you care for suffering makes you little more than a damn monster. denji has experienced bakugou on bad days before. after vegas while they dealt with the trauma of denji's attack. after seoul as he felt bitter rage and sorrow swarming him with failure and death. after the horrifying experience in romania, when he protectively hovered around denji while he recovered. then his unintended mental lancing of denji's mind when he went home for a few hours and came back alive but injured. and yet, there were plenty of other times where bakugou's kept to himself and processed his struggles his own way. silently brooding over his trials or viciously exploding in rage to work through those challenges, both of them on his own, tend to be how bakugou copes when he's burdened. because it's not easy, the load of pulling himself out from his pits and weights should be on him, not on someone he cares for. what a heroic way of thinking... forcing those who care for him to stand back, leave him alone, feeling helpless to reach out. of course it's unintended, heroes never want people to think or feel that way, yet that's exactly what happens when they stagger forward under "i'm fine" and handle things alone.

he can't do such a thing to denji. he shouldn't. as difficult as it will be to unlearn his own instinctive pride and self reliance in the area. not every time, his boyfriend isn't demanding each instance, but... more than he has. to know bakugou can and will rely on him when he struggles. in reality, it's not so much to ask after all.] Hn. Aa. When you're with me, I always feel better. Even if I don't say it. You've been like that for so long now.

[maybe he took that for granted. denji makes him feel stronger when weakness clings to him. he numbs the pain and weight when he's under burden and hurting. he has to remember going forward. his boyfriend has his own strength, a tender, warm, gentle, and strong heart bakugou can rely on to support him when he needs it. no matter what comes after them or what trials they struggle with, together they're able to handle anything. it's been that say since soon after they came here.

bakugou watches the flower bloom underwater, finding his mind taking a few stupid (sappy) analogies in his mind of all the ways such a simple little beautiful thing can align with what he and denji are dealing with now. from petals to colors to event as water diffuses with a special flavor. he's snapped out of his thoughts by a sudden declaration, red eyes glancing upward to his boyfriend's expression.] A book?

[real random topic change there, denji.]