Chapter Text
“I promise you, it’s not that bad.” Kaminari said as he moved back and forth from his heel to his toes.
Kirishima rolled his eyes and straightened his tie for the hundredth time that morning. “All you’ve done for the past eight months is complain about how much you hate your job.”
“Eh, that’s just what you do. I’ve never met a person who doesn’t complain about their job.”
“I never-” He started just as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. A man entered, gave a compulsory nod hello to them both, and turned around. Kirishima shifted closer to Kaminari and dropped his voice to a mutter. “I never complained about my old job.”
Kaminari grinned at him. “And yet, you still got fired.”
“Laid off.” He clarified with a frown.
Kaminari waved him off. “It’s the same thing.”
“Not really.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Kaminari threw an arm over his shoulder and tugged him close. “Now you’re here and you get to spend even more time with me.”
The elevator dinged again and opened to the seventh floor. Kaminari pulled him along by the neck as he barreled past the other man began stomping down the hall.
“Ready for hell?” He quipped as he threw the door open and held it.
Kirishima stepped through the door and scanned the large room filled with clumps of desks all surrounded by chest high walls. There was a constant sound of keys clacking and a few phones ringing. “You just said this job isn’t that bad.”
“It’s not.” Kaminari took him by the elbow and led him past all the desks to the back wall.
Closed offices lined the back, each with a wooden door and large glass windows in the front. The first two were dark- whoever occupied them must had not come in yet.
The last one, in the far corner of the floor was the largest of the three. The blinds were shut to the windows, but he could tell the light was on.
“It’s your first day.” Kaminari gave a light push to his back then and tried to smile believably. “I wasn’t lying when I said it wasn’t that bad. But, well, you know what I’ve had to say about him. You’ve gotta go talk to him, meet him, get your first day shit.”
Kirishima didn’t have to ask who he was referring to. Him meant Kaminari’s boss- his boss now too. In the past few months, Kirishima had heard plenty about the man that apparently made Kaminari’s work life hell. Kirishima was sure his friend didn’t do too much to help himself, but he couldn’t be the only reason.
He’d been told about the constant overbearing work load and venom filled criticism when he didn’t finish it all. The man had a horrible personality and a sharp tongue to match. He was the only reason Kirishima thought twice before applying. But Kirishima needed the money more than he valued his self-esteem. He had rent to pay and a stomach to fill. He couldn’t risk passing up on a job just because he might be verbally abused every now and then.
He was tough. He could handle it.
He was strong.
He was not practically shaking while standing in front of the door that felt a lot more like the entrance to a dungeon than an office.
The first soft knock he laid on the door when unanswered. He glanced over his shoulder to find Kaminari a good bit away now. He was peeping at Kirishima over the top of one of the walls before disappearing behind it where his desk was.
Kirishima turned back with a deep breath, knocking harder on the door a few times.
When there was still nothing, he lifted his fist to keep going until the door was whisked away from his hand just before it made contact.
“Were you gonna knock till your fucking hand bled like a moron or did you just want to make me come open it for you like your servant?” growled the man responsible for jerking the door open hard enough that it caused a draft to blow through his- god, that’s probably soft- hair.
Kirishima did not believe in love at first sight.
Absolutely not. It was a ridiculous notion.
He did, however, believe in holy shit, he’s hot at first sight. And if anything, attractive was one of the more prominent thoughts in his mind at the moment. He should be focusing on making a good first impression, on introducing himself and getting on the good side of the man in charge. He should not be focusing on brilliant eyes, and strong, handsome features, and sun-kissed skin.
“I didn’t hear you say to come in.” He finally managed to speak, voice tiny and shaky compared to the booming, aggressive greeting he’d gotten.
“Probably because I didn’t.” The other gruffed, although it was quieter this time. Hands in the pockets of his pants after waving Kirishima in, he walked back to his desk. “Doesn’t mean I should have to waste my time and stop my work just to open the damn door.” He sat in the large desk chair on the other side, flipped through a few papers he’d already had prepared. “I knew you’d be coming in this morning. Figured you would have assumed as much as well.”
His eyes flicked up to Kirishima standing uncomfortably in the middle of the office. He motioned to one of the chairs in front of his desk which prompted Kirishima to scurrying around and take a seat in it. “Doesn’t seem like you have that much experience.”
Kirishima’s face felt hot- when had that started? It was true. But he’d already been hired, hadn’t he? So why did it matter? “No I don’t, but I’m prepared to learn everything I need to. I heard about this job from someone else who works here. I’m sure you saw I’ve recently been laid off- the company was going through a bit of a rough time, so I guess they’re scaling down; but I can assure you, I didn’t do anything to warrant being fired. My last boss said he would write me a very good reference letter. Someone here probably read that. I may not be entirely prepared, but I believe I’m a capable, quick learner, and-”
“Name.” He said curtly, interrupting Kirishima’s current slew of information.
“Kirishima Eijirou.”
He was leaning across the desk then, one hand bracing his weight and the other hand extended. “Bakugou Katsuki.”
Kirishima knew he should be shaking the hand in front of him, but for some reason he was frozen. He couldn’t decide if it was because of the shocking disconnect between the man who’d barked at him mere minutes ago and the one currently going through routine pleasantries or because he was still slightly caught up in the way the white button up was pulling tightly across his chest and arms. He could only assume there was muscle behind that. It was hard not to when it was so poorly concealed.
Alright, maybe it was a little of the first and a lot of the second.
It left him staring dumbly at the hand until another loud bark jolted him into moving.
“You got a fucking germ problem or something?”
“No, sorry. Of course not.” He grabbed Bakugou’s hand firmly, shaking it just like his father had taught him when he was a teenager.
Before Kirishima had time to admire the callous palm, Bakugou was jerking his hand away to replace it with a stack of papers shoved into Kirishima’s grasp.
“Read these. They will tell you pretty much everything you should to know to get started. If you have any questions, feel free to ask around.” A hand went to his forehead and began rubbing. “Idiots here cost me money by talking more than they work, so I don’t think anyone would say no if you needed help.”
“Thank you.” Kirishima replied softly, glancing down to the packet in his hands.
“Don’t thank people for doing their job.”
Kirishima started talking before thinking about it. “It’s important to show your appreciation, isn’t it?” When he looked up and caught sight of a scowl, he thought maybe that wasn’t the best decision or the right choice of words.
“Don’t thank people for doing their job and don’t try to brown-nose me with flowery expressions of some half-assed gratitude.” His voice was low but steady. Kirishima couldn’t understand how he was so frightening while hardly trying.
Kirishima was stunned for a moment, but he was hastily trying to undo his inadvertent mistake. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I was just-”
“Yeah. I know what you were doing.” Bakugou turned to the side and began clicking away at his keyboard.
Not having those eyes on him offered Kirishima some relief, but he still felt like something had just gone horribly wrong.
“No, really-”
Bakugou lifted a hand to stop him and flicked it once Kirishima shut his mouth. “You can go.”
It was a command if he’d ever heard one.
Kirishima didn’t try to clarify his intentions any further. Didn’t try to smooth things over. It seemed any added talking would just make whatever had happened much worse.
He collected himself and stood. He gave the slightest bow of his head, hoping that would soothe the situation just slightly. He didn’t receive any reaction, not even a glance, so he turned and walked to the door. He shut it behind him and sucked in a deep breath, trying to get his chest to feel less tight and his nerves to calm down.
That wasn’t exactly how he hoped his first exchange with his new boss would go. It seemed like the guy already hated him- but it also seemed like he perhaps hated everyone here.
He wandered away from the door and over to where he’d seen Kaminari watching him. Kaminari had been excited he would be sitting next to him, but something about it left him nervous. He’d hoped his friend would be calmer in a professional work environment, but he also knew that was a farfetched dream.
Kaminari was already brightening up at his return. “He lives!”
Kirishima sank into the chair at the desk next to him. He clicked at the mouse on the desk which started up the computer monitor in front of him. “Out of all the times I’ve heard you complain about him, you’ve never-” He stopped there, bit his tongue. Flipping through the papers he’d been handed, he found a password to log on to the computer and typed it in.
“What?”
Kirishima shook his head and continued to flip through the packet. “Nothing.”
“What?” Kaminari cooed, poking a finger into Kirishima’s cheek.
“It’s just-” With a sigh, he dropped the papers. Lifting up out of his seat a bit, he peaked over the wall in front of them. Seeing no one, he sat back down. “He’s…”
“Horrible? Mean?” He leaned closer to Kirishima, too excited for comfort. “Offensive? Rude? Dickish?”
“Hot.” Kirishima said quietly. Quiet enough that he almost hoped it would go unheard. He was regretting ever starting this.
Kaminari stopped, backed up, stared at him.
He shouldn’t have said anything. This was going to go horribly. He’d given Kaminari sensitive information and now he was going to have to deal with the consequences every day.
“What?” Kaminari’s face screwed up until he pinched his lips to stifle a laugh.
Yeah, he was really regretting this.
“Hold please-” He whispered fast, gripped the edge of his desk, and pushed himself backwards. His chair went rolling until it collided with the desk behind them.
The man there hunched before sighing. “Fuck are you doing man? It’s too early for you to already be bullshitting the time away.”
Kaminari tipped his chair back, elbows going to the desk. “Hey Sero, I got a question for you.”
This guy, Sero Kirishima catalogued in his brain, sat up in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. “Because your questions are always worth my time.”
Kaminari’s excited expression fell into a frown. “Be happy I’m breaking the monotony.”
“I’ll be fine until you get me chewed out for not doing enough work.” He sounded annoyed, but still had the hint of a smile on his face. They were friends probably. Maybe Kirishima had heard about him before. He tried to remember hearing the name, but he often tuned out Kaminari’s endless storytelling these days. They usually led nowhere interesting or important. Kirishima assumed he just wanted to hear himself talk.
“That’s what I’m asking you about.” Kaminari stated, grinning now.
Sero only looked more perturbed as things went. Pretty normal for a conversation with Kaminari. Kirishima could probably at least find common ground with this guy by discussing how erratic their mutual friend is.
“You’re asking me about getting yelled at?”
“No, I’m asking you about who’s doing the yelling.”
This was making no sense. Everyone but Kaminari seemed to notice. Again, a pretty common aspect of his inconsistent way of talking.
“What are you-”
“Do you think Bossman’s hot?” Kaminari interjected, face suddenly faking a serious look.
Sero fell silent for a moment, eyes narrow and confused. “Is this how you’ve decided to finally come out to me? I mean, I can’t say I’m surprised, but I think there’s probably better, safer ways than to-“
Kaminari’s hands went flying about. “No, no. That is not what this is about. For the last time, I’m not gay. I told you I went on a date with a girl from the tenth floor like a month ago.”
Cheek propped against his hand, Sero was smirking back at him. “I never got any proof of that.”
“I’m not gay, but-” He used his feet to drag his chair back across to his desk and slung an arm around Kirishima’s shoulders. “My buddy Kirishima is, and I think our foul-mouthed leader has caught his eye.”
Kirishima had been sitting, staring blankly with his head pivoting between the two as they squabbled. With that comment though, he shrunk down a bit into his seat and away from Kaminari who was pressed to his side.
Sero regarded him briefly before shaking his head slowly. “You’ve got a fucking death wish then.”
It was a relief that he didn’t say Kirishima was gross or weird, but that remark wasn’t comforting in the slightest. He’d already assumed as much from the short, barely even ten minute interaction he’d had with Bakugou, but it was none too reassuring to have other people telling him the same. Especially when it was accompanied by such a pitying look.
“Can you not bring this up to more people?” Kirishima whispered harshly to Kaminari while he tried shrugging him off.
Kaminari’s arm only tightened around his shoulders. “Look, I’m just trying to get more opinions on this.”
“I didn’t even ask for your opinion.” Kirishima decided to physically lift the arm off of him and shove it away. Feet planted, the chair barely even carried Kaminari a few inches. “It was just a thought and I regret ever saying anything.”
“Yeah, your first mistake was ever saying anything to shit for brains here.” Sero replied, motioning to the frowning blob slumped against his desk.
Kirishima chuckled with a nod. “I’ve known him for years, you’d think I’d know better by now.”
“Years? Damn,” Sero let out a low whistle. “It’s only been a few months and I’ve already debated throwing him through the window at least ten times.”
“Maybe if you did, people would actually get some goddamn work done and I wouldn’t have come out here and babysit you fuckheads.”
Three sets of eyes lifted towards the voice to find a set of red daggers glaring back at them over the cubicle wall.
“I came over because I forgot to give new guy here one of his papers-” Bakugou lifted his hand and dropped a piece that fluttered down to Kirishima’s desk. “But it seems I’ve found something much more pressing to attend to. You two have been here for what?” He glanced to his watch. “Not even thirty minutes and you’re already this fucking bored? Morning’s gone to shit- might as well not even do any work right? Fuck, why don’t we just call it a day then boys?”
Kaminari sat up and tried to match his stern demeanor. “Didn’t your boss tell you to watch your language after that girl you made cry complained?”
Bakugou’s fingers gripped the top of the wall tightly as he leaned further over it. “Didn’t your boss tell you he could dock your pay if you didn’t stop being a smartass?”
“I might’ve heard that somewhere.” Kaminari muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Then you’d be wise to think twice before doing it again.” His eyes cut behind them. There was a smile on his face then, one that was almost terrifying. “Don’t you agree, Sero?”
“Yes sir.” Sero was quick to reply.
Kirishima half thought there would be more following that. However, once he glanced over his shoulder, he found Sero had turned around and began typing away. It was behavior he’d assumed Kaminari would have had as well after his description of this man in charge and Kirishima’s own conversation with him. Needless to say the flippant manner in which he spoke to the man was surprising. At least Sero seemed smarter than that.
“And you-” The firm voice snapped Kirishima out of his thoughts and brought his eyes back up. Bakugou’s menacing smile had fallen to leave a blank expression behind. Somehow the tense lines of his forehead still left Kirishima with an uneasy feeling. “I’ll give you some advice since you’re new and don’t know any better.”
Ah, advice.
He should probably listen to that.
It’d be easier if he could think about anything other than the fact that his eyes were so much prettier up close.
Shit. You’re so gay.
“Oi, are you fucking listening to me?”
The growl in his tone made Kirishima swallow hard. He stared back, wide-eyed and- fuck, he hoped he wasn’t blushing.
Kaminari’s elbow in his side had him sitting up stiffly and nodding. Bakugou paused, seeming entirely unconvinced.
Keep up the wonderful first impressions Eijirou
“I’m not going to put up with another slacker idiot, so you should think long and hard about associating with these two. Either that, or you’ll be the first one with my foot kicking your ass out the door. Understand?”
“Yes sir.” He answered. He was purely mimicking the phrase that seemed to placate this man earlier, but the last word felt foreign and fuzzy in his mouth.
The fuzziness spread to his throat and down into his lungs when he caught sight of the corners of Bakugou’s mouth twitch upwards before he was pushing away from the wall and skulking back into his office.
Kaminari and Sero sighed in unison at the sound of Bakugou’s office door slamming shut.
Kirishima felt frightened, thrilled, and altogether exhausted. He let his head fall forward, propping his elbows on this desk and digging the heels of his hands into his eyes.
“Regretting taking this job yet?” Kaminari leaned down to try and get a peek at his face.
Kirishima turned his head enough to look over at him with a hopeless frown. “I’m so gay.”