[I don't know what the fuck this is feat. dreams and multiple AUs and KiriBaku]

Eijirou Kirishima, an average teenaged boy in a world of quirks and heroes, just finishing his third and final year of middle school, dreamed of flying. He guessed everyone probably dreamed of flying at some point or another, but he still felt that his dreams were special.

In his dreams, he was a dragon, covered in tough, red scales. His body moved up and down with each flap of his massive, powerful wings. He could feel the rush of cold wind as he cut through the sky, faster with each passing moment. When he looked down, he saw tiny forests and villages, like from a fairytale, and every once in a while he'd spot a human the size of an ant, and with his dragon eyes, he could see everything in perfect detail, even from so far away.

In his dreams, he wasn't alone. He had a rider in his dreams, a constant weight on his back. He thought that if he really was a dragon, he would want to be free. He wouldn't want someone on his back all the time, telling him where to go, but in his dreams he felt differently. In his dreams, the weight was a comfort, and he felt nothing but love for the rider.

The rider was loud, often yelling or screaming or laughing. In some of his dreams, the rider just talked to him, complained about things, or told him about his adventures, like they were close friends. He swore a lot. It should have been annoying, but in the dreams, Kirishima found it endearing.

He never saw the rider's face in his dreams. The rider sat on Kirishima's back, behind his head, and Kirishima was a dragon, not an owl. He couldn't turn his head all the way around. A few times he tried to catch a glimpse of the rider, but all that ever happened was the rider telling his to watch where he was flying. He thought he might have caught a glimpse of a red cape once, but not more than that.

He'd heard that every face you saw in your dreams was the face of someone you'd seen before, so maybe that meant that Kirishima hadn't met someone who could fill in the riders face for him. Until he did, he would dream of flying.

—

Eijirou Kirishima, a young dragon just leaving his mother's cave to see the world and find a roost of his own, dreamed of a palace. He supposed a lot of people dreamed of being royalty, at some point in their lives, but still he felt like his dreams were different.

In his dreams, he was a prince, and he wore a golden crown and perfectly tailored clothes made of expensive fabrics that would have chafed and itched on his dragon body which was unused to proper-fitting garments. He lived in a glittering palace on a massive estate, and rode a scarlet horse around the grounds, and through the surrounding forests.

In his dreams, he was never by himself. He had a servant who followed him everywhere, a boy about his age who gave him everything he wanted. He thought if he was really a prince, he would want at least some independence. He wouldn't want someone doing everything for him, always there to pick up after him and never letting him learn from his own mistakes, but in his dreams, he never seemed to mind. In his dreams he felt only love for the servant, pure adoration.

The servant was strong, and fast, and extremely attentive. He never slipped up, and was he always knew exactly what to do. Kirishima usually found people like that annoying, always seeming so perfect and never making mistakes, but in the dreams, his servant's attitude made him feel incredibly secure, and well cared for.

He never saw the servant's face in his dreams. Despite his obvious self-confidence, his head was always respectfully bowed to Kirishima, the prince. He could see the servant's spiky blond hair, his lithe build, like a cat ready to pounce. Kirishima could read his comfortable body language, and hear his deep voice, but the servant's face was always a mystery to him.

His mother told him once that if you can't see someone's face in your dream, it means that person represents someone you haven't met yet. He wondered what kind of person that would be, who he would meet that could fill in the servant's face.

An earthquake woke the dragon from another such dream. The ground shifted, and he was flung off the mountain where he'd chosen to sleep for the night before he continued his search for a proper roost. He spread his wings to escape. A landslide tumbled toward him. He screeched in pain as his wing was pinned by a huge boulder, most of his body was buried under rocks and dirt and uprooted trees as the earthquake came to an end.

If he shifted into his human form, he'd be buried alive. Kirishima was completely trapped, and could not escape. He was stuck there, exhausted and in pain, for two days. Two nights, he dreamed he was a prince. Two nights he came so close to finally seeing the servant's face before he woke up, no less tired than he'd been when he nodded off.

On the third day, help finally arrived in the form of a human. And not just any human, but the Barbarian King, ruler of a tribe known for their violence and ruthlessness. He could tell because of the way the human was dressed, in a red cape with fur and a gold clasp, with his upper body completely exposed. His neck adorned with jewelry made with the fangs and claws of wild beasts, his arms adorned with tattoos indicating his prowess in hunt and battle. A sharp cutlass hung at the human's waist, a huge orange gem inlaid in its handle.

Kirishima was sure that the Barbarian King would just kill him. Very few could say they'd killed a dragon, and it was entirely possible that the only reason the Barbarian King was there in the first place was because he was looking for a great beast to slay. Kirishima couldn't stop the whimper that escaped his throat as he closed his eyes and waited for the human to put him out of his misery.

"What is this shit?" shouted an indignant voice which Kirishima was sure he recognized, but couldn't place.

The next thing he heard was explosions, and the hiss of shifting dirt. He felt the weight on his body lessen. Minutes passed as Kirishima's earthen prison was blown away by the Barbarian King's explosion magic. Finally there was a teeth-rattling boom and the boulder which had pinned Kirishima's wing shattered and blew apart, becoming nothing but rubble.

Kirishima finally opened his eyes, realizing that the Barbarian King might not kill him after all. When he did so, he found himself looking directly at the human's face. He ruffled his wings and shifted into his human form, still aching, but much less bulky.

"Who are you?" Kirishima asked. "Why did you save me?"

"I am King Katsuki Bakugo of the Barbarian Tribe," the human said. "And I saved you because you looked fucking pathetic buried under half a goddamn mountain like that. You're a dragon; you're supposed to be badass."

"Well, thank you," Kirishima said, because he knew his manners. He was a dragon, not a monster. "Since you saved my life, I'm honor bound to serve you until I can return the favor."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Bakugo scoffed. "I don't want a weak-ass dragon who got stuck like that so easily."

"Don't even, man! It took an ambush from a force of nature to take me down," Kirishima argued. "And anyway, rules are rules. Mom'd wing me if she knew I broke a centuries old dragon code of honor like this. That's just how it is."

"Alright, shit, you make a point, I guess," Bakugo admitted, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling. "And it would be pretty cool to ride into battle on a fucking dragon." Kirishima grinned enthusiastically, showcasing his pointed teeth. "Man, teeth like that, you really do look like barbarian material. OK, fine. I'll take you to the tribe and get you fixed up. What do I call you?"

"Since you're my master now, you can call me Eijirou," Kirishima said. "I'm Eijirou Kirishima."

That night, when Kirishima was sleeping in the barbarians' healing hut, he dreamt again that he was a prince, and for the first time, he saw his servant's face. It was the face of the Barbarian King. He felt like that boded very well for his future relationship with his new master.

—

Eijirou Kirishima, the only prince of a strong and prosperous kingdom, dreamt of swimming in the ocean, in the wake of a huge old pirate ship. He didn't think it was that uncommon to dream of being a fish, but the dreams still felt amazing.

In his dreams he was a merman, with bright red skin, and a tail like a shark. He had two rows of sharp, pointed teeth, and he carried a swashbuckler, strapped to his back, rusted from the seawater, but no less deadly. A moldy silk kerchief held back his scarlet hair in the currents of the sea, which caressed his skin with every whirl and wave.

In his dreams, he followed a pirate ship, his shark senses attracted to the smell of blood in the water which so often surrounded the vessel, seeping into the ship's very hull. The captain of the ship, it seemed, was the only one who acknowledged his presence, and he'd often send people overboard for Kirishima to rip apart. The prince thought, if he were really part shark, he would be insulted by someone using him like that, as a method of execution, but in the dreams it felt nice. In the dreams, the pirate captain's actions felt like trust, and Kirishima felt useful, loving.

The captain was violent, and bloodthirsty. There was a reason Kirishima was drawn to his ship. It seemed like the canons were his favorite thing in the world, and he had no problem throwing prisoners overboard, or enemies, or anyone that annoyed him really. As a prince, he should have found it disgusting, but as a merman, he found it invigorating and exciting.

He could never see the captain's face in his dreams. He saw the captains loose, buccaneer clothes, and heard his commanding voice carry down to him, and watched when he fought, sword, pistol, and gunpowder bomb, against anyone he saw as his enemy. But the angle from the water to the deck was too steep, so no matter what he did, he couldn't make his face out clearly. Couldn't make out more than smears of gunpowder and a dangerous grin.

The stories said that faces in dreams are important, and if someone had no face, then when you finally saw their face, it would mean something to you. Kirishima hoped he would someday get a good look at the pirate captain's face in his dreams.

He woke up with a sigh, as he often did, and stretched. He so wished that he could be a merman with red skin, and shark's teeth, and no responsibilities to rule over a country. He wished he could let loose and rip apart a navy sailor from time to time, but he knew that was an unrealistic wish. Their kingdom was much too far inland to have a navy, and his mother would never let him do that anyway.

He dressed himself that morning. His mother had fired his previous personal aide when she caught him lacing her son's drink with something a few days before, and was looking for a suitable replacement. Kirishima didn't really mind dressing himself, but he was curious to see who she'd chosen. Apparently he was going to meet them that morning.

After breakfast, his mother escorted him to the throne room, and once they were seated, she called in his new aide. The new servant was about the same age as the prince, much younger than the previous one, and the prince watched his profile as he strode easily into the center of the room and bowed deeply.

"This is Katsuki Bakugo," Kirishima's mother introduced. "Up until now, he's worked in the barracks' kitchen, but his family has served ours for generations, and after the unpleasantness with your last attendant, I would trust no one but a Bakugo with the safety and wellbeing of my son."

Bakugo stood up straight and Kirishima finally got a clear look at his face, proud and strong, and for some reason it took the prince's breath away. "I am honored to serve you, your highness," he said. "I have already been fully trained, so I assure you, I will serve you well."

"Quite right," Kirishima said, staring unabashedly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Alright, Katsuki, you are dismissed," Kirishima's mother said. Bakugo bowed again and left the throne room, the prince still staring after him. "Did I choose well?" she asked her son with a sly smile once they were alone, and all Kirishima could do was nod mutely.

The next time Kirishima dreamed of being a merman, he found himself not in the water, but sitting on the edge of the ship's deck, the captain beside him. He could finally see the captain's face, and it was Bakugo, grinning the captain's dangerous grin. It suited him.

—

Eijirou Kirishima, an adolescent merman with the blood of a shark coursing through his veins, dreamed of walking on the land. It was common for merpeople to have leg envy, but he still felt certain that wasn't the reason for his dreams.

In his dreams, he lived in a house on dry land, and he was a human, and he went to a human school called 'college', and he studied rocks called 'geology' in a building called 'sciences department'. He took classes about math, and history, and tried to figure out what any of that had to do with rocks, but his favorite class in the dreams was called 'chemistry'.

In his dreams, he sat next to a human boy in the class called chemistry, and the boy was called 'Chemistry Major'. Chemistry Major was grumpy and complained a lot, and Kirishima thought that if he was really a human, he would want to spend time with happier humans that didn't bring down his good mood, but in the dreams, Chemistry Major's grumpiness didn't put him in a bad mood, but actually made him happy, and made him feel love.

Even though Chemistry Major was always in a bad mood, Kirishima always wanted to spend time with him in his dreams. Even when they were in the building called 'library' and Chemistry Major would hit him in the head to transfer the information from the thing called 'study guide' directly into his brain, Kirishima was grateful.

Chemistry Major's face was always out of focus in the dreams. Kirishima could look right at it, and not see a thing, and though it seemed normal during the dream, it was upsetting once he woke up. Kirishima knew that Chemistry Major had hair like a pufferfish, and that his skin was soft like a seabed, but he never got to see his face.

The sea witch said that he'd see Chemistry Major's face in his dream, once he met the real life person that was Chemistry Major. Kirishima hoped that would happen soon.

He woke up to the smell of blood, and it made him hungry, so he followed his nose to a pair of ships, and one of them was beginning to sink. And the water all around the ships was permeated with blood. He wasn't the first shark on the scene, but with all the carnage, he didn't even have to fight for his meal. When the last of the chum was gobbled up, and the other sharks left, Kirishima popped his head above water to see what was going on in the first place.

He saw a human, standing on the railing of the remaining vessel, a pirate ship by the look of the flag. His buccaneer garb was covered in blood, and he was shouting triumphantly at the mast of the other ship as it sunk, quickly disappearing beneath the waves. Kirishima recognized the pirate's voice immediately, and he shouted out excitedly, before he could think.

"Chemistry Major!"

"What the fuck?" the pirate yelled, and fell backwards off the railing, and onto the deck. He scrambled up quickly and looked down into the water. He stared at Kirishima silently, leaning so far over the rail that Kirishima could see his befuddled face clearly. "What the fuck!" he repeated. "Are you a mermaid?"

"I'm a merman!" Kirishima corrected.

"What kind of merman?" the pirate asked.

"The shark kind! I came over here because of all the blood, and got a pretty hearty breakfast! Thank you Chemistry Major!"

"Why'd you call me that?"

"That's not your name?"

"No! I'm Katsuki Bakugo, and I'm a captain, not a major."

Their conversation carried on for a while, Kirishima swimming after the ship, getting farther and farther away from home. When he started to get sleepy, he told Bakugo goodbye, and Bakugo asked if he was going somewhere.

"I'm going to sleep, and your ship will keep moving. By the time I wake up again, you'll be long gone," Kirishima explained.

"I could toss you a fucking net if you want to stick around," Bakugo offered. "That way you won't lose us."

Kirishima slept wrapped in a net, trailing behind a pirate ship that night, and for the first time in his dreams, he could actually see Chemistry Major's face, and he looked just like the pirate, Captain Bakugo. Kirishima found that greatly satisfying.

—

Eijirou Kirishima, a relatively ordinary young adult, about to enter college as a geology major, dreamed of hell. He'd been told that everyone had nightmares sometimes, but that didn't stop him from thinking that his weren't quite normal.

In his dreams, he was a kid again, maybe ten years old, and his hair was red instead of black, and his teeth were wicked sharp. When he had the dreams as a little kid, he thought he was a monster, but as he'd gotten older, he realized that in the dreams he was some kind of science experiment. In the dreams, he had to undergo terrible experiments, and painful training, and he could harden his skin so it didn't hurt as much, but he just kept getting hit over and over until he couldn't keep it up.

There were other kids in his dreams, some looked like monsters, some looked normal, but they all went through the same horrible stuff that he did. One in particular, a relatively normal-looking boy called 05 who could create explosions in the palms of his hands, always seemed to be by his side. Whenever he had the dreams, he wanted desperately to wake up, but whenever 05 was around, it was more bearable, and Kirishima loved him for that.

05 was always standing up to the adults in the dreams, arguing with them, and fighting with them, and Kirishima thought that if it had been real, he would have tried to talk 05 out of that reckless behavior, try to make him keep his head down so he wouldn't get punished, but in the dream he was tremendously proud of the other boy.

For some reason he always seemed to be standing behind 05, gazing in admiration at the back of his blond head, and never seeing his face. Kirishima was always so relieved by his presence in the dreams that he thought nothing of it, and he didn't even notice until he'd learned in science class that every face you see in your dreams is one you've seen in real life.

He wondered if 05 would ever have a face in his dreams. He felt like if he ever saw the boy's face, he'd want to find the person it belonged to and never let them go, because sometimes just the thought of the little boy in his dreams was the only thing in the world that made him feel safe.

His alarm woke him up from another nightmare, and he got dressed and ready for his first day of classes. Because of his nightmares, he'd always hated and feared all forms of science, until he was introduced to geology. Geology never hurt anyone. Geology was a good science. When he was in high school, his therapist told him that pursuing a science that he wasn't afraid of would help him overcome his fear of other sciences.

Nobody had expected him to choose a science major, but he actually really liked geology, and his therapist was right, it was helping him. It wasn't a cure-all though. Kirishima felt his skin crawl as he read the sign for the sciences department. He knew that it was completely irrational that even the word 'science' triggered his weird phobia, but that didn't stop it from happening. He took a deep breath, and walked past the sign, swallowing against the bile rising up in his throat.

He was taking twelve credits this semester, and three classes. He'd picked two safe ones, geological history, and a math class that would teach carbon dating. The third class was one he'd chosen mostly as a form of exposure therapy, geochemistry.

Biochemistry was the branch of science that freaked him out the most, and chemistry in general was tied for second with biology in general. He'd had a panic attack in his high school biology class, because he had to take a cheek swab. His mother had to make a call to the school and explain his intense phobia of having his body used for science. It was immensely embarrassing. He hoped geochemistry wouldn't have the same affect, but he was fully prepared to drop the class if it ended up being too much.

Geochemistry was the only class he had on Mondays and Wednesdays, his other two classes were Tuesdays and Thursdays. Unfortunately, geochemistry would be his first class of the semester. He took deep breath after deep breath as he entered the classroom. He reminded himself that the class examined the chemical composition of rocks.

He had arrived early for class, hoping to acclimate himself and get used to the space before the science started. The professor showed up a few minutes after him, and Kirishima introduced himself. The Professor's name was Maijima, and he seemed like he would be somewhat strict, but generally wanted his students to succeed, which put Kirishima more at ease about the situation.

Slowly, other students started to trickle in. Kirishima took a seat in the back row. He knew it didn't make any sense, but he wanted to be as far away from the science as possible. The last student to come in was a blond boy, who sauntered in just before class started and headed directly to the back row, sitting not right next to Kirishima but one seat away. Kirishima noticed things in his ears when he sat down, but wasn't sure what they were. Was this guy listening to music?

Kirishima made it about halfway through the lecture before he started hyperventilating. It was rocks. It was all about rocks. Until Professor Maijima started talking about how temperature can sometimes affect the chemical makeup of minerals. Until he compared the affects of the temperature on certain minerals to the affects of the same temperature on humans. Until Kirishima was suddenly a scared ten year old in a freezing metal room, trying to stop shivering long enough to harden his skin against the cold.

He was trembling. He was trying so hard not to breathe too loudly and disrupt the class. He knew he was starting to have a panic attack, but he couldn't move. He couldn't make himself stand up and leave. He couldn't disrupt the experiment. He couldn't. The scientists would be angry with him. Kirishima heard the scrape of a chair next to him, and the blond boy stood up. He felt like he was going to throw up.

"Sit down Mr. Bakugo, class isn't over yet," Professor Maijima said sternly with a disdainful scowl.

Oh God, no, Kirishima thought, still stuck in his panic.

"Like I give a shit," Bakugo said, his hands flying aggressively as he spoke.

"Excuse me?" Professor Maijima demanded. "Do we have a problem here?"

"Yeah," Bakugo made a hard, deliberate motion with his right hand, and his hands and arms continued to move as if exploding at the teacher. "The problem is there's a student having a fucking panic attack in the back row, and you care more about calling out what you fucking perceive as disrespect than his wellbeing."

Bakugo stepped closer and tapped Kirishima on the shoulder. Kirishima stood in a rush, almost knocking over his chair. He could feel it getting harder and harder to breathe as he stared at the ground.

"We'll be back in a fucking minute," Bakugo said, and led Kirishima out of the classroom by the hand. Kirishima was helpless to refuse. He was being given an order. He had to obey. if he didn't, the scientists would be angry.

Once they were out in the hall, Bakugo stopped. He sat Kirishima down on the floor against the wall, and told him to take deep breaths, demonstrating, breathing with him. After a while, Kirishima could finally breathe properly. He brought his gaze off the ground, but still couldn't bring himself to look at Bakugo, instead staring at his hands, which started to move again, and Bakugo spoke.

"You gonna be okay?" he asked, and his hands moved more gently than before. Kirishima nodded, completely enraptured by his movements. "Alright if I ask what the hell that was about?" Kirishima took another deep breath, not knowing if he'd be able to answer.

"Is that sign language?" He asked instead. He had just realized how unusual the movements were, and didn't think it was normal gesticulating. He was still too out of it to focus on anything other than what came to his mind in the moment.

"Yeah," Bakugo said, "and if you don't like it you can fuck right off."

"No, I like it. Kinda looks like your hands are exploding, the way you do it," Kirishima said in a daze. "It's cool."

"Thanks... are you changing the subject intentionally, or because you still can't think straight."

"Not straight, can't think straight, only boys," Kirishima once again mumbled the first thing that came to mind. Then when he realized what he said, his eyes widened in horror. Kirishima wasn't exactly closeted. There were more important things than hiding his sexuality in middle school when his paranoia was at its peak and there could be scientists lurking around every corner, but it was still uncomfortable when new people found out he was gay.

Instead of anything uncomfortable happening, however, Bakugo just snorted and said, "What a fuckin' mood." Kirishima finally looked up at his face. Bakugo was smirking softly, and Kirishima implicitly trusted his face. He realized that the things in his ears were probably hearing aids. Bakugo had science inside his body, and it was helping him. Bakugo wasn't afraid.

"So, you gonna tell me what happened?" Bakugo asked.

"I'm... uh... afraid of science," Kirishima said lamely.

"Why the fuck are you in a science class?" Kirishima was surprised that he wasn't being laughed at. Bakugo didn't make fun of him, or tell him it was stupid, or demand to know why. He just wanted to know why Kirishima would put himself in a situation he where he was afraid.

"I'm a geology major. I like geology. I thought if it was a geology class, the chemistry part wouldn't freak me out as much," he explained, looking back down at the floor.

"So you're not afraid of all science then," Bakugo said. "Why fucking chemistry though? Chemistry's cool as fuck. Is it all the fire and explosions and shit that freak you out?"

"No, it's not that it's... I get freaked out when it starts relating to people in any way," Kirishima mumbled. "I have this really major phobia of human experimentation 'cause of these nightmares I've had since I was a kid. Pretty stupid, huh?"

"Fuck that. Don't diminish what you're feeling because other stupid fucking people don't understand it, because that's really is fucking stupid. The fact that you signed up for this shitty class, even though you knew it would freak you out means you kick ass, moron."

"Really?"

"Hell yeah, really," Bakugo scoffed, standing up then helping Kirishima to his feet. "You ready to head back in? If not, I'll cover for you and you can head home. I'll say you got sick or some shit."

"I think I'm gonna head home," Kirishima said.

"Alright," Bakugo said. "later then... uh... fuckiiiinnnggg..."

"Eijiro Kirishima."

"Right. I'm Katsuki Bakugo."

"Nice to meet you Bakugo." Kirishima smiled for the first time since he got to the sciences department. "And... thanks a lot man."

That night, his nightmares came as always, but for the first time, 05 looked right at him, and Kirishima knew his face. It was Bakugo's face. 05 grabbed his hands and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and Kirishima knew he'd be back in geochemistry on Wednesday, because if 05, his protector—if Bakugo, was in that class, he would be okay.

—

Eijirou Kirishima, subject number 16 in an underground lab's horrible human experiments, dreamed of being normal. When he wasn't having nightmares about his real life, he dreamed that he was just a regular person.

He dreamed that he was a regular middle schooler, with black hair, instead of red, and normal, not-sharp teeth, wearing a regular middle school uniform rather than an ultra-durable, all-purpose body-suit, and that he went to regular, non-intensive academic classes, and regular PE that didn't involve knives or having to super-harden his skin if he didn't want to die. He dreamed that he could walk around outside, and go to stores and places without any supervision or anything. He dreamed that he could look up during the day and see the sun instead of a concrete ceiling with steel and copper pipes, and harsh, fluorescent lighting.

In his dreams, Katsuki was there, always at his side, holding his hand, or letting Kirishima throw an arm over his shoulders. He didn't have to worry about Katsuki's sweat blowing up his whole arm in his dreams. He didn't have to have tough skin in his dreams. Katsuki's hearing wasn't destroyed from the constant booms of explosions. They were safe in his dreams. Totally safe.

The other test subjects were there too, all of them, and they all looked completely normal. None of them had abilities, none of them needed those abilities to survive the harsh conditions of the lab. They could hang out, and sing karaoke, and make too much noise at a diner until they got kicked out. But they wouldn't get hurt or punished for making too much noise, and they could come back the next day, if they wanted, and the shop keeper would shake his head and ask them to keep it down for once.

Aside from the other subjects, no one else had a face in his dreams. He knew that the human brain couldn't invent a face, and Kirishima didn't exactly have many examples. He was content to just see himself and his friends happy. He was content to hold Katsuki in his dreams, or to let Katsuki hold him, when neither of them were crying or freaking out.

He wished though, that someday he'd be able to put a face to the shop keeper who asked them to be quiet, to the other students and teachers at his regular, normal middle school. He wished to someday be able to leave the lab and meet all kinds of new people, and new faces. But all that seemed so impossible when he woke up every morning in a pod, and had to face another hellish day in the lab.

—

Eijirou Kirishima, a below average middle school boy in a world that was entirely against him, dreamed of being better. He knew that anyone in a crappy situation would dream like that. It was just wishful thinking, and he wasn't special in real life, just because he was in his dreams.

In his dreams, he looked totally badass, with spiky red hair, and pointy teeth, and he could make his skin as hard as stone so nothing could hurt him. In his dreams, he went to a high school for superheroes instead of a boring normal school, and he was one of the strongest people in his class. His dream self was super manly, not like his gangly, wimpy, real self.

He had a best friend in his dreams too, unlike in real life. His dream best friend was maybe even manlier than his dream self. His dream best friend was smart, and strong, and he could make explosions with his hands, and even though there he was insanely powerful, he saw Kirishima as his equal, and only Kirishima. Kirishima loved his dream best friend so much. It was too bad he wasn't real.

His dream best friend was also kind of an asshole. He called people by mean nicknames and looked down on everybody but Kirishima, well, sometimes Kirishima too. In real life, Kirishima avoided people like that as much as possible, because people like that bullied him mercilessly. In his dreams though, Kirishima was strong enough to call his dream best friend out on his behavior. He was strong enough to make a difference, and to tell him to be nicer without even the slightest bit of fear.

The biggest downside of his dream best friend, though, was that Kirishima didn't know what his face looked like. That detail always disappeared when he woke up, and he was pretty sure he had spiky hair, and he was pretty sure he had muscles because of course he had muscles, but he couldn't remember if he ever even saw his dream best friend's face, and it was frustrating.

He wondered if maybe his dream best friend's face was so awesome he just couldn't comprehend it. Maybe he was just so unbelievably handsome that his brain had to destroy the information, or else he'd never be able to find real people attractive ever again.

When his alarm went off in the morning, he didn't want to get out of bed. He didn't want to get dressed in his stupid uniform. He didn't want to go to his soul-sucking school. He didn't want to face his horrible bullies, or spend any amount of time in his own personal hell.

One and a half more years. One and a half more years until middle school was over, then he could dye his hair bright red and spike it up like in his dreams, and he could go to high school somewhere where no one had ever heard of him, and he could pretend he was the cool, confident, manly person he was in his dreams, and no one would know the truth.

He did all those things he didn't want to do. He sat at his desk in his classroom. The bell rang for class to start. The teacher stood in front of the students, and for what Kirishima hoped would only be the next few moments, things at school were a bit different from usual.

"We have a new transfer student today," the teacher said. "Please introduce yourself." A new boy was standing in front of the classroom looking like he might hate everything about the situation even more than Kirishima did.

"My name is Katsuki Bakugo. Stay out of my way," he said, and Kirishima got the message loud and clear. This Bakugo was exactly the type of person Kirishima wanted to avoid at all costs. he didn't need another bully.

"Great, take a seat and shut up," the teacher said, and Bakugo did.

Kirishima disliked Bakugo within the hour. The moment he showed up, Bakugo instantly became the best at everything. He had the best scores in PE; he knew the answers to every question in class; he was expertly apathetic, and effortlessly better than everyone else anyway, and to top it all off, he was a complete jerk, so obviously Kirishima disliked him.

Later in the day though, when he was being beaten up for his lunch money, as he always was during lunch period, Bakugo walked by and, very intentionally, slammed his shoulder into one of the bullies, knocking them back a few steps.

A loud argument ensued, and it ended with Bakugo throwing hands, and the bullies getting laid out. Against all his initial decisions, Kirishima followed Bakugo around for the rest of the day after that, sticking to him like gum on his shoe. He asked Bakugo why he'd stepped in for him.

"The fuck do you mean?" Bakugo scowled at him. "They were being assholes, why the hell didn't you step up for your fucking self? Leave me the fuck alone."

Kirishima did not leave him alone. Kirishima stayed right next to him for the rest of the school day, making it his mission to get Bakugo to smile. He didn't manage it, but he was determined to try again tomorrow.

That night, in his dreams, he finally saw his dream best friend's face. It was Bakugo, and unlike real Bakugo, Kirishima was able to make dream Bakugo smile. And when he did, Kirishima realized he was right about the face thing. When Bakugo smiled, he was the most handsome person Kirishima had ever seen.

—

Eijirou Kirishima, an average teenaged boy in a world of quirks and heroes, woke up from another dream of flying. He opened his eyes and said good morning to a world in which he was not a dragon, soaring through the sky in the company of a nameless, faceless rider. He jumped out of bed with a grin, and got ready for his first day at UA High School.

He met his new classmates, some he liked, and some he didn't. He got his first taste of hero lessons, as well as more regular lessons like the ones he'd so hated in middle school. He was able to pull off the self-confidence act for the whole day, and it felt good. He thought maybe he could really change for the better at this school.

That night, when he dreamed of flying, he finally landed. He felt his rider climb down from his back. He felt his body shrink from dragon to human. He looked back, excited to finally see his rider for the first time. His eyes rested on the face of someone he'd met for the first time that very day. Someone who'd treated his classmates like crap, and nearly killed his childhood friend, and completely destroyed a building during a training exercise, and Kirishima was so shocked that he woke up and sat bolt upright in bed.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he groaned into the night air. "My dream guy is that asshole?"

[Little on the late side, but at least I posted something today, finally. I wanted to write part 4 of the Experiments AU, but I hit a major block and haven't really been able to write anything in like a month, so, y'know, managing to write anything at all makes me happy right now. This short does incorporate my Experiments AU at least, so that's something. Give me requests! Love y'all.

<3 Raaor!]