No.15 - Tumblr Posts
đWhumptober Day 15: Suppressed Suffering (Phantom Thieves x Reader)đ
Part 1 | Part 2

Ever since you left the group chat, you had just been avoiding them even more. At first you didn't mind it, but you begin to feel a little bit more lonely. You are not sure why, considering that you had been lonely like this before. Maybe you missed them or it could be something else. You did lose a good amount of friends, but oh well...You can make new ones and it happens from time to time. It ain't new.
Since you don't have anyone to hang out anymore, you decide to do something a little productive. Just to figure out on what they hell to do in the future. You got to be honest, you are a little jealous of your friends. It looks like they already figure out what to do in their lives.
Ren Amamiya, albeit quiet at times and doesn't talk about what to do in his life, is pretty much perfect so it won't be a surprise if he lands a career that he likes and get a good salary.
Ryuji Sakamoto will probably get a career that is sport related.
Ann Takamaki already has a modeling career plus she is very caring, so that will help out as well.
Yusuke Kitagawa's future is self-explanatory. Though, his finances will probably stay the same.
Makoto Niijima is very intelligent, and with the help of her sister she could probably get any job she wants. Maybe she even wants to follow in her sister's footsteps.
Futuba Sakura, while she have troubles socially, is also extremity tech savvy. It won't be a surprise if she decides to work remotely.
Haru Okumura is already wealthy. She could just sit around and do nothing while she gains more wealth. But she isn't like that, she wants to help out with her business by making a small café chain.
And you...well, you are one of the unlucky ones. Maybe not as unlucky as others, but you certainly do wish you have something like your old friends. You are averagely smart, your talent is mediocre compared to others, you are just someone in a middle class. It feels wrong to feel jealous, but you just can't help it. Since your friends did just hang out without you, you do feel like someone who isn't worthy enough to hang out with such extraordinary talents.
But you shouldn't think about that right now. Your parents are kinda pressuring you to think on what to pick your career. You don't want to be a burden to your parents and to society, even though society probably won't care about you, so you decide to do some research on other careers. You had to choose a career carefully, because your parents won't let you change your major if you decide you don't like it. Hopefully the job you got won't give you a death wise and hope that you rather die in a car crash every time you go to work.
...
...Maybe you shouldn't think that. Maybe it would be all right in the end, right?
...
Maybe you should stop thinking positively to avoid disappointment in yourself and in the future.

"Where the North Wind meets the sea...
There's a river full of memory.
Sleep, my darling, safe and sound...
For in this river, all is found.
In her waters, deep and true,
Lie the answers and a path for you.
Dive down deep into her sound...
But not too far or you'll be drowned."
~
-All Is Found, Evan Rachel Wood
Whumptober No.15
...She didn't question the voice; at this point, it was normal... But who was Psy?
(Click for better quality)
Whumptober Prompt #15- Scars
Yo- hereâs another ColdFlash. Authorâs notes are getting kinda annoying. Enjoy
...
The one thing Barry would never have called himself a year ago was lucky. Losing his mother at such a young age, his fatherâs wrongful imprisonment right after, child psychologist after child psychologist telling him the yellow lightning was a manifestation of some bullshit or another, always denying the truth that he saw that night, the bullies, the consistent inability to be punctual to anything, the lightning strike, his powers⊠it was a long list on why Barry considered himself very unlucky.
But tonight? Tonight, Barry was the luckiest man in the world.
Leonard Snart, Captain Cold himself, was lying asleep beside him, still just as in love with him as Barry was in love with him. The Legend of Tomorrow had returned to Central City, after the Oculus explosion apparently didnât kill him but simply sent him through time. Once heâd regained the ability to travel back to Present Central City, heâd returned to Barry.  Thankfully, Barry hadnât sold their apartment yet, as everyone else had been trying to convince him to do. Granted, they thought Len had died so it had made sense but he hadnât been ready to let go yet.  Barry had come home with groceries and another realtor business card to throw in the trash and Len had simply been waiting at the kitchen table with a cup of hot chocolate, the newspaper, and piping hot dinner.
Barry had dropped the groceries, unable to try and catch them, even with his super speed. Len had cocked an eyebrow, and simply laughed.  âDidnât think youâd be so clumsy, Scarlet.â
Hours later, once Len had proved that he was alive, and his Len, after dinner and a dance and a kiss that quickly led them to the bedroom, they laid in bed together but Barry had been unable to sleep. Len had fallen asleep a little while ago, spent and exhausted.  Barry had been very demanding after losing Len for six months, and now that he had him back, he couldnât stop staring at his partner. Lenâs face hadnât changed, the same piercing blue eyes that made Barryâs knees weak, the same jawline now peppered in hickeys, the same mouth that worshiped Barry, infinitely pouring love from those wonderful lips, and yet⊠Barry couldnât help but notice small differences.
There was a scar on Lenâs right arm, from the Oculus no doubt. It ran from about half his forearm all the way to his middle knuckle. It wasnât straight, like a knife, but almost a lichtenberg figure like the one he got from the lightning strike. It branched out from the main scar, the littler scars fading easily into the skin.
There was another new one just behind Lenâs ear, this one much smaller. It seemed more like what had once been a small nick, or maybe a blow to the head, and Barry could really only see it because Len wore his hair so short.
Lenâs left hand had a new scar as well, but this one obviously different from the others. Maybe he was crazy, maybe he was reading too much into it, but Barry was ninety percent sure Len had done this one himself. Lenâs hand was unharmed, the same calluses, the same chips in his fingernails, the same scars on his hands from his father, but this one was new. This one was a small slash across his wrist, right above where handcuffs would fit him.  It looked like a razor had torn up Lenâs skin in one short but deep cut. It looked too small and precise to be anything but razor, and a razor wasnât a normal method of torture.  So, Len had to have done it himself.  He wasnât sure why, but that question could wait. They had all the time in the world now.  Len had promised to stay as long as he could.  Barry knew he would go back to the Legends eventually, Len missed Mick, and the thrill of working through time, but for right now, Len was home.
It was Lenâs back though, where Barry noticed the biggest change. Len was sleeping on his back, so Barry had an open view.  Lenâs scars from childhood, the beatings, his fatherâs belt, those were all intact, but there was one new one. It wasnât quite a burn scar, but it was at the same time.  He knew it didnât come from Mick, Len had a few burn scars from when Mick couldnât protect Len from himself, and this wasnât like that. It was more like a sunburn on a regular scar.  Like light itself burned into Lenâs skin.
âScarlet, youâre supposed to be sleeping.â Lenâs tired voice brought him to reality.  âNot staring at me like a stalker.
Barry blushed. âI couldnât help it.â
Len turned over and his sleep-lidded eyes stared up at him curiously. âAnd what, pray tell, couldnât you help?â
âI thought I would never see you again.â Barry whispered.  âForgive me for making sure I get a good look this time.â
Lenâs eyes softened.
âBesides, youâve changed.â Barry leaned over and kissed the new scar on Lenâs ear.
âNot that much.â Len murmured, matching Barryâs soft tone. âNot really.â
Barry made his way down Lenâs spine, kissing the jagged edges of the newest scar.
A small gasp escaped Lenâs lips. Len had told him once that he didnât like taking off his long-sleeve shirts, even in summer, because of his scars. Tattoos could work their magic, but Len was proud of his scars.  They showed he survived.  But often he found lovers who were uncomfortable where his obvious childhood scars lay. But Barry, with plenty of scars of his own, loved each and every scar.  He hated the man who put them there, but he admired how Len lived with them.  On a ship where scars could be healed within moments, where losing a limb was reversible, Len had made sure to keep his scars. Len never shied away from his past, no matter how much he hated it.  He never ran from his problems like Barry did.
So Barry made sure to show Len just how much he loved Len, every part of him. He kissed his way down Lenâs spine, taking care to watch Lenâs reaction. Lenâs face held a touch of uncertainty he hadnât seen since they first started dating, but also a kind of serenity. Once he finished Lenâs spine, he gently grabbed Lenâs left arm, bringing himself over Len to try and not pull the hand behind him, pressing his lips against the line of raised skin, harder than before. Len exhaled sharply, his breath catching at Barryâs touch.
âYour handiwork?â Barry whispered.
âLong story, but yes.â Len admitted softly.
Barry kissed it again. âYou wanna tell me?â
âDonât ruin the moment, Scarlet.â
Barry took that for what it was, a promise to talk later. So Barry moved to Lenâs right side.  He kissed the lichtenberg figure, brushing his lips over each branch.
âNow we match.â Barry smirked, finishing up Lenâs hand.
Len cocked an eyebrow, his body relaxed but his mind as sharp as ever.
âMy lightning strike.â Barry said.  âMay not have been lightning, but it bears the same scar.â
Len conceded. âFelt like it.  From what you told me of that night.â
Barry frowned.
âIt was like getting hit by one of your punches but all over and you had your lightning going.â Len explained.  âIt was an all-encompassing eternity yet it mustâve only been a few seconds.  But the people who found me, the ones who helped me get back to the Legends, they said I didnât stop shaking for a week.â
Barry nuzzled Lenâs neck. âIâm sorry.â
âDonât be.â Len murmured into Barryâs hair, twisting himself around to wrap around Barry as the big spoon. âI can see a bright side to it. Brought me back, let me come home to you, helps me understand you.â
Barry couldnât help the laugh.
âWhat?!?â
âYou, trying to look on the bright side.â Barry said, still laughing. âAnd you say you havenât changed, you big liar.â
Len snickered with him. âAlright, so Iâve changed a little.â
The laugh went quiet as Len kissed Barryâs hair.
âI donât care, you know.â Barry said, stifling a yawn. âDoesnât matter how you come back to me. You can come back with no hands, or in a wheelchair, or, hell, with more scars than Mick. It doesnât matter.  Just as long as you come back to me.â
Barry laid his head on the pillow between Lenâs shoulder and neck so he missed Lenâs grateful smile.
âI promise, Scarlet, Iâm always trying to come back to you.â Lenâs arms wrapped around Barry, tight enough to feel comforting not trapped. âEvery time I leave, always remember Iâm trying to come back to you.â
Barry hummed contentedly. âLove you.â
âLove you, too.â Len whispered.  âMy hero.â
...
AO3:Â https://archiveofourown.org/works/21052184
Day 1, 2, 3, 7 13, 15-Bakugou "doesn't get sick"
Trying another whumptober whoo hoo! I got a new job, a great one for the first time in my life lol, and I've got a lot of time to be able to sit down and just write. So I'm gonna try my hardest to finish this whumptober, I've been writing as much as I physically can haha
prompts- swooning, thermometer/delurium, "make it stop", "can you hear me", cold compress, "I'm fine"- fever, passing out, sick Katsuki, todobaku pre, shower scene ;)
Feel free to find this on AO3- https://archiveofourown.org/works/50196034/chapters/126773227
This is a long one, so I'm gonna put it under a cut.
Katsuki had been hot and sweaty all day, which is normally something he encouraged for his quirk to work at its highest potential, but today it just felt wrong. He wasnât sure why, he always took very good care of his body, but something just wasnât adding up. It was spring, and the weather was supposed to be very nice, but it felt like he couldnât cool off no matter what he did. He felt like the sun was projecting pure heat through the window as he sat uncomfortably in class, trying his best to pay attention through one of the worst headaches heâd ever had in his life.
To make matters worse, Katsuki had been assigned fucking Todoroki as a partner for an upcoming hero research paper. He hated group work in the first place, but assigning him goddamn Todoroki (even if Aizawa claimed it was random, he never believed that bullshit, Aizawa lied to them all the time) was just adding insult to injury at this point. But he never shirked from his academic responsibilities, he was going to graduate top of his class, so he still had to actually try on this stupid assignment even though he didnât want to work with the half-n-half bastard. His headache would just have to wait. The sooner they were done, the less he had to talk to IcyHot.
âWeâre finishing this as fast as we fucking can,â Katsuki had hissed at Todoroki, who only stared back blankly. Bastard. âI donât care if you have plans tonight, Iâm coming over to your fucking room and weâre finishing this tonight.â
âAizawa distinctly said we should not do this in one night.â God, even his voice irritated Katsuki. Everything about the bastard irritated Katsuki, from his stupid hair to his stupid muscles to his stupid blank face that never showed any thought Katsuki could pick up on. Kaminari had teased him over âhow obsessed you are over Todorokiâ and how it âsounds like you liiiike himâ but he shut up when Katsuki pushed him off his chair.
Katsuki rolled his eyes. âHe was talking to the idiots who wait until the last minute to do the work.â
Like the idiots he couldnât help but call friends because⊠well, he didnât know what else to call them. They wouldnât leave him alone, always forced him to participate in their activities, and every time he tried to leave the group chat theyâd set up, heâd just be added right back in and chastised lightly as if heâd just made a small mistake. It had been hard to admit, but sometimes, only sometimes, Katsuki enjoyed their company, and even had fun once or twice. He would never admit to it, especially since he didnât know how to feel about it, and he refused to be laughed at because he was unsure of these new feelings.
âI suppose weâll find out when we attempt the assignment.â Todoroki said, which only infuriated Katsuki more, which caused his headache to spike. He wanted to argue some more, but having done it in the past proved its inefficiency. Todoroki never fucking reacted to anything he did, even when he was purposefully antagonizing the bastard just to see him make some kind of facial expression.
âWhatever. Iâm coming over right after dinner,â and didnât that sound disgusting, âso be ready.â
Todoroki nodded, and Katsuki almost felt cheated since Todoroki never reacted to anything he said. Heâd seen Todoroki make facial expressions for fucking pathetic Deku, Katsuki was way better than him, why didnât he get those reactions? Katsuki was ridiculously past good enough to get one of those stupid ass smiles or little puffs of laughter. Katsuki deserved that more than Deku ever would.
Getting through the rest of the day had been difficult, but nothing he couldnât handle. He just had a headache from dealing with everyoneâs bullshit, and the day was a fluke of being too hot, and he just had to get through it. Katsuki was the strongest person in this entire class, he could handle anything. It got easier after school when he took off his uniform and could put on a simple tank and shorts. At dinner, he forced himself to have some congee rather than his normal, nutritionally balanced meal, but the thought of food was so unappealing that forcing himself to cook and eat his routine foods almost outweighed his knowledge that he had to eat dinner in the first place.
When he went to put the half he couldnât finish in the fridge, Kirishima was in the kitchen, burning whatever he was trying to make. Usually Katsuki could tell by smell alone, but this time he couldnât smell anything but it was obviously burning. Even worse, Katsuki knew how to salvage his dinner and he didnât have a reason not to tell him.
âYour heat is too high. Take it out now and itâll only be slightly burnt.â Katsuki grumbled, rolling his eyes both at himself and his idiot best friend. He couldnât believe he was best friends with someone who could barely function like an independent human being.
âThanks, bro!â Katsuki had given up on Kirishima calling him âbroâ, it seemed to be a core aspect of the redheadâs personality. The chipper smile directed at him as Kirishima did as he said kinda made up for it. Making his friends happy wasnât the worst thing heâs ever done. âAre you done already? Usually youâre in here cooking up a storm, I was surprised not to see you.â
Kirishima then saw the congee in his hands as he put it in his tupperware, and he frowned. âDude, is that all you had? Arenât you the one always yelling at us to âmake better dinnersâ? Are you okay?â
Katsuki bristled at the question, his pride flaring up in defense. âI have to work with fucking IcyHot on a dumb fucking project I donât need a partner for, and apparently I canât have a simple dinner for once without everyone jumping down my throat! The fuck do you think?â
âOkay, okay, sorry, bro.â Kirishima held up his hands in defense. âJust wanted to check in. You havenât seemed yourself today.â
Katsuki glared at him. âI donât need you to âcheck inâ. Leave me the fuck alone.â
âIf you say so, bro.â Kirishima shrugged. âWeâre gonna have a smash brothers tournament at Denkiâs tonight, you wanna join in?â
âYou shits are lucky I canât destroy you tonight.â Katsuki rolled his eyes. âIâm doing my fucking report, which is what you should be doing. When itâs two nights before itâs due, and you still havenât done it, donât come crying to me. I wonât help you.â
He would help them. His friends struggled with schoolwork, and if he was going to be seen with them then they had to live up to his reputation. Unfortunately, they couldnât do that without his help, and he didnât like watching his friends struggle and seeing them upset over their grades. That stupid feeling he hated outweighed his annoyance at helping them, so, he didnât really have a choice if he didnât want that stupid feeling he got when he saw his friends get upset. He didnât know how, but somehow his idiots had figured that out, and they still came to him every time, and every time, despite him telling himself that he wouldnât help them this time, he helped them regardless. They were all the worst and he hated them.
But for now, Katsuki was too busy hating the elevatorâs stupidly bright lights to hate his friends anymore. Katsuki leaned against the metal, the coolness of the metal a balm on his overly hot skin. Heâd never been so glad that the entirety of Heights Alliance had air conditioning. The day had been way too hot today, Katsuki had always been sensitive to hotter temperatures since he couldnât cool his body through his sweat like other people did, which is probably why he hadnât heard anyone else complain about it. But he could take anything, any temperature, any obstacle, because no hero worth their salt would let a thing like a hot day stop them so he refused to let it stop him.
Even though he really didnât want to be doing this, heâd much prefer to just take a cold shower and go to bed early so the day would finally be over, he still pushed forward and went to Todorokiâs room. He went to just walk in, not like the bastard didnât know he was coming, but the door was locked. He jiggled the door handle a little violently, clearly seeing the light was on under the door, but it still didnât open. Katsukiâs eye twitched.
knock. knock.
It was the stiffest knock of his life, but apparently that was enough for Todoroki, who finally opened the door. âYou knew I was coming, that was a dick move.â
âSo is barging in unannounced.â Todoroki replied, raising an eyebrow. Katsukiâs eye twitched again.
âWe should get started since you want to finish tonight.â Todoroki said, and Katsuki just growled, and then just set his stuff down on the tiny ass table Todoroki had. Sometimes, Katsuki had to choose his battles. Most of the time, he chose all battles, but this one he had to let go since he didnât want his grade to suffer.
âIâm taking this pathetic excuse for a chair since youâre apparently so fine with being on the floor.â Katsuki said, referring to the mat Todoroki slept on. Todoroki didnât protest, he merely just set the mat next to the thing that couldnât even be called a desk really since it was too damn small. The room didnât seem to have much in terms of temperature control, as the elevator had been much cooler. It was probably because Todoroki could regulate his own temperature, so he didnât need the ac unit to do it for him. That was annoying as fuck.
The headache that Katsuki had been working very hard to ignore was becoming more and more of a problem as they worked. Katsuki could at least appreciate the monotone right now since it was quiet, and he spoke slowly enough that Katsuki could hear him despite the pounding in his head. A hammer was slamming into his head with every beat of his heart, and it just got worse as they kept going, the material not interesting enough to get past the pain. He wouldâve given up and gone to sleep if he didnât have to do this damn paper with Todoroki. The bastard couldnât keep a secret for his life so in order to keep his reputation, he had to keep going, even through the worst headache heâd had in a long time. But with every beat of the hammer, he was losing his resolve. It was only his drive not to be weak that kept him going.
âBakugou? Did you hear what I said?â Todoroki said, startling Katsuki a little.
âOf course I did. I was just thinking.â Katsuki snapped, trying to brush it off, ignoring the fact that he actually hadnât heard what Todoroki had said. He hoped it wasnât important.
âThinking.â Todoroki echoed, but it wasnât a question or a challenge. It was just a statement.
âThatâs what I fucking said.â
âAre you alright, Bakugou?â Todoroki asked, and Katsuki could almost hear a touch of concern in the monotone. It pissed him off, though he wasnât sure exactly why. âYouâve been strangely quiet today.â
âIâm fine.â Katsuki sneered, a violent threat in his voice.
Todoroki pursed his lips at him, but only continued on with what he was saying. Katsuki struggled to keep focusing on it, Todorokiâs voice was soothing in its quiet volume, but he couldnât process the words the bastard was actually saying.
Dammit. He couldnât keep doing this. If he actually turned in the report they were working on now, Katsuki would get the worst grade heâd ever gotten in his life, even though he very much understood the topic. His headache was just too bad, and the room had only gotten steadily hotter as theyâd worked, and Katsuki couldnât take it anymore, his reputation be damned. Heâd just blame it on Todoroki not properly cooling his room and sweating him out of it.
âIâm done, Iâm going to bed.â Katsuki said, gathering up his stuff as quickly as he could. He was a little uncoordinated in his haste, but he blamed it on the heat. âWeâll just do this tomorrow.â
Todoroki didnât even show his surprise beyond a raised eyebrow. âI thought you wanted to do this in one night.â
âItâs not my fault your room is like a sauna and your voice is like a fucking icepick in my head!â Katsuki snapped, absolutely done with today. The room was so hot he was starting to get a little dizzy, and standing just made his vision swim for a moment. âHow the fuck am I supposed to focus on court cases and legalities when the room is a million degrees and you wonât fucking shut up?â
That seemed to actually surprise Shouto, though it still only showed in his eyes. âBakugou, my room isnât hot. And I was only talking since you wouldnât. Youâve barely said anything tonight.â
Katsuki rolled his eyes, and then had to pinch his nose and shut his eyes when the room blurred, playing it off as annoyance. Dammit, he was so fucking hot. âYou wouldnât notice, you have that stupid temperature thing because of your quirk.â
âI turn on the ac when I have guests, Bakugou.â Todoroki said, and Katsuki scoffed. He was sweating far too much for that to be true. He didnât doubt that Todoroki was lying, but there was no way the ac was actually on right now. The bastard mustâve just set it to the wrong setting, he wouldnât be the first in their class to struggle with the thermostat, to his perpetual annoyance.
âBakugou, I may not be an expert, but you do not look well.â Todoroki said, which only infuriated him more. If he was suddenly going to care about Katsuki, the least he could do was fucking show it. Katsuki knew not everyone wore their emotions on their sleeve, but Todoroki never seemed to have any emotion at all, not even when dealing with Katsuki.
âIâm fine.â Katsuki hissed, parroting what he said earlier, with the same vitriol.
âYou clearly are not.â Todoroki said firmly. âI can regulate my own temperature, youâre correct, but I can still feel the temperature around me. My room isnât hot, and youâre sweating like itâs summer. I think you should see Recovery Girl.â
Katsuki growled an incoherent shout. âI donât need that old bat, thereâs nothing wrong with me beyond suffering from dealing with all you idiots. Fuck off!â
Katsuki turned to leave, but his vision swam so quickly that he had to stop mid-step. His hand came to his eyes, trying to steady himself, forcing himself to push through the heat. But before he could get his body to work, his backpack slipped through his fingers as his vision went black.
â-ugou. Bakugou. Bakugou.â Someone was shaking him, insistence in their voice. He groaned lightly, his eyes fluttering, his head pounding even harder than before. He squinted, and Todoroki then came into focus. He was wearing a look Katsuki had never seen before. It looked almost like worry, but Katsuki couldnât tell.
He groaned again, and then he felt something blissfully cool against his forehead, easing his headache and the unbearable heat he was trapped in. He sighed, his eyes managing to stay open now. He was in Todorokiâs arms, with Todorokiâs right hand pressed against his forehead. He remembered that Todorokiâs right side was cool, and Katsuki wanted to just sink into him.
âWha- happen?â Katsuki said, the act of speaking a struggle it had never been before.
âYou passed out.â Todoroki said, a frown tugging at his lips. âYou have a fever. Iâm going to take you to Recovery Girl.â
Todoroki began to push them both upwards, but Katsuki shook his head. âNo! No. âM fine. Just⊠just need to sleep it off. âM fine.â
âYou are not fine, Bakugou.â Todoroki groaned, and Katsuki couldâve sworn he heard concern and frustration in Todorokiâs voice. But that was impossible, Katsuki never got emotion from Todoroki, no matter how hard he tried. âYou literally just passed out. Youâre sick, Bakugou.â
âI donât get sick.â Katsuki said, and that was completely true. Katsuki got sick so rarely that he couldnât even remember the last time. âBe fine. Just need sleep. Donât need help.â
âYou canât stand on your own.â Todoroki said, deadpan. Katsuki frowned at that, and he opened his mouth again, but Todoroki cut him off. âIf you say youâre fine one more time, Iâm going to throw you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and drag you to Recovery Girl.â
Katsuki pouted at that, and stayed silent for a moment, knowing Todoroki was just as serious with his threats as he was.
âI donât get sick.â He repeated. âJust need to sleep this off.â
Todoroki pursed his lips again, clearly torn between what to do, before he sighed, obviously coming to a decision. âFine. Iâll take you to your room, but only for now. I canât tell if this is just your pride or if this is actually how your body works. If you get worse, Iâm taking you to Recovery Girl no matter what you say.â
Katsuki nodded, and went to get up, pushing himself up on noodly arms. He immediately fell back into Todoroki. Thankfully, Todoroki didnât comment on his weakness, he just wrapped Katsukiâs arm around his shoulder and pushed them both up. With Todorokiâs support, Katsuki could mostly walk, his feet dragging a little as he couldnât raise his feet off the ground very high.
The elevator ride down to the fourth floor was silent, almost awkward. Katsuki couldnât find the strength to say anything, but Todoroki didnât seem to mind the silence. Right now, he just wanted his bed more than anything in the world.
Their next obstacle was Katsukiâs door, as he always locked it when he wasnât in his room. He couldnât remember where he put his keys at first, patting down his pockets. Suddenly a hand reached into his back pocket and he yelped a little at the surprise, his reaction was too slow, but he still hated being startled with touch. Had for a long time. Todoroki then handed him his keys, with a sheepish look on his face. âI saw them in your pocket. Thought Iâd save you the trouble.â
Katsuki took the keys and opened his door, using the door handle to keep himself up, trying to keep himself upright on his own. Todoroki went to follow him in and Katsuki growled again.
âNo one goes in my room.â
âThereâs a first time for everything.â Todoroki said, a little snippy, uncaring that he was stepping into Katsukiâs space.
Todoroki turned on the lights, and Katsuki hissed as his headache spiked, unconsciously pressing himself into the nape of Todorokiâs neck. Todoroki immediately turned the light off with a quiet âsorry.â before he started walking again.
Katsuki flopped into bed with all the grace of a newborn giraffe, but his bed was cool (he had special sheets so he wouldnât overheat as he slept, his parents had designed them for him) and that was all that mattered to him. He rolled onto his side, felt something lift his legs into the bed, and he was out as soon as his head hit the pillow, just barely feeling a cool hand brush his sweaty bangs out of his face.
â- been asleep for a little while⊠nothingâs changedâŠâ
â- not sure, Todoroki. He really doesnât get sick that often. I think the last time was over five years ago. Even I donât really remember.â
He knew that voice. Goddammit, he knew that voice and he went to glare at fucking useless Deku, but he was still squinting in the darkness heâd woken up in, lessening its effect. Todoroki had left the door open a little, the hall lights shining in his room far too brightly for his headache. He wasnât sure how long heâd been asleep, but his mind wasnât as fuzzy as before. Still way too fucking hot though.
âYou got fucking Deku?â Katsuki growled, refusing to admit that it sounded more like a whine.
âI didnât know anyone else who would know how your body works when itâs sick.â Todoroki said matter-of-factly, coming back over to Katsukiâs bed. He was mostly forgiven when he put his cool hand back on Katsukiâs burning forehead, getting a soft noise Katsuki didnât even know he made.
âWell, his parents will know, for sure.â Deku said to Todoroki. Katsuki glared harder. âI can call them, figure out where to go from here.â
Todoroki nodded.
Deku then handed Todoroki a rather big box that Katsuki surprisingly recognized. Auntie Inko knew how injured they got in training, especially since Deku wouldnât fucking stop constantly breaking all of his bones, and had gifted him the same first aid kit that Deku held in his hands. Actually, it really wasnât a first aid kit but a mini hospital, with so many things Katsuki didnât know when heâd ever use some of them. (Seriously, Auntie, when was he gonna need a goddamn stethoscope?) Heâd only taken it because his mother wouldâve been mad if he made Auntie cry, not that he could handle her tears anyways, and, well⊠secretly he could appreciate the gesture. He never understood why Auntie continued to try and take care of him even though he really wanted nothing to do with her son, but he supposed thatâs just how she was. Deku too, but he was way more annoying about it.
âYou should take his temperature, if heâll let you.â Deku said, still talking to Todoroki and not him. âYouâll have a way better chance with him than I will.â
âDonât talk about me like Iâm not here!â Katsuki shouted, immediately regretting the loudness when he made his own headache worse.
âSorry, Kacchan.â Katsuki just glared at him, fighting off the wince heâd just given himself. âI- Iâll just go call Uncle Masaru now.â
Deku stepped out of the room, and Todoroki set the kit down onto his nightstand, digging through it with one hand, keeping his right hand on Katsukiâs forehead.
âThere are three thermometers in here.â Todoroki stated, seemingly a little overwhelmed by Auntieâs overprotective nature. âAnd theyâre all different.â
Katsuki made a noncommittal noise. Something then pushed gently at his mouth, and he turned his glare to Todoroki.
âI canât use the other ones, Iâve been cooling you off too much.â Todoroki said, poking him again. âThey wonât give accurate results. This is the only one left.â
âI can do it myself.â Katsuki said, trying to move his mouth as little as possible.
Todoroki sighed, definitely sounding frustrated. âBakugou, will you please just put your damn pride aside for two minutes? I just want to help you. Youâre my friend. Let me help you.â
This was the first heâd heard about them being friends, though he supposed he had started paying more attention to Todoroki after their supplemental classes. He hadnât thought it had been reciprocated though. But even if they were friends now, this was something he couldnât allow. He wasnât weak, he didnât need help, not even Todorokiâs.
Not even if a dark part of him wanted to accept it.
Moving his body was like trying to move through molasses, but he did eventually get his arm out from under the blanket (when did he get a blanket?) and he reached for the thermometer. Todoroki sighed, but gave it to him. This time, the silence was awkward as they waited for the thermometer to beep. He wasnât sure why this time was so different.
Deku was the one who broke it when he came back in. He still didnât like anyone in his room, but he didnât have the strength to blast the fucker out, even if he did have the sweat.
âUncle said that thereâs not much we can do except keep him cool, the illness just has to run its course.â Deku frowned, trying not to talk directly to Todoroki and failing. âAnd. um. Auntie Mitsuki said, um, not to take any of his, uh, âbullshitâ. Her words, not mine.â
Todoroki just nodded. Katsuki didnât know what that meant.
Once the thermometer finally beeped, Todoroki withdrew it without asking permission. Oh, thatâs what that meant. Damn hag, and damn Deku. Todoroki took everything too literally, Deku shouldâve fucking translated his motherâs stupid words.
â39.27 (102.7)â The monotone was back. Katsuki felt an emotion he didnât know how to describe, but it wasnât pleasant. âThatâs higher than I was expecting, though unsurprising.â
âYeah, Uncle said when Kacchan gets sick, he really gets sick.â
Katsuki growled at him again, wanting to yell and blow him up but trying not to be stupid and repeat past mistakes. His head was still throbbing from the earlier shout.
âI-I-I should go, Todoroki.â Deku said, shrinking away from him. âI think Iâm just making it worse. He doesnât want me here.â No. No he didnât. Especially since he wouldnât stop talking about him like he wasnât there in his own fucking room. âDo you want to come with me? Iâm sure Kirishima wouldnât mind looking after him.â
The beat in between Dekuâs question and Todorokiâs answer made the emotion he had worse.
âNo. Iâll keep him cool for now. Itâs no trouble.â Katsuki didnât know whether that made him happy or annoyed. God, he hated emotions, they were literally the worst. It was so much easier to just be angry all the time.
âDonât forget to not overuse your quirk, Todoroki. Just let one of us know if you get too cold. Weâll figure something out.â
Todoroki just nodded and Deku very quickly left the room. If Katsuki was more childish like his friends, he wouldâve flipped him off as he left. But Deku didnât deserve what little energy he had, and closing the door until very little light was left was at least the decent thing to do.
âYou can leave, IcyHot.â Katsuki grumbled. âIâm-mmph.â Suddenly Todorokiâs cool hand was over his mouth. Katsuki did not like that, he didnât like anyone touching his face and it had only gotten worse since the-incident-that-shall-not-be-named. He nipped at Todorokiâs hand, and it quickly returned to his forehead, but the message to shut up was loud and clear.
âStop saying youâre fine.â Todoroki snapped, and Katsuki thought he almost sounded angry. Katsuki didnât know that Todoroki could even get angry. âStop lying to me. I donât care about your stupid pride, and I cannot understand why you wonât let it go for two seconds for your friends. I want to help you but I canât if you wonât let me. Why wonât you let me? Do you⊠do you hate me?â
Grand displays of emotion were hard for him. Grand displays of emotion coming from Todoroki were another beast entirely. Katsuki had no idea how to respond to this, and if he wasnât sick, he wouldnât have responded to it beyond anger. But right now, with a fever he could no longer deny, his mind didnât immediately go to the rage he used to shield him from emotions he didnât like. It just took much energy that he didnât have, and he hated himself for his weakness.
âNo.â Was Katsukiâs response, and it was a lot more awkward than heâd wanted it to be.
âThen why wonât you stop lying to me?â Todoroki said, looking just as uncomfortable as Katsuki was. But apparently, not uncomfortable enough to shut up and let this go. âI thought you respected me, at least a little.â
Shit. Katsuki did not like letting people know when he respected them. They never responded in a way that Katsuki liked or could handle, either acting all smug about it or like it was obvious that they deserved it. Both reactions drove Katsuki up the wall.
Thinking about this was too hard, even with the soothing coolness Todoroki was projecting. He didnât do emotions, and everything he was feeling right now just made him even uncomfortable in his skin. Heâd take the fever and headache over this any day.
âI didnât lie to you, Iâm fine by myself.â Katsuki said. âI can take care of myself.â
âExcept you wonât.â Todoroki snapped again and Katsuki internally cursed at his mother for putting this idea into Todorokiâs stupid head. âTaking care of yourself wouldâve been canceling our plans, or going to see Recovery Girl. You refused to do either. Thatâs not taking care of yourself. You couldnât even admit to me that you werenât feeling well after you literally passed out in my arms. Youâre lucky I was there to catch you, what if you werenât with me? What if it happened when youâd stepped into the hall and I hadnât followed you? You mightâve gotten a concussion or worse. If you donât hate me, then why canât you let me care about you?â
Katsuki unconsciously curled a little into himself, his quills puffing up, ready to lash out at any moment. His head hurt, and even with the frosty air Todoroki was creating he was on fire, he just couldnât deal with this right now. Being sick for the first time in years was already way too much for him, heâd never felt so shitty in his life, and having fucking Todoroki of all people see him this weak made him so uncomfortable he didnât have a word for it. Katsuki didnât understand why Todoroki was so upset, and thinking about it hurt his head too much. He didnât even have an answer for Todoroki. He didnât have an answer when his friends asked him the same question after they were fed up with his insistence on independence and refusing to accept their help. Heâd learned the hard way that sometimes he had to depend on other people, but that hadnât made it any easier to deal with. So heâd rather just not deal with it at all.
After a fair amount of silence, Todoroki just sighed, sounding resigned. This was the most emotion Katsuki had seen out of Todoroki since heâd met the bastard. Katsuki thought that was very rude, and he shouldâve gotten this a lot earlier. Though, he could do without the annoyance and anger. âYou should get some sleep, Bakugou.â
Well, now he was purposefully not gonna do that, even though he was exhausted. Once spite was activated there was no stopping it. âDonât tell me what to do.â
âThen stop being an idiot.â Todoroki hissed.
Katsuki glared at Todoroki but it didnât matter since Todoroki still wasnât looking at him, only straight ahead.
âDonât fucking insult me.â
âIâll do whatever I want, thanks.â Todoroki said, matching his energy. âSince thatâs all you do, I get to do it too.â
âOh fuck you!â Katsuki snapped, absolutely done with this stupid bastard, throwing his own words in his face was the last straw. âGet the fuck out of my room! Leave me the fuck alone!â
It was quiet for a minute.
âFine.â
Todoroki ripped his hand away from Katsukiâs forehead and stood sharply. He walked out without another word, and Katsuki expected the door to slam and prepared himself for it. But Todoroki caught it just before it did, and he closed the door quietly behind him.
Katsuki stared at the door for a moment, almost in disbelief. Todoroki never got angry, let alone to this extreme. He thought even Deku hadnât seen that before, the damn nerd wouldâve said something. Even though Katsuki liked antagonizing Todoroki, liked seeing if he could get the bastard to show emotion, even if it was negative emotions, this didnât⊠this didnât make him feel good. The emotion he hadnât been able to describe twisted in his gut, making his chest hurt in a way that it never had before. He wanted to get Todoroki riled up, itâs why he talked to him the way he did, the way he purposely tried to push the bastardâs buttons, that was his end goal. He wanted to see Todoroki show some sort of emotion, any sort of emotion.
So why did that make him feel so shitty?
Getting what he wanted never made him feel bad in the past. It was a point of pride for him that he basically always got what he wanted, that heâd earned what heâd wanted. Katsuki was always so sure of himself, he always knew what he wanted, and he did everything he could to get it.
Was this⊠actually what he wanted? Somehow, he didnât think so. Which never happened, Katsuki always knew what he wanted, and he never regretted anything. (Well, he regretted a few things but he never let himself think about them so that was basically the same thing.) But the more the silence of the room echoed in his ears, the more he regretted saying any of those things, and not just because heâd lost the hand that had been keeping his headache at a somewhat manageable level. The icepick in his head only seemed to make his actions seem worse, and Katsuki did not like that. Even though he knew he was an asshole with no filter, and no intent on getting one, this felt like heâd gone too far. Heâd gone too far a couple of times in his life, and this felt worse than all of them.
With the door closed, heat was starting to build up in his room, and the blanket that he still didnât know how he got was kicked around to his legs. His hand flopped around to his nightstand, opening the drawer and grabbing the remote for his ac unit. He turned it down several degrees, and didnât have the energy to put it back. His hand just fell to his bed, and his eyes closed on their own accord. Even though heâd wanted to stay up to spite Todoroki, despite the fact that he couldnât remember why anymore, his body just started to shut down on its own. At least sleep would be a reprieve from the overwhelming pain in his chest and his head, so he surrendered to the thick haze of sleep and hoped heâd wake up without this agony.
Blood. Blood and screams and death and fear. Katsuki spun around, lost and scared, wanting to run but unsure of where he could run to. Screams rang in his ears from all directions, each one different yet full of the same agony. Each one echoed their pain into his heart, overwhelming him with emotions he couldnât handle. Unable to take anymore, his legs took off running without thinking, his chest heaving as the torturous screams pierced his chest.
He skidded to a stop as an image flashed in his mind, his own scream blending into the background. Dekuâs body was still crackling with energy, his green lightning dying as Deku lay still. His arms and legs were both black, bent in horrific ways, and Katsukiâs stomach lurched as his gaze finally landed on Dekuâs chest. His ribs had pierced through his skin, his chest cavity a mess of blood and bone, surprise still written on Dekuâs lax face, his green eyes dull and lifeless. Again, Katsukiâs legs took off without his consent, tears streaming down Katsukiâs face as nausea built in his stomach.
His arms flailed as he slipped on something wet and sticky, crashing into some sort of small building. Looking up, Katsuki screamed again, seeing Kirishima spread eagle across the top, his head hanging down, his neck brutally slit open, dripping blood into the fiery red hair he was so famous for. Katsuki slipped again in his haste to get up, realizing with a sickening jolt that he was slipping on Kirishimaâs blood.
âMake it stop.â Katsuki sobbed. âMake it stop.â
He finally got up again, only to freeze in place. In front of him was Ashido, lying in a heap, her neck bone protruding from her skin as her head twisted the other way. As more and more tears spilled down his cheeks, he turned and turned and turned. Jirou, her own earphones wrapped around her red, raw neck. Sero hanging from his own tape, his limp hands still stuck from trying to free himself. Kaminariâs head soaked, water still dripping from his motionless mouth. His world began to spin, and he crashed to the ground, curling into a ball.
âMake it stop.â Katsuki covered his ears and shut his eyes, trying to block it all out. âPlease, make it stop.â
The world went silent.
Katsuki warily opened his eyes. Vast ground filled only with empty space. He was too scared to try and speak, terrified that the death and screams and blood would come back. No matter where he looked, all he found was emptiness until he came across Todoroki, laying on the ground too, facing away from him.
He crawled over hesitantly, his mouth moving to speak Todorokiâs name but his vocal cords refused to make any noise. Katsukiâs hand hovered over Todorokiâs body for a moment, not seeing anything on his red side. Maybe he was just unconscious? His hand finally landed on Todorokiâs arm, frowning as it was cool. No, no, his red was his fire side, he shouldâve been warm. His hand jerked as he pulled it back, causing Todoroki to roll over.
Katsuki screamed again, his voice laden with agony as Todorokiâs head lolled to the side. His white side had completely disappeared, charred to ash, his skin covered in burns matching the scar on his face. He cowered away, his hands dragging him away from Todorokiâs dead body. He slipped again, curling back into a ball, sobbing.
Everyone he had ever cared about was gone, and Katsuki was alone. Emptiness beat in his ears, the silence louder than any of the screams had been. His sobs echoed across the vastness, his breath the only other sound. He longed for his friends, wanted someone to still be with him, to tell him that everything was going to be okay. That he would have more than himself to keep him company, to make him smile just a little, to make him let out a breathy laugh. To watch with amusement as they did something stupid, being far too noticeable when he was socially awkward with his stupid confused face, silently sitting with him when they knew he wanted company but couldnât take any more noise. Grabbing him in one arm hugs, ruffling his hair and dodging when he swatted at them, squishing him when they were all crammed together in too small of a space to fit all of them. He wanted that back, he wanted them back so badly, heâd do anything.
âAnything, huh?â The back of his neck burned, and he was lifted off the ground. He writhed in the grip, sludge rising from the ground to latch onto his body, forcing him into submission.
âNo, no, please, stop!â Katsuki wailed, the sludge only growing stronger, binding his body in muck. The heat on the back of his neck increased, and another hand forced his head forward, his eyes only able to focus on Todorokiâs lifeless body. âNot like this, not like this!â
âAw, I thought you said âanythingâ.â The voice taunted. âDonât you love them? Wouldnât you do anything for them? You know we have an offer for you, you remember our last one.â
âCanât.â Katsuki wanted to shake his head, but the grip was too strong. âWonât betray them.â
âThen die with them.â
Katsuki couldnât move, his entire body now encased in the sludge, could barely talk as the goo began to tease at going in his mouth and down his throat.Â
âNot again.â Katsuki gasped, feeling the horrid taste of the sludge as it crept slowly, maliciously, into his mouth. âPlease not again.â
A mocking laugh, and then the sludge forced itself down his throat, cutting off his air. Katsuki panicked, writhing with great strength, but useless, so uselessly. The world spun one last time as he grew dizzy from hypoxia, and he fell into darkness with taunting laughter echoing around him.
Katsuki jolted up in bed, a silent scream on his lips. His eyes rolled at the heat of his room, just as dizzy as he was in his fever induced nightmare, practically seeing the waves of heat energy radiating from his furniture, his walls. He had to cool down. If he didnât cool down, he thought he was going to die, his body melting into his bed.
His room had a shower. The door was right there. He just had to get there, the water could cool him down. He pushed himself up, his arms too shaky to hold him for long. Maneuvering his body was like trying to walk straight in a gyroscope. He stepped forward with his left foot, shaking as he stood, desperately trying to go forward. His right foot was next, but it was still tangled up in the blanket of unknown origin. He tried to pull it free, but another strong bout of dizziness sent him tumbling to the floor.
The world faded in and out as he lay on the floor, his arms trying to push himself up, but he crashed back down every time. He just didnât have the strength to get up, the attempts draining what little he had until he just gave up. His vision flickered in and out, his sweat soaking into his carpet, his heart carrying agony all over his body, igniting each nerve with a bonfire, his head pounding like a thunderstormâs rage.
âSorry to disturb youâŠâ
âEh, no worries, Todoroki. If Bakubro needs me, then Iâm there, no matter what.â
Even though the door was closed, Katsuki could still hear the voices through it. The dorm walls carried sound better than any speaker.
His door quietly creaked open, driving another spike of pain into his head. âBakugou? Hey man, are you- oh shit!â
Light blinded him for a moment, before he felt a cold arm heave him up, cradling him in iciness. He whimpered, the sudden shock of frigidity making him wince. A warmer hand came to his forehead before jerking back with a hiss.
âHeâs burning up.â Kirishima gasped, cursing again.
âKirishima, get Recovery Girl.â Todoroki ordered, taking charge of the situation. âIâm gonna try to cool him down.â
Kirishima nodded, his face set in his âserious modeâ. His best friend shouldâve been a comfort, but seeing Kirishimaâs frown and furrowed brow just made him a little scared. Kirishima was one of the smiliest people heâd ever met, and Katsuki always told him that his face would get stuck like that. It was always laughed off, bringing out that same smile, which always made Katsuki roll his eyes. But he still liked seeing it, and when it was missing, Katsuki didnât like it, not one bit.
âDonât use your quirk, use his shower.â Kirishima said, standing. âAnything lower than room temperature is too cold, youâll send him into shock.â
Todoroki just nodded, and Katsuki wondered if heâd already known that, or if his temperature regulation thing kept him from getting fevers. Kirishima bolted out the door, his steps thudding down the hall then the stairs.
Another arm came to his knees, and he was lifted into the air. His vision swirled again, able to tell he was moving but unable to process anything else. His legs were gently placed on the ground, but then the sound of a massive waterfall assaulted him and he turned back into the soft, wintry physique. But then he was pulled away from it, and he didnât know whether that felt good or bad. The waterfall then disappeared, and he saw that Todoroki had switched the tap to shower.
The arm came back to his knees, and another dizzying bit of motion finished with water pelting at him, as he was pressed against something that didnât feel hot or cold. Even though the water droplets were needle-sharp, they were cool, and Katsuki sank into it, feeling the water soothe the bonfire under his skin. He wasnât sure how long he was under the spray before his mind finally cleared enough to focus on his surroundings. Katsuki was laying against Todoroki, who was holding him up by his waist, in Katsukiâs shower. Katsuki decided to be embarrassed about this later, when he didnât feel so shitty and when Todoroki wasnât keeping him from drowning in his own shower.
ââroki?â Katsuki groaned, his voice weak and quiet. But thankfully Todoroki still heard him.
âYes, Bakugou?â
âI donâ feel so good.â Katsuki said, looking up at Todoroki. He mustâve looked like a drowned cat, his hair soaked and stuck to his forehead, his clothes soaked to the skin, his skin showing through his white tank top, Katsuki didnât think heâd ever looked so pathetic in his life.
âNo shit.â Todoroki muttered grumpily. âYou couldnât have said that a few hours ago?â
Katsuki ducked his head a little, his cheeks were already flushed but the pink got a little stronger. âCouldnât. Canât be weak. Specially not in front of you.â
That made Todoroki pause, and then meet his eye again. âMe?â
Katsuki nodded shakily.
âWhy?â Todoroki breathed, the shower louder than both of their voices.
âBecause⊠youâre so strong.â Katsuki mumbled, the fever that still raged within him loosening his tongue. If he were coherent, heâd rather be caught dead than saying shit like this, but he was still so hot and the water felt so good and his mind felt so worn thin that he just kept talking. âNoticed the first day I saw you. Never met anyone like you. Stronger than me. Pissed me off.â
Todoroki scoffed. âOf course it would.â a sigh. âBut why would that mean you canât be âweakâ around me?â
âWeakness doesnât get notice. âN like that. Wanted notice.â
There was another beat of silence. Katsuki turned his head into Todorokiâs cooler side, using him as an ice pack for his still aching head.
âAre you saying that you thought I wouldnât notice you if I thought you were weak?â Todoroki murmured, his voice low and uncertain.
His body was starting to get wracked with tremors, but he managed a nod through it. He couldnât tell if he was shivering or shaking, just feeling his body vibrate, and the bonfire inside him was starting to win the battle against the water. His body went limp as the fire began to consume him, his eyes rolling around in his head.
âI, I⊠Bakugou? Bakugou, whatâs wrong? Bakugou!â Todorokiâs voice jumped in emotion, in worry, but Katsuki could no longer differentiate the emotions. Todoroki was little more than a red and white blur now, Katsukiâs world spinning faster than a top, black spots dotting his vision, growing larger with each rotation. His mind lost all sense of reality, darkness swirling around him like a maelstrom. Voices again rang in his ears, but he couldnât distinguish one from another.
â-hear me? Bakugou, can you hear me?â
âHe was talking a minute ago, butâŠâ
â-unresponsive -get him to the infirmary- covery girl can- hurryâŠâ
Someone grabbed his arms, hauling him into the air, and the sudden movement had him blacking out entirely, falling into the black hole the maelstrom had created.
~~
Consciousness was murky, muddying his perception into something unintelligible as he slipped in and out of the darkness always on the edge of his mind. He wasnât sure how long it took for his mind to clear, but the longer time went on, he sluggishly began to become more aware of his surroundings. He discovered new pain in his hand, but the agony in his head had subsided a great deal, though it wasnât entirely gone. He was laying on something familiar but uncomfortable, his body propped up against it. To his immense relief, he found that he wasnât on fire for the first time in what felt like days.Â
Dazedly, he opened his eyes, immediately squinting at the bright overhead lights. It took him a minute to adjust, but the light didnât increase his headache much, so he managed easily enough. White walls came into focus, along with cool, white sheets on the bed he couldnât remember getting in, with a light blue canvas on his chest. He pulled lightly at it, confused, and pulled his hand up to his vision. No wonder it hurt, there was an IV stabbed through his hand, drawing out a noise of discomfort. He felt like he hadnât slept in years, his mind struggling to keep up with the world around him.
Footsteps had his head immediately turning, his instincts sharper than any discombobulation, and he made another discovery, movement didnât make him dizzy anymore. But that didnât answer the question of what had happened, but the old woman walking towards him at least contributed to it. He knew this room, this was the infirmary, but he couldnât remember how he got here.
âAh, young Bakugou, I was wondering when youâd come back to us.â The old bat said, sounding far too cheerful.
He frowned at her, trying and failing to process her words in time as Recovery Girl walked up to his bed. His head still swam in uncertainty, cognizance lagging out like one of his friendsâ video games. She stood on one of her little step-stools, coming up to his level, patting his hand gently before putting something uncomfortable in his ear. He groaned, attempting to turn away, but she cupped his cheek, gently but firmly keeping him in place.
âKeep still, itâs alright.â Her voice was as gentle as her hand, but that didnât soothe him much. âJust a few seconds more.â
A quiet beeping and she kept her word. â38.44 (101.2). Much better, considering you came in at 40.5 (104.9). Any higher and you mightâve had permanent brain damage.â
Oh shit. That was bad. That was very bad. A brief flash of fear ran up his spine, a spike of anxiety panging in his stomach.
âWhaâ happân?â Katsuki asked, his voice hoarse from disuse.
âA stress fever.â She replied, handing him a little paper cup of water. His hand was shaking a little as he took it, but he kept her help to a minimum. âUnsurprising, considering the amount of stress you all are under, you especially. Normally, theyâre not an issue, and they fade rather quickly, but youâre a special case. As you know, your sweat canât cool you down like most people so youâre easily affected by fevers. Since you didnât come to me, or do anything to reduce it, your fever just worsened and worsened until your body couldnât take it anymore. Youâre very lucky that Todoroki and Kirishima found you when they did.â
Jumbled memories came to the forefront of his mind, of Kirishimaâs voice in his room, a hand on his forehead, of Todoroki carrying him, holding him as they lay in the shower. Fuck, that was embarrassing, and the chastising Recovery Girl was giving just made him feel even worse.
âDidnât notice.â He said, needing to defend himself, his pride leaving him unable to do anything less. After all, it wasnât like heâd done this on purpose. He may hate being in this damn room, but he wasnât stupid enough to not seek medical help when he was seriously sick. He just honestly hadnât noticed something was wrong until it was too late. Heâd dealt with plenty of hot and uncomfortable days before so he thought yesterday had been no different. âNot til afâr dinner. Donât get sick.â
âYes, young Midoriya said that.â Recovery Girl sighed. âAs did your parents when I called them. They said since theyâre currently in Madrid, theyâd do their best, but the flight home is rather long, even without layovers. Hopefully, by the time they do get here, youâll be fever free.â
Well, his day just got a lot worse. Katsuki hated it when his parents had to pick him up from school. He didnât need his parents to come and fuss over him, he wasnât a baby.
His unhappiness mustâve shown on his face, since Recovery Girl just tutted at him. âGive them a break, you gave them quite a scare. Youâve gotten very good at that.â
Katsuki huffed, definitely not pouting.
âReally, I shouldâve expected something like this to happen.â She muttered. He cocked his head in confusion. âItâs been a week since Iâve had one of you in here, and if someone from 1A isnât in here, something is very wrong.â
He had to admit, that seemed like solid logic. He was classmates with the biggest dumbasses heâd ever met, and they were all klutzy and accident prone, and that was off the battlefield.
âSpeaking of your classmates,â ah hell, what do those idiots want now? âwhen youâre feeling up to it, youâll have plenty of visitors.â
Oh fuck no, he was not doing that. His classmates were so emotional, crying and pitying and all sorts of terrible shit he hated being around. He got uncomfortable when one of his friends was upset, he couldnât take the whole class. Leaving before Recovery Girl said he could sounded like a much better option. Heâd rather get yelled at than deal with all of his dumbasses.
âTry to get out of this bed and Iâll sedate you.â Recovery Girl said bluntly. Katsuki deflated, miserably becoming resigned to his fate. Obviously, this was just going to be one of the shittiest days of his life and he couldnât do anything about it.
âIâll keep them from overwhelming you.â She said sympathetically, patting his hand again, and that was at least something. Normally, he wouldâve snapped that he didnât need her pity, but he could tell it wasnât pity. He didnât quite know what it was, but anything was better than pity. âBut for right now, you should get some sleep. Let your bodyâs natural processes heal you. Iâd much rather have your body heal itself, I donât like how high a dosage of fever reducer I have to give you to help you fight this. I want to take you off that as soon as I can.â
Ah, that explained the IV, and why his mind wasnât working right. Heâd seen his idiot friends on too much cold medicine before, heâd just never experienced it himself until now. It was a lot more disconcerting than he wouldâve thought. Next time, heâd have to watch more closely when one of his idiots got sick, this fucking sucked.
Sleep did sound like a fantastic idea, though. Keeping up with this conversation was taking far too much energy than it shouldâve, and Katsuki was just fucking done. Even better, if he slept the rest of the day away, he could avoid all of the extras and idiots who wanted to âvisitâ him and annoy him with their presence. The medication was no doubt keeping his spite under control, as when Recovery Girl stepped down to do other shit he didnât give a fuck about, he could just close his eyes and let the exhaustion that been on the edge of his mind since he woke up take him without much resistance.
When the Past Comes Calling, I Can't Breathe
Day 1 Panic Attack, Day 2 Trust Issues, Day 11 Loneliness, Day 13 Team as Family, Day 14 Left for Dead, Day 15 Childhood Trauma, Day 28 Exposure
When an old "friend" of Katsuki's resurfaces, he tries hard to keep that sludge villain incident a secret from his squad. Unfortunately, it's harder said than done.
Class 1-A had been kept inside of UAâs walls for a while, and as soon as they were given the greenlight to finally go out again now that they all had their provisional licenses, Katsukiâs extras roped him into a trip to the arcade. He hadnât wanted to go with them, but one of the conditions Aizawa-sensei had set was they had to go in groups, and his extras were some of the few in their class that Katsuki could stand, so he was left with little choice. The allure of going outside and not having people stare at him or whisper about him just out of earshot was worth dealing with his extras being overly excited and overdramatic for a little while. Theyâd gone back to their system of having one person choose their destination, as they had done before the dorm system, and it was Seroâs turn. Heâd chosen to go to the arcade, and Katsuki figured at least heâd have some fun wiping the floor with his extras at all the games.
Somehow, the day had actually been going rather smoothly, as they hadnât gotten kicked out yet, they hadnât broken anything in their enthusiasm, and the only time they air hockey puck went off of the table, which surprisingly hadnât been his fault, no one had gotten hurt. Katsuki had actually smiled a couple of times after watching his extras play, and seeing their disappointed faces whenever he won. He really shouldâve known better than to trust and let his guard down a little thinking it would just be a simple day with his extras. His life was never that easy anymore.
âHey, Katsuki. Long time no see.â
Katsuki went completely still, his heart beginning to pound in his chest as a voice he hadnât heard in months drifted back into his ears.
âCome on, Katsuki, donât ignore me. Weâve been friends for too long for that.â
Katsukiâs temper flared at that, feeling like he wanted to tear the bastardâs face off, but he tried his best to keep his anger under control. His fists however seemed to have different ideas, and he only noticed heâd been crushing his cup when soda started to spill down his hand.
He took a shaky, deep breath, turned towards the bastard, and said, âI have no idea who you are. Leave me alone.â Then he turned to his extras, who had mercifully been very absorbed in the shooting game theyâd been playing, and just muttered, âIâm getting another drink.â
His extras acknowledged him briefly, and he stormed off to the nearest trash can, hoping that the damn bastard would get the hint and leave him alone. But it seemed the bastard was just as stupid as he was in middle school, and followed him.
âDonât be such an asshole, Katsuki. Just because I didnât end up going to UA doesnât mean you can ignore me now.â
Katsuki whirled around, facing Koshinuke, his heart still pounding in his chest from anger and an emotion he was trying to smother with anger. He wanted to scream in this fuckerâs face, he wanted to tear his throat out, but he couldnât, that would draw too much attention, so he just settled on a low growl filled with hatred. âI told you, I donât know who you are, leave me alone.â
Koshinuke rolled his eyes, and lightly glared at him. âYou canât just pretend you donât know me, asshole. Come on, weâve been friends for years, and suddenly when you get into UA, you just block everyone and drop off the face of the planet? Not cool, man.â
Katsukiâs hand clenched even harder on the paper cup, and he threw it into the trash can as hard as he could, some drops of soda still spilling down his hand. âI wonât tell you again, leave me the fuck alone.â
âWhat? Are you afraid to be seen with me with your big shot UA friends, or something?â Koshinuke asked presumptuously. âYou canât just ignore the past.â
Katsukiâs eyes widened as keeping his temper under control became even harder. Middle school Katsuki probably wouldâve blown him up, but he didnât want to ruin today for his extras, theyâd been so restless and antsy being kept inside the dorms all the time. If he used his quirk, theyâd get kicked out and he just couldnât do that to his extras.
âYou have no right to bring up the past with me, you selfish bastard.â Katsuki hissed, his voice full of venom. âYou ever think I fucking blocked you because I didnât want to fucking talk to you ever again after what you did to me?â
Koshinuke scoffed. âSeriously, dude, are you still mad about that? That was forever ago.â
âTime makes no goddamn difference, you abandoned me to that thing.â Katsuki growled, some of his emotions leaking into his voice.
âWe knew youâd be okay.â Koshinuke dismissed. âYouâre Bakugou Katsuki, you can do anything. You always said you could.â
âDonât throw my own fucking words back in my face, you traitorous bastard!â Katsukiâs heart was beating so loud, everyone in this arcade shouldâve been able to hear it, and he didnât think it was only from righteous anger.
âUgh, why are you still so mad about that, Katsuki?â Koshinuke sighed as if Katsuki was annoying him. âYouâre fine now. You got into UA, youâre becoming a hero, everything you always said youâd do, you did. Itâs not like it really did anything to you.â
âThatâs not the goddamn point.â Katsuki sneered. âAnd stop calling me Katsuki, you lost that right a long time ago.â
âWhy are you being so sensitive, dude?â Koshinuke groaned. âI swear, youâre sounding like pathetic Deku or something.â
Katsuki had never wanted to punch someone in the face so badly in his life. His body was trembling with anger, his heart was beating out of his chest, and his fingernails were digging into his palms as he tried his best to keep his anger under control.
â You left me there to die. â Katsuki whispered out, his voice gravelly and rough as his throat closed as he spoke.
âThis guy bothering you, man?â Katsuki was startled to hear Kirishima, but his extras were suddenly behind him, looking mildly upset. They must have finished their game and gone looking for him when he hadnât returned.
âWeâre old friends from middle school.â Koshinuke said, smiling in a way that made Katsuki want to stab him in the eye.
âNo weâre not.â Katsuki stated flatly. âAnd yes, he is bothering me. I told him to leave me alone, get him out of my sight before I blow this whole damn building.â
The words had thankfully come out like an order, but there had been an inflection in his voice he hadnât wanted. He just hoped his extras chalked it up to him being ridiculously angry.
âYou heard him, beat it.â Kaminari said, looking as serious as he could be. In any other situation, Katsuki wouldâve found it hilarious. âKacchan doesnât want you around.â
âYeah, leave us alone, dude.â Sero said. âWe donât want any drama, okay?
Koshinuke seemed affronted by his extras. âKatsuki, come on, weâre friends-â
âDonât make us get the security guard.â Kirishima interrupted, crossing his arms. âBakugou told you to leave him alone, I suggest you listen this time. Trust me, man, you donât want this fight.â
Koshinuke looked between his extras, still looking offended, but when all of his extras glared right back, moving closer to him as if to protect him, something theyâd started after Kamino, he finally backed off to Katsukiâs relief.
âFine, whatever, man. Guess youâre still the same asshole you always were.â Koshinuke scoffed, sneering at him. âHope you all enjoy being an assholeâs lapdog.â
Koshinuke put his hands in his pockets and stormed off. Katsuki was still trembling with anger, but hopefully his heart would calm down soon. He wasnât sure why it was beating so fast, it didnât usually, but he hadnât been this angry since Ground Beta.
âYou okay, dude? You seem really upset.â Kirishima said, placing his hand on Katsukiâs shoulder, which he immediately shrugged off.
âIâm fine. The fucker just wouldnât leave me alone.â Katsuki said, still glaring at the bastardâs back as he walked away. He held up his hand, which was still covered in sticky soda, and he just sighed in annoyance. âNeed to fucking wash my hands. Iâll be back.â
Before his extras could say anything, he stalked off the bathroom, trying to hide how his hands were shaking. He ran his hands under the cold water, scrubbing them intensely, and tried to push the interaction out of his mind. His breathing was coming faster and faster, and his heart was beating so hard in his chest it was painful. His wet hands then came to his throat, clawing at it as breathing suddenly became much, much harder than it should be.
Suppressed memories started to break through to his mindâs eye, flashing across his eyes and devastating them with his power. The sight of his shaking hands in the shower as he scrubbed his body raw trying to get rid of the feeling of sludge all over his body, his stomach rolling as he still felt disgusting no matter how hard he scrubbed. The panic that had been caused by the attack, the fires that had started, the way his quirk had turned from a defensive measure into an uncontrollable weapon for the villain. Coughing as much as he was breathing, feeling the villainâs sludge go down his throat, only being allowed to breathe on the villainâs terms. His friends staring in terror at the monstrosity swirling around him, his arm still outstretched as he silently begged for their help. Watching in horror as the people he thought were friends turned around and ran away from him, abandoning him to be at the villainâs mercy, letting his body get swallowed by the darkness he couldnât escape on his own.
Katsuki crashed to his knees, his soapy hands still clawing at his throat, his heart beating so hard it must be cracking his ribs. Up until that point, Katsuki had never felt so close to death, and now it felt like he was right back there, his body trembling and weakening from the inescapable power of the memories that seemed to be slowly killing him.
â-kugou! Bakugou! Katsuki!â A strange hand grasped his, holding it tightly.
Instinctively, Katsukiâs quirk went off, as if trying to protect himself from a threat he couldnât recognize. But the hand stayed, unaffected by his explosion, and another hand then cupped his cheek. Again, Katsukiâs hand came to the foreign feeling, setting off another firecracker. Again, the hand didnât pull away, and Katsuki didnât know why.
It took a little bit, but eventually Katsuki recognized a red blur, recognizing the color of Kirishimaâs hair anywhere. He blinked hard, just now realizing that he was crying and that was why he couldnât see, trying to focus on the sight of his friend to keep him grounded.
âYou can do it, Katsuki, just try to breathe with me, okay?â Kirishima said, pulling Katsukiâs hand to Kirishimaâs chest. He breathed in slowly, a soft voice besides them counting to four, and then breathed out as the voice counted to seven.
Breath slowly scraped through Katsukiâs lungs, his body still trembling as he tried his best to focus on his friends. The voice belonged to Mina, who wore the same worried expression that Kirishima did as Katsuki became dizzy from the lack of oxygen.
âMaybe we should call Aizawa-sensei.â He heard Sero whisper to Kirishima. âOr take him to the hospital, heâs not calming down.â
Katsuki whimpered as he shook his head quickly, as the thought of someone else seeing him like this made his skin crawl. He was still gasping for air, but he managed to whisper, âno hospitals.â
âKatsuki, youâre having a panic attack.â Kirishima said, still squeezing his hands. Ah, Kirishima had his quirk activated on his hands, thatâs why the explosions hadnât worked. As much as he didnât want to be touched right now, he was somewhat glad he hadnât hurt his friend. âI really think you need to go to the hospital.â
He shook his head again, his stomach twisting painfully, knowing that a trip to the hospital would only lead to negative outcomes. âPlease. No hospitals.â
Kirishima bit his lip with his shark teeth, and Katsuki saw the uncertainty in his friendsâ faces. The tiny part of his logical mind that wasnât being drowned out by panic told him he needed to calm down or his friends would take him to the hospital. While the panic was still strong, while his body still trembled, he tried to match the four-seven breathing pattern Kirishima and Mina had shown him. Encouraged by Katsukiâs attempts, Kirishima squeezed his hand again and started breathing deeply again, keeping Katsukiâs hand pressed against his chest.
Katsuki wasnât sure how long it took, but eventually his breathing finally calmed down to meet the four-seven pattern his friends were giving him. The dizziness that had sent his stomach rolling finally calmed down, and while stray tears were still streaming down his cheeks, he could finally breathe again, letting him think clearly.
âYou back with us, Bakugou?â Kirishimaâs voice was barely a whisper, as if afraid to set him off again.
Katsuki wanted to shove his friends away, to scream at them to leave him alone, but he didnât have the strength to. Instead he just nodded, still panting.
âAre you okay, Kacchan?â Kaminari asked, and Katsuki just glared at him. He nodded, grimacing. âYeah, got it, stupid question, shutting up.â
âOkay, what the hell just happened?â Mina asked, staring at him with her raccoon eyes, emotion shining within them.
ââTs nothing.â Katsuki muttered.
âBullshit, you donât have panic attacks for nothing.â Kirishima said, and he wondered when his friends had gotten so good at calling him out. âCome on, dude, you gotta tell us what happened. Weâre your friends. Did that guy hurt you or something?â
Katsuki shook his head, and thought for a moment. His extras were like dogs with bones, once they were on the trail of something, they never let it go. He hated revealing any weaknesses to anyone, but he supposed they had just talked him down from a panic attack, and theyâd want to âhelpâ him. But since he still didnât want to talk, his still shaking hand felt around for his phone for a moment, and then pulled it out. He searched up the story, as he knew it had made the news, and then held his phone out for them to read.
His friends looked confused, but they took the phone from him. All of his friends crowded around so they could all read the article.
âAll Might defeats sludge type villain⊠hey wait a minute I remember this, it was on the news.â Sero said, staring at the phone with a puzzled expression before his eyes went wide and his voice became incredulous. âWait a minute, that was you? â
Katsuki just nodded curtly.
âOh my god, this is about you? â Mina said, gesturing to the article. âYou were the one that heâŠâ
Katsuki nodded again.
His friendsâ faces went white and he looked down at the floor, unable to take the emotions in their eyes. Kirishima squeezed his hand again, disarming his quirk so he just felt his friendâs calloused skin.
âDude, Iâm so sorry- I, I mean,â Kirishima sputtered, âWeâre glad youâre okay.â
âAre⊠you okay?â Kaminari asked hesitantly.
Katsuki nodded again, even if his body was still trembling and the occasional tear still ran down his cheek.
âWhy didnât you tell us?â Kirishima said, his voice sounding far too sincere for Katsuki to handle. âWeâre your friends, you can tell us stuff like this. Weâre here to support you.â
Katsuki glared at Kirishima. âIt was none of your business.â
Kirishima winced as if heâd been expecting that answer.
âBut⊠wait a minute.â Sero said. âIf this happened because you got attacked by a villain, then⊠what does that guy have to do with it?â
Katsuki squirmed a little uncomfortably. âJust drop it, okay? This has nothing to do with you. Itâs none of your business.â
That got him looks from all of his friends.
âBakugou, weâre your friends.â Kirishima said. âWhen some random asshole hurts you, weâre here to help you. We care about you.â
âBesides, it kinda became our business when we needed to talk you down from a panic attack.â Sero said plainly.
âYeah. So stop being mister stoic and secretive and emotionally repressed for a little bit, okay?â Mina added. âJust talk to us.â
âIâm not emotionally repressed.â Katsuki murmured petulantly.
âKacchan, youâre the king of being emotionally repressed.â Kaminari deadpanned. âCome on, man. We- we need to know why we need to beat up that guy if we ever see him again.â
That got Katsuki to snort, chuckling a little at his friendâs idiocy. Katsuki took a deep breath and sighed. His stomach was still twisting painfully, but his heart was at least calming a little being surrounded by his friends. There was still a part of him that wanted to scrub his skin raw again, but it was calming down the longer his friendsâ spent hovering over him.
âI⊠was walking home like I always did. Was hanging out with that bastard and another idiot from middle school. We were⊠taking a shortcut, deciding what to do for the day. We⊠went into this alleyway, and then this wall of sludge came up from the sewers. Grabs me. And those two fucking cowards⊠they turned and ran at the first fucking sign of trouble. Left me to deal with it alone. I was fine, of course, All Might was right around the corner, it was nothing, but⊠I couldnât forgive them for just leaving me there. Havenât talked to them since.â
Katsuki kept his eyes on the ground, able to sense his friendsâ godawful pity in their eyes without needing to see it. His friends knew him well enough that that last bit of bravado was fake. He could tell by how hard Kirishima was squeezing his hand.
âThatâs so horrible.â Mina said, her voice wavering a little. âIâm so sorry that happened to you.â
âI told you, it was nothing!â Katsuki snapped.
âOh yeah, it was totally nothing.â Sero muttered, rolling his eyes and glaring at him. âIt was so nothing that you were sent into a panic attack just by seeing that asshole again.â
Katsuki matched his glare. Sero didnât back down.
âSo weâre totally actually beating them up if we ever see them again, right?â Kaminari asked, breaking the tension a little.
Katsuki breathed out a soft chuckle. âI donât need you to fight my battles.â
âWeâre not saying you need us to fight your battles.â Sero smirked. âWeâre just saying that if we ever see those guys again, theyâre just gonna accidentally get punched in the face a couple dozen times. No biggie.â
âYou donât have to do that.â Katsuki scoffed quietly.
âYeah, but trust me, we want to.â Kaminari said with a soft, idiotic smirk. âNo one abandons our Kacchan to die and gets away with it.â
Katukiâs eyes went wide, looking at Kaminari in shock. âWhat⊠did you just say?â
âOh um. When- when we were walking over to you after I kicked Seroâs ass-â
There was a soft interruption of âWe fucking tied! That last kill didnât count!â
A beat.
âAfter I finished kicking Seroâs ass, I um, kinda heard you say that he- that he left you for dead.â Kaminari said, obviously trying to be light despite the subject matter, trying to play it off as if it was nothing. âSo yeah, weâre gonna punch those guys, like, a lot. They fucking suck.â
Katsuki flushed red, unaware that his friends had heard that part of the conversation. Fuck. He opened his mouth to dismiss his own words, but he couldnât come up with anything that would actually work. Fuck.
Kirishima squeezed his hand again. âItâs okay, Bakugou. You donât have to say anything.â
Kirishima then let go of him and stood up. âI think we should all go home. Iâm kinda tired. What about you guys?â
âNo.â Katsuki said. âYou were all so excited to get out of the dorms for a little while. Iâm fine, letâs go back to playing.â
His legs were still shaking a little, but Katsuki managed to get himself up. His friends hovered over him a little, as if waiting to catch him if he fell. Katsuki held his head up, and looked them all in the eye. His friendsâ exchanged a couple of worried glances, but they eventually nodded, letting him not be held back by this as he wanted.
âYeah, sure, man.â Sero said. âI say Kami owes me a rematch from earlier, we fucking tied!â
Katsuki felt a tiny smile grace his lips, and then Kirishima slung an arm around Katsukiâs shoulder. This time, Katsuki let it stay a whole three seconds longer than he usually did.
When the Past Comes Calling, I Can't Breathe
Day 1 Panic Attack, Day 2 Trust Issues, Day 11 Loneliness, Day 13 Team as Family, Day 14 Left for Dead, Day 15 Childhood Trauma, Day 28 Exposure
When an old "friend" of Katsuki's resurfaces, he tries hard to keep that sludge villain incident a secret from his squad. Unfortunately, it's harder said than done.
Class 1-A had been kept inside of UAâs walls for a while, and as soon as they were given the greenlight to finally go out again now that they all had their provisional licenses, Katsukiâs extras roped him into a trip to the arcade. He hadnât wanted to go with them, but one of the conditions Aizawa-sensei had set was they had to go in groups, and his extras were some of the few in their class that Katsuki could stand, so he was left with little choice. The allure of going outside and not having people stare at him or whisper about him just out of earshot was worth dealing with his extras being overly excited and overdramatic for a little while. Theyâd gone back to their system of having one person choose their destination, as they had done before the dorm system, and it was Seroâs turn. Heâd chosen to go to the arcade, and Katsuki figured at least heâd have some fun wiping the floor with his extras at all the games.
Somehow, the day had actually been going rather smoothly, as they hadnât gotten kicked out yet, they hadnât broken anything in their enthusiasm, and the only time they air hockey puck went off of the table, which surprisingly hadnât been his fault, no one had gotten hurt. Katsuki had actually smiled a couple of times after watching his extras play, and seeing their disappointed faces whenever he won. He really shouldâve known better than to trust and let his guard down a little thinking it would just be a simple day with his extras. His life was never that easy anymore.
âHey, Katsuki. Long time no see.â
Katsuki went completely still, his heart beginning to pound in his chest as a voice he hadnât heard in months drifted back into his ears.
âCome on, Katsuki, donât ignore me. Weâve been friends for too long for that.â
Katsukiâs temper flared at that, feeling like he wanted to tear the bastardâs face off, but he tried his best to keep his anger under control. His fists however seemed to have different ideas, and he only noticed heâd been crushing his cup when soda started to spill down his hand.
He took a shaky, deep breath, turned towards the bastard, and said, âI have no idea who you are. Leave me alone.â Then he turned to his extras, who had mercifully been very absorbed in the shooting game theyâd been playing, and just muttered, âIâm getting another drink.â
His extras acknowledged him briefly, and he stormed off to the nearest trash can, hoping that the damn bastard would get the hint and leave him alone. But it seemed the bastard was just as stupid as he was in middle school, and followed him.
âDonât be such an asshole, Katsuki. Just because I didnât end up going to UA doesnât mean you can ignore me now.â
Katsuki whirled around, facing Koshinuke, his heart still pounding in his chest from anger and an emotion he was trying to smother with anger. He wanted to scream in this fuckerâs face, he wanted to tear his throat out, but he couldnât, that would draw too much attention, so he just settled on a low growl filled with hatred. âI told you, I donât know who you are, leave me alone.â
Koshinuke rolled his eyes, and lightly glared at him. âYou canât just pretend you donât know me, asshole. Come on, weâve been friends for years, and suddenly when you get into UA, you just block everyone and drop off the face of the planet? Not cool, man.â
Katsukiâs hand clenched even harder on the paper cup, and he threw it into the trash can as hard as he could, some drops of soda still spilling down his hand. âI wonât tell you again, leave me the fuck alone.â
âWhat? Are you afraid to be seen with me with your big shot UA friends, or something?â Koshinuke asked presumptuously. âYou canât just ignore the past.â
Katsukiâs eyes widened as keeping his temper under control became even harder. Middle school Katsuki probably wouldâve blown him up, but he didnât want to ruin today for his extras, theyâd been so restless and antsy being kept inside the dorms all the time. If he used his quirk, theyâd get kicked out and he just couldnât do that to his extras.
âYou have no right to bring up the past with me, you selfish bastard.â Katsuki hissed, his voice full of venom. âYou ever think I fucking blocked you because I didnât want to fucking talk to you ever again after what you did to me?â
Koshinuke scoffed. âSeriously, dude, are you still mad about that? That was forever ago.â
âTime makes no goddamn difference, you abandoned me to that thing.â Katsuki growled, some of his emotions leaking into his voice.
âWe knew youâd be okay.â Koshinuke dismissed. âYouâre Bakugou Katsuki, you can do anything. You always said you could.â
âDonât throw my own fucking words back in my face, you traitorous bastard!â Katsukiâs heart was beating so loud, everyone in this arcade shouldâve been able to hear it, and he didnât think it was only from righteous anger.
âUgh, why are you still so mad about that, Katsuki?â Koshinuke sighed as if Katsuki was annoying him. âYouâre fine now. You got into UA, youâre becoming a hero, everything you always said youâd do, you did. Itâs not like it really did anything to you.â
âThatâs not the goddamn point.â Katsuki sneered. âAnd stop calling me Katsuki, you lost that right a long time ago.â
âWhy are you being so sensitive, dude?â Koshinuke groaned. âI swear, youâre sounding like pathetic Deku or something.â
Katsuki had never wanted to punch someone in the face so badly in his life. His body was trembling with anger, his heart was beating out of his chest, and his fingernails were digging into his palms as he tried his best to keep his anger under control.
â You left me there to die. â Katsuki whispered out, his voice gravelly and rough as his throat closed as he spoke.
âThis guy bothering you, man?â Katsuki was startled to hear Kirishima, but his extras were suddenly behind him, looking mildly upset. They must have finished their game and gone looking for him when he hadnât returned.
âWeâre old friends from middle school.â Koshinuke said, smiling in a way that made Katsuki want to stab him in the eye.
âNo weâre not.â Katsuki stated flatly. âAnd yes, he is bothering me. I told him to leave me alone, get him out of my sight before I blow this whole damn building.â
The words had thankfully come out like an order, but there had been an inflection in his voice he hadnât wanted. He just hoped his extras chalked it up to him being ridiculously angry.
âYou heard him, beat it.â Kaminari said, looking as serious as he could be. In any other situation, Katsuki wouldâve found it hilarious. âKacchan doesnât want you around.â
âYeah, leave us alone, dude.â Sero said. âWe donât want any drama, okay?
Koshinuke seemed affronted by his extras. âKatsuki, come on, weâre friends-â
âDonât make us get the security guard.â Kirishima interrupted, crossing his arms. âBakugou told you to leave him alone, I suggest you listen this time. Trust me, man, you donât want this fight.â
Koshinuke looked between his extras, still looking offended, but when all of his extras glared right back, moving closer to him as if to protect him, something theyâd started after Kamino, he finally backed off to Katsukiâs relief.
âFine, whatever, man. Guess youâre still the same asshole you always were.â Koshinuke scoffed, sneering at him. âHope you all enjoy being an assholeâs lapdog.â
Koshinuke put his hands in his pockets and stormed off. Katsuki was still trembling with anger, but hopefully his heart would calm down soon. He wasnât sure why it was beating so fast, it didnât usually, but he hadnât been this angry since Ground Beta.
âYou okay, dude? You seem really upset.â Kirishima said, placing his hand on Katsukiâs shoulder, which he immediately shrugged off.
âIâm fine. The fucker just wouldnât leave me alone.â Katsuki said, still glaring at the bastardâs back as he walked away. He held up his hand, which was still covered in sticky soda, and he just sighed in annoyance. âNeed to fucking wash my hands. Iâll be back.â
Before his extras could say anything, he stalked off the bathroom, trying to hide how his hands were shaking. He ran his hands under the cold water, scrubbing them intensely, and tried to push the interaction out of his mind. His breathing was coming faster and faster, and his heart was beating so hard in his chest it was painful. His wet hands then came to his throat, clawing at it as breathing suddenly became much, much harder than it should be.
Suppressed memories started to break through to his mindâs eye, flashing across his eyes and devastating them with his power. The sight of his shaking hands in the shower as he scrubbed his body raw trying to get rid of the feeling of sludge all over his body, his stomach rolling as he still felt disgusting no matter how hard he scrubbed. The panic that had been caused by the attack, the fires that had started, the way his quirk had turned from a defensive measure into an uncontrollable weapon for the villain. Coughing as much as he was breathing, feeling the villainâs sludge go down his throat, only being allowed to breathe on the villainâs terms. His friends staring in terror at the monstrosity swirling around him, his arm still outstretched as he silently begged for their help. Watching in horror as the people he thought were friends turned around and ran away from him, abandoning him to be at the villainâs mercy, letting his body get swallowed by the darkness he couldnât escape on his own.
Katsuki crashed to his knees, his soapy hands still clawing at his throat, his heart beating so hard it must be cracking his ribs. Up until that point, Katsuki had never felt so close to death, and now it felt like he was right back there, his body trembling and weakening from the inescapable power of the memories that seemed to be slowly killing him.
â-kugou! Bakugou! Katsuki!â A strange hand grasped his, holding it tightly.
Instinctively, Katsukiâs quirk went off, as if trying to protect himself from a threat he couldnât recognize. But the hand stayed, unaffected by his explosion, and another hand then cupped his cheek. Again, Katsukiâs hand came to the foreign feeling, setting off another firecracker. Again, the hand didnât pull away, and Katsuki didnât know why.
It took a little bit, but eventually Katsuki recognized a red blur, recognizing the color of Kirishimaâs hair anywhere. He blinked hard, just now realizing that he was crying and that was why he couldnât see, trying to focus on the sight of his friend to keep him grounded.
âYou can do it, Katsuki, just try to breathe with me, okay?â Kirishima said, pulling Katsukiâs hand to Kirishimaâs chest. He breathed in slowly, a soft voice besides them counting to four, and then breathed out as the voice counted to seven.
Breath slowly scraped through Katsukiâs lungs, his body still trembling as he tried his best to focus on his friends. The voice belonged to Mina, who wore the same worried expression that Kirishima did as Katsuki became dizzy from the lack of oxygen.
âMaybe we should call Aizawa-sensei.â He heard Sero whisper to Kirishima. âOr take him to the hospital, heâs not calming down.â
Katsuki whimpered as he shook his head quickly, as the thought of someone else seeing him like this made his skin crawl. He was still gasping for air, but he managed to whisper, âno hospitals.â
âKatsuki, youâre having a panic attack.â Kirishima said, still squeezing his hands. Ah, Kirishima had his quirk activated on his hands, thatâs why the explosions hadnât worked. As much as he didnât want to be touched right now, he was somewhat glad he hadnât hurt his friend. âI really think you need to go to the hospital.â
He shook his head again, his stomach twisting painfully, knowing that a trip to the hospital would only lead to negative outcomes. âPlease. No hospitals.â
Kirishima bit his lip with his shark teeth, and Katsuki saw the uncertainty in his friendsâ faces. The tiny part of his logical mind that wasnât being drowned out by panic told him he needed to calm down or his friends would take him to the hospital. While the panic was still strong, while his body still trembled, he tried to match the four-seven breathing pattern Kirishima and Mina had shown him. Encouraged by Katsukiâs attempts, Kirishima squeezed his hand again and started breathing deeply again, keeping Katsukiâs hand pressed against his chest.
Katsuki wasnât sure how long it took, but eventually his breathing finally calmed down to meet the four-seven pattern his friends were giving him. The dizziness that had sent his stomach rolling finally calmed down, and while stray tears were still streaming down his cheeks, he could finally breathe again, letting him think clearly.
âYou back with us, Bakugou?â Kirishimaâs voice was barely a whisper, as if afraid to set him off again.
Katsuki wanted to shove his friends away, to scream at them to leave him alone, but he didnât have the strength to. Instead he just nodded, still panting.
âAre you okay, Kacchan?â Kaminari asked, and Katsuki just glared at him. He nodded, grimacing. âYeah, got it, stupid question, shutting up.â
âOkay, what the hell just happened?â Mina asked, staring at him with her raccoon eyes, emotion shining within them.
ââTs nothing.â Katsuki muttered.
âBullshit, you donât have panic attacks for nothing.â Kirishima said, and he wondered when his friends had gotten so good at calling him out. âCome on, dude, you gotta tell us what happened. Weâre your friends. Did that guy hurt you or something?â
Katsuki shook his head, and thought for a moment. His extras were like dogs with bones, once they were on the trail of something, they never let it go. He hated revealing any weaknesses to anyone, but he supposed they had just talked him down from a panic attack, and theyâd want to âhelpâ him. But since he still didnât want to talk, his still shaking hand felt around for his phone for a moment, and then pulled it out. He searched up the story, as he knew it had made the news, and then held his phone out for them to read.
His friends looked confused, but they took the phone from him. All of his friends crowded around so they could all read the article.
âAll Might defeats sludge type villain⊠hey wait a minute I remember this, it was on the news.â Sero said, staring at the phone with a puzzled expression before his eyes went wide and his voice became incredulous. âWait a minute, that was you? â
Katsuki just nodded curtly.
âOh my god, this is about you? â Mina said, gesturing to the article. âYou were the one that heâŠâ
Katsuki nodded again.
His friendsâ faces went white and he looked down at the floor, unable to take the emotions in their eyes. Kirishima squeezed his hand again, disarming his quirk so he just felt his friendâs calloused skin.
âDude, Iâm so sorry- I, I mean,â Kirishima sputtered, âWeâre glad youâre okay.â
âAre⊠you okay?â Kaminari asked hesitantly.
Katsuki nodded again, even if his body was still trembling and the occasional tear still ran down his cheek.
âWhy didnât you tell us?â Kirishima said, his voice sounding far too sincere for Katsuki to handle. âWeâre your friends, you can tell us stuff like this. Weâre here to support you.â
Katsuki glared at Kirishima. âIt was none of your business.â
Kirishima winced as if heâd been expecting that answer.
âBut⊠wait a minute.â Sero said. âIf this happened because you got attacked by a villain, then⊠what does that guy have to do with it?â
Katsuki squirmed a little uncomfortably. âJust drop it, okay? This has nothing to do with you. Itâs none of your business.â
That got him looks from all of his friends.
âBakugou, weâre your friends.â Kirishima said. âWhen some random asshole hurts you, weâre here to help you. We care about you.â
âBesides, it kinda became our business when we needed to talk you down from a panic attack.â Sero said plainly.
âYeah. So stop being mister stoic and secretive and emotionally repressed for a little bit, okay?â Mina added. âJust talk to us.â
âIâm not emotionally repressed.â Katsuki murmured petulantly.
âKacchan, youâre the king of being emotionally repressed.â Kaminari deadpanned. âCome on, man. We- we need to know why we need to beat up that guy if we ever see him again.â
That got Katsuki to snort, chuckling a little at his friendâs idiocy. Katsuki took a deep breath and sighed. His stomach was still twisting painfully, but his heart was at least calming a little being surrounded by his friends. There was still a part of him that wanted to scrub his skin raw again, but it was calming down the longer his friendsâ spent hovering over him.
âI⊠was walking home like I always did. Was hanging out with that bastard and another idiot from middle school. We were⊠taking a shortcut, deciding what to do for the day. We⊠went into this alleyway, and then this wall of sludge came up from the sewers. Grabs me. And those two fucking cowards⊠they turned and ran at the first fucking sign of trouble. Left me to deal with it alone. I was fine, of course, All Might was right around the corner, it was nothing, but⊠I couldnât forgive them for just leaving me there. Havenât talked to them since.â
Katsuki kept his eyes on the ground, able to sense his friendsâ godawful pity in their eyes without needing to see it. His friends knew him well enough that that last bit of bravado was fake. He could tell by how hard Kirishima was squeezing his hand.
âThatâs so horrible.â Mina said, her voice wavering a little. âIâm so sorry that happened to you.â
âI told you, it was nothing!â Katsuki snapped.
âOh yeah, it was totally nothing.â Sero muttered, rolling his eyes and glaring at him. âIt was so nothing that you were sent into a panic attack just by seeing that asshole again.â
Katsuki matched his glare. Sero didnât back down.
âSo weâre totally actually beating them up if we ever see them again, right?â Kaminari asked, breaking the tension a little.
Katsuki breathed out a soft chuckle. âI donât need you to fight my battles.â
âWeâre not saying you need us to fight your battles.â Sero smirked. âWeâre just saying that if we ever see those guys again, theyâre just gonna accidentally get punched in the face a couple dozen times. No biggie.â
âYou donât have to do that.â Katsuki scoffed quietly.
âYeah, but trust me, we want to.â Kaminari said with a soft, idiotic smirk. âNo one abandons our Kacchan to die and gets away with it.â
Katukiâs eyes went wide, looking at Kaminari in shock. âWhat⊠did you just say?â
âOh um. When- when we were walking over to you after I kicked Seroâs ass-â
There was a soft interruption of âWe fucking tied! That last kill didnât count!â
A beat.
âAfter I finished kicking Seroâs ass, I um, kinda heard you say that he- that he left you for dead.â Kaminari said, obviously trying to be light despite the subject matter, trying to play it off as if it was nothing. âSo yeah, weâre gonna punch those guys, like, a lot. They fucking suck.â
Katsuki flushed red, unaware that his friends had heard that part of the conversation. Fuck. He opened his mouth to dismiss his own words, but he couldnât come up with anything that would actually work. Fuck.
Kirishima squeezed his hand again. âItâs okay, Bakugou. You donât have to say anything.â
Kirishima then let go of him and stood up. âI think we should all go home. Iâm kinda tired. What about you guys?â
âNo.â Katsuki said. âYou were all so excited to get out of the dorms for a little while. Iâm fine, letâs go back to playing.â
His legs were still shaking a little, but Katsuki managed to get himself up. His friends hovered over him a little, as if waiting to catch him if he fell. Katsuki held his head up, and looked them all in the eye. His friendsâ exchanged a couple of worried glances, but they eventually nodded, letting him not be held back by this as he wanted.
âYeah, sure, man.â Sero said. âI say Kami owes me a rematch from earlier, we fucking tied!â
Katsuki felt a tiny smile grace his lips, and then Kirishima slung an arm around Katsukiâs shoulder. This time, Katsuki let it stay a whole three seconds longer than he usually did.
âWhat are you going to name her?â his sister Julieta asks him softly, the corners of her eyes crinkling in concern as she lays a hand on his arm. For a moment, his daughter quiets to stare up at him. Thereâs only one name that will fit her, that describes what she is to him. âMirabel,â Bruno croaks. âMirabel.â
Whumptober day 15 - Scars
My fifteenth fill for @whumptober2019â, involving the Avengers acting as a (dysfunctional) family and having a game night like no other. Also available on Ao3.
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It happened because of Bucky, to be honest. Bucky, his laundry list of issues, and his insecurities about his arm and (possibly even more so) the scarring around his shoulder.
His knock-off serum had taken care of all of his other scars, but this one was so bad, as well as constantly agitated by the metal arm, that it simply didn't heal. And it had become more than obvious that it was a source of discomfort for him, in a team that seemed relatively flawless.
Of course, Steve's serum meant that he had no scars to show. Natasha's knock-off of a knock-off meant that only the bad ones remained, which was why she had about three scars overall, and by now they all knew about them. Thor, as an Asgardian with a golden apple in him to keep him fit and flawless, had no true scars either. Bruce had lost all of his scars when he got the Hulk and, since he pretty much transformed the moment he got injured (or right before), gained no new ones either.
That still left three human members on the team, though. And together, they'd come up with a 'game' of sorts.
JARVIS had scanned all of their bodies for scars. They were allowed to take ones out of the equation that they didn't want to discuss, and Tony's Arc Reactor and its scarring were obvious and well-known enough that it was immediately disqualified. But other than that, there was a complete registry of their scars.
All of the others then got to see the registry and images of the particular scars, upon which they placed their bets. They guessed whether it was an accidental or violent cause for one point. Then there was a more specific cause that, if they got it right, counted for two points. Finally, they could guess a more complete backstory for it that could earn them three points if they got it correct, though everyone estimated that would be fairly rare, considering all of their lives.
Because he had the least scars, they'd started with Sam. Out of them all, he'd lived the most regular life so far, meaning it wasn't the most interesting round. Natasha, who was extremely good at guessing logical causes of injuries, beat all of them. It wasn't the most exciting round, but it was a good way of getting into the game, and it was obvious to see that Bucky was starting to relax a bit.
Then there was Clint, who had some interesting scars. Hilariously enough, Tony actually got the most points during this round because he'd guessed the most ridiculous backstories. And because this was Clint, they often turned out to be correct, to the amused horror of the others.
Finally, it was Tony's turn, and the others quickly found out that his scars were a bit of a minefield. The one that looked distinctly like a bullet wound had been caused by an engineering accident. The weirdly shaped one that everyone had guessed had been an engineering accident because what else could it be? had turned out to be from when he was kidnapped as a teenager and they'd tried to get information about SI from him.
He was telling them about one of his bigger scars, one that honestly looked like he'd been stabbed somehow, but which was apparently the result of one of his and Rhodey's adventures at MIT. Honestly, after this entire game, all of the other Avengers were more than convinced that, however well Rhodes pretended to be the one in possession of the single brain cell the two shared, there was no way either of them had more than half a brain cell during their entire time at MIT, and that half brain cell was used to pass their classes and nothing more.
Suddenly, just as Tony was detailing how they'd thought blowing up their experiment would somehow prove their theory, the unexpected happened. Hoped for, of course, but the sudden sound of Bucky's laughter still managed to surprise them all in the best way.
Tony grinned, though he didn't stop retelling the story. And if he added a few embellishments, well, who would blame him? If it made Bucky laugh like that, he'd make up a comedy routine if he had to. There'd been more than enough sadness in the guy's life - he deserved to be smiling.
Hereâs my attempt at contributing to Whumptober
Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Additional Tags: Self-Harm, Derealization, Angst, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Panic Attacks, Not sure if this could be considered graphic or not, But it is detailed so be warned, Whump, Actually I don't know if this can be classified as whump but I tried Series: Part 1 of The Nature of Dreams Summary:
It's a well known fact that you can't feel pain in your dreams. Legend would like to disagree.
Whumptober day 15: Makeshift bandages, suppressed suffering, "I'm fine"
Whumptober: Feed A Cold, Starve A Fever
It was getting colder. As the autumn months ended and faded into winter, the chill had gotten worse, and they had been needing to bundle up as much as they safely could and cut back on their time on the surface to avoid accidentally falling into hibernation.
Still, Leonardo sometimes went out solo. Not for long, of course, he wasnât stupid, just for brisk morning runs or to cool off after an argument. He made sure to put something warm on, he had told Donatello when he found out, who was very concerned about his winter outings.
Now, usually these went well. And sometimes they ended in him throwing himself at a gang harassing some poor person who was just trying to get home from a tiring nine to five job.
Sometimes, that ended in him getting shot in the leg and tied to a fence.
The oldest of the group cackled as Leonardo struggled with the bindings, mocking his situation. Every weapon he had was pushed against the opposite wall, out of his reach, so that he couldnât cut through the ropes even if he tried. Not just that, anything that was previously warm was thrown into the ground, half soaked in blood and frozen. He could already feel chill, sending shivers down his spine. Shoot.
âNot so tough now, are you?â One of them taunted, having the audacity to saunter closer and rest a gloved hand on his face.
Leonardo smirked, then bit them, hard.
With a sharp cry, they ripped their hand away, rubbing it and swearing under their breath before turning to glare at him.
"Shoulda muzzled the stupid thing tooâŠ" They muttered darkly, then tilted their head away from Leo. "C'mon, let's get out of here. If it's still alive when we get back, we'll make sure that it learns its lesson."
They were coming back? His beak wrinkled as they left. He didn't plan on sticking around long enough for them to do anything to him. A chain link fence rattled behind him as he pulled against the wrist ropes. He couldnât stay there long. The air was chilling more and more as nighttime approached, the dull oranges and midnight blues fading away into black. Leonardo knew what he was risking by staying out too long, they all did. Stupid turtle DNA.
His breath misted in the air in front of him, leaving a small cloud for a moment before it dissipated. That wasnât a good sign, that was-
There was the first snow of the season, of the month.
Shoot.
He was already getting sluggish, the ice falling off of him as soon as he struggled and kicked. He was getting weak, he wouldnât be able to make it home, not at this rate, and it was already dark-
There was a thin sheet of snow over him, occasionally disturbed by harsh shivers or sudden, jerky movements. When did that happen? How long had he been there, that it was beginning to gather like that? Peopleâs Christmas lights had already gone up, towards the beginning of December, and were now reflecting on glistening snow, vibrant reds and greens. He knew Michelangelo would like the way it looked. He would have to take him down here when this whole mess was over.
Right, stuck, tied to a fence. He couldnât risk letting himself be still for too long, who knew how long it would be before he slipped into hibernation. Leonardo tugged again at the ropes before they froze, leaning forward to try and snap them with his body weight, but only succeeded in putting himself in an uncomfortable situation.
Oh, he was really stuck. But he needed to get back to the others, before they started worrying, if they hadnât already. There was a bullet in his leg anyway, more vibrant red staining the snow, leaving him trembling harder as any left over heat left his body. Struggles began to cease, sleep tugging at his mind and trying to pull his eyelids shut.
A voice in the back of his mind called for him to rest, to close his eyes and not wake up until Spring. Leonardo really wished that his instinct would shut up for two minutes and let him be aware of his situation so that he could figure a way out.
But nooo, nothing could be easy for him, could it?
He was still slipping, he was still losing the ability to think and remember. Remember that he needed to stay awake and get home, that he had been shot and he might not be able to keep going if he closed his eyes, that he was risking not waking up. He hadnât been abandoned there, he hadnât.
He hadnât been abandoned, so maybe he could close his eyes for just a bitâŠ
%%%
âWhat the- Don, heâs over here!â
âOh my- Leo! Shoot, what were you thinking? You idiot!â
âIs he okay?â
âNo, Mikey. From the looks of it, heâs fallen asleep, which means he might be hibernating right now, pretty much. Heâs also really hot, so heâs definitely sick from the cold, considering how long he had to have been out here for this much snow to gather. Itâs like a blanket! Not to mention the bullet wound in his leg.â
âThat little- What was he thinking?â
âI donât know Raph, but we need to get him home now, before he freezes. Grab his things. Mikey, youâll help me get him down, I need to keep a close eye on him anyway.â
%%%
That idiot.
What was he thinking, heading out that early for a morning run? What if he had been left out in the open and somebody had seen him? They knew the risks of getting seen by a human. They would be taken, most likely experimented on, and then dissected to see what made them go âtickâ. Medical experimentation was not always done⊠Ethically.
Still, despite his worries, his brother was there, laying on that couch in a basking spot with a blanket, alive (although much less than well) and safe, for the most part. As safe as they could get. All they needed to do was get him out of hibernation, then see about his sickness afterwards.
The heat might have been too much. He was already feverish from staying out in the cold for God knows how long, and his temperature was rising by the minute. Raphael wasnât comfortable with leaving him there for long, considering how warm his older brother was getting.
Then, by some kind of miracle, he woke up. Leonardo started slow, blinking sleepily and looking around, dazed. He struggled with the blanket for a second, but managed to remove it without Raphaelâs help. Still, Raphael watched him for a long minute, making sure that he didnât need help with anything. Was that weird, to just watch him? He didnât think it was, they did that plenty.
âDon, heâs awake,â Raphael called and scooched just a tad closer even as Leonardo coughed into his elbow. To heck with sickness, he didnât care.
Closer, now, he could tell that the older of the two was shivering, even though he felt as though he were burning to the touch.
Fantastic, he really was sick.
Donatello came running, immediately looking Leonardo over and grabbing his cheeks in his hands, despite the quiet protests. After a long moment, he moved Leonardo out of the heated spot on the couch, into somewhere much cooler, and set the blanket beside him. Offering it, but not forcing it on him.
Leonardo trembled and coughed again. âHowâd you find me, anyway?â
âThereâs a tracker in your phone, Leo. Thereâs a tracker in everybodyâs phone.â
âOh.â
They left it at that, Donatello curling up next to Leonardo, before finally asking:
âWhat were you thinking? Iâve told you time and time again, we shouldnât go up as much when itâs cold out!â
Leonardo sneezed, and said nothing, head dipped in shame. Donatello wrinkled his beak, preparing to further his talk, but decided not to at the last minute.
Raphael bit his tongue to keep back a laugh. Leonardo, of all people, getting lectured? He never thought he would live to see the day, but there he was.
%%%
Later that night, Donatello discharged Leonardo to his own room. Told him to call him if he needed anything at all, and that he planned on checking on the bullet wound in the morning.
Leonardo, being Leonardo, agreed.
%%%
âThis is your fault, Leo!â
No, he- He thought he left those fears, long ago. He thought that after the mushrooms, it would be over!
âYou failed us!â
He- He didnât. He didnât. He didnât. Right? Right?
Still, Raphael stood above him, hollow eyes that would haunt anyone, a blade pushed between the cracks in Leonardoâs plastron. His bloody plastron, he noticed. They were definitely a gory sight, bleeding from almost everywhere, looking akin to zombies, and that was-
Not his blood.
Theirs.
Not his, theirs. Their blood, coating his scales, on his hands, everywhere, tinging the air copper. Something he never wanted to be around again.
And he wanted to cry. He wanted so badly to scream at them that he was trying his best, he couldnât do everything, but he knew, he knew: They were right. It was his job to keep them safe, as their brother and leader.
So when Raphael pushed the sword into his torso, Leonardo did not cry or beg for mercy. He only screamed as the burning pain laced its way into his very being, tearing his atoms apart, hot coals in his body-
Leonardo had dreamed screaming, he woke up screaming, hand over his plastron, still feeling that agony, that splitting agony that coursed through him and-
The shoji slid open, his family raced in- He disappointed them, they were going to hurt him, they were going to kill him-
Leonardo rolled out of bed, dizzy as it made him, and grabbed his katana, screaming at them.
âStay back!â he stumbled, fell back, and was distantly aware that he could have accidentally cut himself. That wasnât important though, what was was staying alive.
âHey, what the-â Raphael said- Leaning forward, a weapon in his hand, black eyes, disappointed, bloody. He was angry, Leonardo couldnât stop seeing it-
âWhatâs wrong with him, Don?â Michelangelo said. He sounded afraid, afraid of Leonardo but Leonardo should have been afraid of them, as wrong as it felt.
âI- I think itâs a fever dream?â Donatello moved forward, reaching out to grab him.
No, they all moved forward, he was going to die, going to die in that tiny space and it was his fault, his fault, his fault-
He had a sword, to Mikeyâs face, to the babyâs face, and still Michelangelo pleaded, voice soft from a bad attempt at soothing him. At his sides, Raphael and Donatello had circled around his sides to grab him, should the need arise, because he was about to hurt one of his own.
âOh,â Leonardo whispered as he dropped the sword, the clatter of metal against concrete too loud in his ears, âOh my God. Iâm so sorry-â
They didnât say anything at first. Good, he didnât want or deserve the condolences, but then-
"You're alright now, Leo. It was just a dream, nothing more, you donât have to apologize if you just put the sword down."
They still were worried for him, even after he tried to hurt them? What if he tried it again? What if the dreams came back? He would disappoint them, when they put so much faith in him-
Leonardo faintly remembers letting go of the other katana that he still had at his side. Heâd grabbed both in his panic, just in case one got away from him. The world was spinning, now, and thatâs not something the world was supposed to do.
âNo, no, I was-â he paused to cough, a harsh, wracking cough that made his chest hurt and it felt like there was sandpaper in his lungs, â-I was going to hurt you, Iâm sorry, Iâm sorry-â
He cut off, not because of his own guilt. There was something amiss, the world was still spinning, and that wasnât good, he should probably say something.
Raphael reached out.
Leonardo said something.
âBucket-â
Thankfully, they realized rather quickly what he meant, and there was a bucket in front of him. Pretty much completely empty, he ended up dry heaving, coughing afterwards. It still hurt, in his chest, his plastron, his whole torso, actually. But at least now the room wasnât tipping, even though they were all still looking at him like he was dying.
âSorryâŠâ He mumbled again, pushing it away and leaning back. The room felt suffocating with four people in it although there was barely anything to make it feel cluttered, so much open space that there shouldnât have been any crowding at all.
âMikey,â Donatello finally started, âMake him some tea. The peppermint stuff, weâre just gonna- Leave, for now-â
âNO!â The answer was sudden and Leonardo hated it, but he didnât want to be alone, not just then. âNo,â He corrected, âPlease, donât leave.â He thought he had escaped those fears a long time ago, but the truth was that they never left. They only faded over time, became less vivid so that when he woke up he never remembered them. Now, he was sick and most likely delirious. They were almost lucid. Almost.
Donatello shifted nervously. âAlright, the couch it is, I guess.â
Leonardo nodded and hopped onto his feet. Raphael grabbed his arm when he got unsteady, and the blue-banded turtle had to force himself not to pull away or start screaming. This was not one of his dreams. He was awake, they were all alive, he hadnât disappointed anyone yet.
They moved slowly, allowing him to limp and favor his injured leg, so that shortly after getting to the couch, Michelangelo had popped out of the kitchen, holding a warm cup of tea. It was promptly shoved into Leonardoâs hands as the youngest wormed between the two oldest, snuggling between them. Each started doing their own thing, not entirely what to do or say after that event, but that was fine by Leonardo, as long as he had them there with him and knowing that they were safe and alive.
Needed Reassurance|G|880 Words
Read on AO3
Fandom: 9-1-1
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Characters: Evan "Buck" Buckley, Eddie Diaz
Tags: Whumptober 2024, "I did good right?", Post-Tsunami (9-1-1), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Mentioned Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Pre-Relationship Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Insecure Evan "Buck" Buckley, Eddie Diaz Takes Care of Evan "Buck" Buckley, Tired Evan "Buck" Buckley, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, post-well collapse, Evan "Buck" Buckley Takes Care of Eddie Diaz, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Summary: One time Buck asks Eddie and one time Eddie asks Buck.
Whumptober 2024 Day 15: âI did good, right?â
Clothes Thievery|G|865 Words
Read on AO3
Fandom: 9-1-1
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Characters: Evan "Buck" Buckley, Eddie Diaz
Tags: Flufftober 2024, "What are you wearing?" "It's laundry day!", Established Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Mentioned Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), lazy day at home, Soft Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Soft Evan "Buck" Buckley, Soft Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Domestic Fluff, Domestic, Fluff
Summary: Eddie ran out of clothes that morning.
Flufftober 2024 Day 15: âWhat are you wearing?â âItâs laundry day!â
makeshift bandages / suppressed suffering / I'm fine (I donât need you to help me, I can handle things myself)
The sweater worked well as a makeshift bandage - the rich red color hid any blood that seeped out. It wasn't the only reason she wore it but it had certainly been useful as a tourniquet a few times since her revival.
The fabric chafed at the burns on her back but it was a better alternative than having those scorch marks visible to onlookers or exposed to the pollen-thick air of the Venusian city she was trying to escape.
Her hips and lower back still felt like they were on fire. She didn't want to get back to the Bebop and have to see in the mirror exactly what her skin looked like. If the pain was this bad, the flesh was no doubt beyond blistered.
Angrily drawing in a deep breath, hastily blinking back the tears that threatened, she tried to push all of the agony out of her mind. Suppress the suffering. Deny the vulnerability.
Judging by the carefully blank expression on Spike's face after he gave her a once over when she reached the ship⊠her efforts were not exactly succeeding. Then again, he was fairly perceptive and quite used to seeing her sweater looped over her arms and hanging loose, not knotted tightly across her waist.
He'd been gone on a different bounty when she'd left to tackle hers. Nothing unusual about that - they didn't team up often on small fries. Hell, they didn't often team up on high-dollar bounties either. Competition was a healthy thing, after all.
But maybe if he'd been there she wouldn't have been caught so close to the inferno as the building went up taking her measly bounty head with it.
Furious for the loss of cash as well as the sting of her overheated backside, she stalked down the hall towards the bathroom. Spike didn't bother trying to hide the sounds of his footsteps as he followed in her wake. For a bit she was able to pretend that he was simply headed to the couch for a nap but when he bypassed that comfortable piece of furniture his intent became clear.
Her temper flared.
"I'm fine." A lie. "I don't need you to help me. I can handle things myself."
He made a thoughtful noise. "Maybe I'm just trying to take a shower."
She snorted, stepping into the bathroom and attempted to shut the door in his face. A round-toed shoe blocked her effort. Giving up, she turned her back on him and began to gingerly peel her sweater from her body. Her jaw ached from how hard she had to clench her teeth to keep from whimpering at the surge of pain from tearing at the scabs that had formed in the time it took her to get back to the ship. She kept her eyes screwed shut to avoid crying.
"I'll give you some privacy to rinse off." Spike spoke from somewhere behind her. "Jet fixed that skin graft device. I'll track that down for ya." He was gone before she even had time to turn around.