Hellbound | Blue Exorcist/My Hero Academia Crossover

Chapter Twenty-Four: Reluctantly Friends

RIN'S P.O.V

I'm on fire. My body is burning in a pit of flame, and all I can do is lay here. My fingertips, swallowed up by smoke. My limbs, licked by blistering embers. Everything sears, and I can't even move. I'm stuck here, sprawled in hellfire, with no way to climb out of it. I need help. Why isn't anyone helping me? Why are they leaving me here to fall deeper and deeper into my demonic self? Is anyone even trying to save me?

It feels like this will go on forever. But then my eyes split apart. The first thing I see are fluorescent lights, blindingly white and vicious against my vision. Wincing and releasing a low groan, I ever so slowly let my poor eyesight adjust to the brightness, fingers twitching as my nerves come back to life. Thankfully, the burning sensation dies down, but nowhere near completely. Even when things feel vaguely normal, it's still there. Flickering in the back of my mind.

"Jeez, what took you so long? Talk about lazy." That voice. Gruff, grumbly, and filled with reluctant warmth. Bakugou. Well, Katsuki, apparently. I don't know why I felt the need to call him by his first name back there, but I guess I was desperate. Desperation makes you say and do weird things. I just let out a small breath, one that was supposed to be a chuckle, but sounds like nothing of the sort.

"Hey," I hoarsely croak, weakly trying to tilt my head to look at him. Every muscle is stiff, and it feels as though my limbs have been pinned to the bed, but I at least manage to flash a glance his way. He looks awful- those red markings have completely left his skin, but his features are hollowed. His eyes aren't at all as vibrant as usual, and even his hair seems dulled. This whole thing must've really took its toll on him.

But he's clearly too good for a hospital bed, I can tell that much. Instead of resting up, he's slouched in a cheap chair beside me, one foot resting on his other knee, whilst his arms form a coil around his ribs. "You should be getting treatment."

"Already got it."

"That was fast."

"No, it wasn't. Took three days." Three days? Three days?! It's obvious the shock registers on my face from the way the boomy blonde rolls his eyes and leans back, shaking his head. "Don't worry. Those lot wanted to keep you under. The Exwires, or whatever they're called. Said it was safer," he mumbles, tracing the canvas of his sneaker with his thumb and flicking off a crumb of dirt. "Only reason I'm in here is 'cause they already know I can knock you out if I have to." I don't know why I didn't see it sooner.

Canisters, lined up along Bakugou's belt, filled with what I can only assume to be holy water. Then there's his pocket, bulked out by a bible, and a chain, sitting nice and pretty around his neck. I can't see it, but I'm sure a cross dangles from it. "I told 'em I could take ya without all this, but those assholes think they know better than me," he snorts, shifting in his chair and switching which foot rests on which leg. So, is this how things have to be now? Everyone armed to the teeth with weapons against me at all times?

I guess it's for the best. If I hurt someone because of my powers slipping out of my control, I don't think I'd ever forgive myself. If I hurt Kaminari-... Wait, Kaminari. Does he know? Did they tell him about the shrine? Does he know everything?

"Did you tell-"

"-Nobody else knows I'm here. I didn't tell your boyfriend about any of this," Bakugou quickly huffs, shutting me up instantly. Well, the 'b' word wasn't necessary, but okay. I don't think I'm in any place to try and argue with him. Since my sword cracked, nothing has felt quite right. 

Up at the shrine, I couldn't even control myself- I had to get Bakugou to push my demonic heart back with holy water, just to stop my flames from eating me up. Now, it's constantly fizzing in the back of my brain, almost like a hornet's nest. One small poke, and I could explode all over again. "What happened up there, Okumura? Your sword got messed up, I know that. But what does that even mean?" He growls, stretching and tucking his arms behind his head, drawing my attention to the sheathe of my sword propped against the wall.

"The sword's called Kurikara. When I was a baby, my old man sealed my demon heart inside it, and kept all my powers away from me. When I turned fifteen, the seal broke, and I got some of those powers. Kurikara levels it out, though- I have better control of my flames when I use it. But-"

"-If it breaks, your... 'demon heart' gets released? So...?"

"If Kurikara ever gets destroyed, I'll become a full demon. There wouldn't be anything holding me back anymore. Last time it cracked, I-"

"-Wait, this happened before?"

"Yeah. And I nearly burned down a forest and almost killed all my friends," I mutter, eyes sweeping the floor. Last time, I couldn't handle it at all. I let anger, fear and vengeance take over, and I snapped. Just like my sword, a part of my control cracked. I don't know why that hasn't happened this time, but I just have to thank everything I believe in that I can manage it. It amazes me that I'm not in flames right this second.

"Shit," Bakugou eventually sighs, pushing his hands through his hair, before planting both feet on the floor, leaning a tiny bit closer to me. "Well, you saved me. Again. Keep doing that and I'll have ta knock you down a peg."

"I just woke up from a three-day coma, and you're threatening me already?!"

"At least I'm consistent." Somehow, we're both smirking. I'm chuckling a little, but I know Bakugou doesn't really have time for all of that. Even now, he's trying to distance himself from me. I can see it in his eyes- the way he's constantly telling himself to keep away. To stop himself from getting too close to me. Get too close to fire and you get burned. Just not in the way you'd think.

Because, if he and I, by some miracle, become friends, and I end up snapping? Well, we all know who'd have to pull the trigger on me. And I don't think either of us want to think about that. "Anyway, I'll go let them know that you didn't try to rip my throat out. They said something about not being able to get your sword fixed, so-"

"-It's fine. I knew that nothing could be done if this happened again. I'll just have to manage." So many things are a lot easier said than done.