Chasing Reality (Katsuki Bakugo X Reader X Shoto Todoroki) UNFINISHED

Chapter Nine: Cornered

"So, how was class 1-A?" Touya asked, tossing you a bottle of water from the fridge in the club room. You pushed your notebook across the table, leaning back in your chair as you opened the water.

"They're showing quite a lot of potential, though some of them need an attitude adjustment," you sighed, rolling your eyes as Bakugo's angry face popped into your head.

"Is that so?" Touya raised an eyebrow as he sat down on the table beside you. "I'm sure Aizawa was happy to see you at least."

You snorted. "He had the complete opposite reaction to when you showed up, that's for sure."

Touya shrugged. "That's nothing new. How about your boyfriend?" He asked teasingly, wriggling his eyebrows.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," you stuttered out, looking down at the water in your hands, face becoming flushed. Shoto's mischievous eyes and smooth words filled your head, making you bite your bottom lip.

"Oh, no way!" Touya laughed, leaning down to get in your face. "You actually have a boyfriend now don't you? And you've only been with class 1-A all day..." he trailed off, smirking. "Nanami was right then, and you just narrowed down the suspects."

"What's it matter anyways?" You grumbled, refusing to look at him as you took a sip of your water.

"Oh it matters big time," Touya laughed. "I have to figure out which first year I have to intimidate," he proclaimed, thumping his chest.

"You've got to be kidding me," you rolled your eyes at him. "I think you need to go and get your head checked."

There was a loud knock on the open club room door, interrupting Touya before he could reply. You looked over to see a familiar pair of crimson eyes staring at you.

"Bakugo," your eyes widened in surprise. "What's up?"

"Can I talk to you?" His gaze shifted to Touya, eyes narrowing. "Alone."

Touya looked towards you, unsure about leaving you alone with the unknown first year. "It's fine," you nodded to him.

"Okay, I'm going to head home then." Touya gathered up his things and slipped past Bakugo, turning to wave before disappearing down the hall.

"What can I do for you?" You asked him cooly, standing up and walking around the table as he stepped into the club room. You jumped slightly at the sudden thud of the door as he threw it closed behind him, your fight or flight response kicking in.

"She's still hurting you, isn't she?" He demanded lowly, walking towards you, causing you to back up into the table in response.

"What are you talking about?" You deadpanned, doing your best to stand your ground as he came to stand in front of you. Was he always this tall? You looked up into his piercing crimson eyes.

"I'm talking about this," he growled, pushing you down onto the table so that your head was level with his broad chest, his left hand reaching down to rub along the outside of your thigh.

"What the hell do you think you're..." You winced and let out a hiss of pain as he pressed down on the large bruise that decorated your right thigh. "What the fuck!" You yelled, pushing him away.

He grabbed your hands with his, pushing them back down to your sides as you glared up at him. "Well?" He snarled. "Did that fucking bitch hurt you again?!"

You struggled against his hold. "I don't see how it's any of your fucking business!" You spat at him, anger rising. "Now let go of me!"

"SHUT UP!" He roared, making you shake with fear, your wrists beginning to burn and sting.

"Please," your voice cracked, tears blurring your vision. Why is he acting like this? Does he want to hurt me.

Katsuki dropped your wrists instantly at the sight of your tears, cursing under his breath. FUCK! I didn't want to hurt her. He looked down at you, concern now filling his eyes.
"(Y/n), I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..." he took a step back. "I should go."

You snapped your head up, surprised by the concern and the hurt in his voice. "Bakugo, wait!" You reached your hand out towards him as he turned to leave. "You were just worried about me, right?" You asked slowly, uncertain.

He ran a hand through his messy pale blond hair, huffing in frustration. "Yeah, I guess."

You let out the breath you'd be holding, trying to shake off your own uneasiness. "It's just a bruise," you said quietly.

He shook his head, clenching his jaw. "It's not just a fucking bruise, not if that fucking bitch hurt you. You shouldn't let her do that to you!"

You looked up into his anger filled crimson eyes, lips quivering. "Just let it go, please."

He shook his head once more, hands becoming fists as he turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him. You slowly sunk down to the floor, tears finally overflowing as you broke down.

~~~

It had been this way for as long as you could remember. The pleasantries of your aunt Caroline had lasted until she'd brought you home that day, throwing you to the ground the second you walked through her front door.

What happened after that had become a blur long ago, no doubt blocked out by your mind during childhood. Everyday that followed had been more of the same, your aunt making it abundantly clear that you were nothing more than her property, something with which she could do as she pleased, be it hitting you or selling you off to be married.

She made you believe that you deserved every second of her abuse, beating into you the belief that you had killed your own mother, and that you could have stopped her death if you'd really wanted to. This left you filled with grief and guilt over her death, something that had nothing to do with you.

You constantly felt empty and broken. You'd already been suffering through this physical, emotional and mental abuse for 3 years by the time you met Shoto. As the years went on, you'd kept every detail of it to yourself. Your best friend had always had enough of his own problems to deal with, so there was no way in hell that you were going to start dumping yours onto him as well.

So you'd suffered in silence as you grew up in a cage, stripped of your own freedom and childhood. It got better as you got older, the beatings becoming less frequent as your aunt travelled. No one had ever noticed before, and if they did, it wasn't as if they cared.

So why now? What makes him different from everyone else?

~~~

"DIE!!!" Katsuki screamed in frustration, punching the giant tree in front of him, explosions erupting from his fists. He couldn't get the image of her pained expression out of his head, the way she'd looked so broken. Why do I even care?!

He stayed like that, screaming and working out his anger until nothing remained but splinters and bloody knuckles. Chest heaving and heart heavy, he made his way home as the sun set. I have to do something.