Chapter 20
You glanced around the hospital room where you had spent the last two weeks recovering from your near-death experience with a small smile on your face, a hint of sadness evident in your eyes.
You were going to miss this place. Even though you spent most of your time here cooped up in this room, you still had your freedom. It was a hundred times better than being locked up behind bars.
Picking up your duffle bag containing the few items you had asked your friends to bring it over from your dorm, you made your way towards the door. There was a slight hesitation as your hand paused on the handle before you took a deep breath and slid the door opened.
With one last glance over your shoulders, you exited the room and made your way towards the lift lobby. While you were waiting for the lift to reach your floor, you greeted passing humans with a gentle smile on your face.
A "ding" sound could be heard as the lift arrived on your floor and the door opened to reveal it was empty. Entering, you pressed the first-floor button as the view of nurses and doctors bustling about with their daily works taking care of patients disappeared.
As the lift brought you down to the entrance lobby of the hospital where your teacher was waiting for you after signing you out from being discharged. The familiar "ding" went off once more, indicating that you had arrived at your destination.
Taking in a deep breath to calm your nerves, you stepped out of the lift to reveal the outside world once more. Doctors and nurses could be seen either rushing off for an emergency or just calmly walking to their stations while both patients and outsiders loitered around the lobby.
You made your way towards where Aizawa was seated on a sofa at the lounge area, scrolling through his handphone as he waited patiently for you. You couldn't help but glanced around the lobby, trying to locate a familiar spiky blonde hair only for your hope to be crushed when you saw nothing of the like.
You should have known better than to expect Bakugou to be here to pick you up from the hospital on the day of your discharge. Ever since the day your classmates came to visit you, you had not heard nor seen him at all.
Hell, you didn't even notice when he left the hospital amidst the crying fest.
You tried calling and texting him, but the calls went through and the texts remained unanswered. At first, you wondered if there was something wrong with Bakugou and couldn't help worrying about him.
So, you decided to ask his close group of friends, also known as the Baku squad, the next time around they paid you a visit and learnt that he was just as aggressive as usual.
Hearing that, you came to the conclusion that maybe the blonde didn't want to see you anymore. You weren't surprised, to be honest. After all, who would want to be associated with a person like you.
A disappointed sigh left your lips as your head drooped, (e/c) eyes fixated on your shoes as they carried you over to the lounge area.
"Sensei, thanks for picking me up."
The pro-hero, Eraserhead, shifted his attention from his phone to his (h/c)-haired student standing before him with a tired and sad smile. He said nothing about it and instead pocketed his phone and stood up. "If you're ready, shall we go?"
Nodding your head in reply, you followed the black-haired male closely behind as both of you exited the hospital towards where his car was parked at. The car ride was filled with silence as you sat in the back with your earpiece plugged into your phone as music blocked out any unwanted thoughts.
The hour-long ride passed and before you knew it, you could see U.A. High coming into view. Your lips tugged up into a comforting smile at the familiar sight of the tall buildings with its glass windows reflecting the morning sun.
The gates opened, and the car drove into the school compound. Aizawa killed the engine as you unbuckle your seatbelt and exited the vehicle, shutting the door gently behind you.
Aizawa exited the car and double-checked if it was securely locked before heading to the main building where the principal's office was located at. When he didn't hear the sound of second footsteps behind him, the black-haired teacher turned around and noticed that you hadn't moved an inch – (e/c) orbs fixed upwards to the blue sky.
His face remained neutral, but there was a hint of concern in his voice. "(Name), are you coming?"
You were brought out of your reverie when you heard your name being called. Your gaze lingered on the sky as clouds drifted lazily, feeling the heat of the sun upon your face and the gentle caress of the wind wafting through your (h/c) locks.
'That'll be the last time I'll be able to experience the outside world as whenever I pleased.' The thought crossed your mind as you committed the sight and feeling to memory before closing up the gap between you and your teacher.
The saying "You never know how important something is until you lost it" appeared to mind as the view of the sun vanished from sight when you entered the building.
Time skipped
"Aizawa, (L/N)-san, welcome." Nezu greeted both of you as you entered the principal's office, taking a seat on the sofas placed in the room. "Will you like anything to drink?"
You politely declined the offer while Aizawa replied with a monotonous "Coffee, please". (E/C) eyes glimmered with a tinge of amusement at the contented sigh that escaped your teacher's lips as he drank a sip of the coffee after being served by Nezu.
It was quiet in the room, minus the sipping sound of your teacher and the principal drinking their hot drinks. You were feeling nervous, but the only thing giving it away was your sweaty palms and racing heart which neither Nezu or Aizawa noticed as your face wore a blank expression.
Then again, you were certain that Nezu knew when (e/c) orbs met his beady, black eyes and saw the knowing look in them. After all, nothing could get by the creature whose intelligence level surpassed even the highest human intelligence thanks to his quirk.
"(L/N)-san, it's good to see that you've recovered well enough to be discharged from the hospital." Nezu smiled, breaking the silence in the office. "Make sure you take it easy for the next few months so your body can rest and recover to full health."
"Thank you, Mr Nezu. I'll make sure to keep that in mind." You replied, bowing your head slightly out of politeness.
There was a clinking sound as Nezu placed his teacup on its saucer as he got off his office chair and approached the sofa where both you and Aizawa were seated at. You scooted to the side to make room for the creature who thanked you when you helped him up onto the plush furniture.
Glancing down at the principal, you waited patiently for him to settle down before addressing the matter at hand. Once Nezu was comfortable, he turned his attention onto you – his smile never going away even though the topic he was about to bring up was serious.
"(L/N)-san, do you remember what I said back at the hospital?" Nezu asked to get the ball rolling.
You nodded your head in reply. "I'll be serving my time behind bars."
Nezu didn't reply straight away which left you feeling anxious on top of the nerves that were becoming worse than before. You could feel your throat closing up as sweat broke out on your forehead, the hairs on the back of your neck tingling.
You had a bad feeling for what was about to transpire next.
'Are they gonna send me to somewhere else?!' You couldn't help the internal panic rising within you, your heart racing a mile an hour.
"In most cases, yes. However, you're an exception which means that you won't be going to jail." Came another voice that wasn't in the room earlier on.
Your head snapped up so fast that it was a miracle you didn't get whiplash. (E/C) eyes widened and your mouth fell upon in shock upon the words that just came out of none other than Detective Tsukauchi who was standing at the office's entrance – a small smile on his face.
Standing beside the police detective was All Might who greeted everyone in the room with a wave which both Aizawa and Nezu returned except you as you were still in a deep shock.
"Tsukauchi-san and All Might-san, it's nice of you to join us. Please take a seat." The principal welcomed the other two guests. "Will any of you like anything to drink?"
Both adults accepted the offer and while the principal went to prepare their drinks, All Might sat down next to you where the principal was previously seating while Tsukauchi took the unoccupied space next to Aizawa.
The moment they sat down, you snapped out of your frozen state and faced the detective with disbelief clearly expressed on your face. "Did I just hear you say that I won't be sent to jail or am I just gonna wake up thinking it's all just a dream?!"
The black-haired male let out a small chuckle, answering your question with gentle eyes. "It's not a dream, (L/N)-san. It won't be fair for you after all the help you've assisted in the League of Villains' hideout raid."
You stood up from the sofa and begun to pack back and forth in distress as you were unable to wrap your mind around what was happening. "But all I did was just gave you the address to their hideout. Even if I haven't, I'm sure you would have been able to get your hands on the information in other means."
"That is true. However, you've saved us lots of precious time in trying to attain the information we needed ourselves. It would've put us at a huge disadvantage considering the villains could have chosen to move Bakugou to a different location instead of their hideout which we were relieved that they didn't do so." Aizawa, who had been keeping quiet ever since he entered the office, was the one to explain.
The police detective nodded his head in agreement. "That is one, if not the main reason, the higher-ups agreed to let you off with serving jail time. Although, you won't be completely let off scot-free considering you still assisted the League of Villains in the kidnapping of Bakugou Katsuki."
Running your fingers through your hair, you collapsed onto the sofa as all that you had heard sank into your head. You couldn't believe your ears that you were basically a free person.
Well, not really, considering there would still be penalties you would definitely receive but you would take that option over jail any day.
All Might, who noticed the conflicted look on your face, placed a gentle hand on your head as his soulful blue eyes usually unseen by others gazed into (e/c) orbs. "Why do you seem troubled, young (Name)? Shouldn't you be relieved or happy about your final verdict?"
"I am, don't get me wrong. It's just that..." You trailed off and bit your lips in hesitation, unsure of how to go on.
The ex-hero said nothing and waited patiently for you to gather your thoughts, his hand that was still on your head acted as a silent encouragement for you to go on.
Tilting your head up slightly so that you were eye-to-eye with your teacher, you continued from where you left on. "It's just that I'm a villain and I'm afraid that I'll turn back to the path that fate has decided for me a long time ago. So, I may as well be kept behind in bars. It's safer for everyone this way."
A sense of sadness welled up in you which caused you to tear your gaze away from All Might whose expression became unreadable after what you had said. Your eyes were downcasted, unable to meet All Might's eyes.
It became silent between the two of you, minus the low murmurs coming from the three other occupants who were having a discussion over low tones so as not to disturb the conversation going on with you and All Might.
"But what about you? Is that what you really want?" All Might was the first to break the silence, softly asked.
Your head snapped up with surprise (e/c) eyes directed at the blonde teacher, pointing to yourself. "Me?!"
All Might nodded his head. "Yes, you. Is this really the future that you want for yourself?"
"What? A future for myself?" You frowned with furrowed brows. "I never really thought about it that way before - a future where I get to do whatever I want or be whoever I choose to be."
All Might let out a chuckle, his eyes twinkling with understanding. "That's because you choose to believe the villains have already decided your future when it's not the case."
You didn't reply as realization dawned upon you at the fact that your teacher was right. Ever since Shigaraki took you and raised you up to be a villain, it was all you knew and thought you would ever be because nobody told you otherwise.
So, you simply assumed it would be like this for the rest of your life.
However, after spending time with Class 1-A and seeing how despite all of them came to UA High to be a hero, they all had different visions of the hero they wanted to be in the future.
They opened up your eyes to a whole new world that was just waiting for you to grasp the opportunity and made full use of it.
"A future that I want..." You mumbled thoughtfully and closed your eyes - imagining what the future you wanted for yourself would be like.
All Might watched his (h/c)-haired student with a fond smile, his eyes held a tinge of pride for you when he saw the wide, joyful grin that lit up your face like the Fourth of July.
Deep down, he knew that you were going to be alright and maybe even turning out to be a great hero.
***
After your talk with All Might, you were dismissed by Aizawa who told you were free to go, but under no circumstance were you to leave the school grounds as per order by the police detective and the principal.
You left the adults to their things and exited Nezu's office, closing the door softly after you so as not to disrupt their conversations. As you were walking down the hallway towards the entrance of the main building, you had a sudden urge to see the blonde and share the good news about your situation with him.
Since you couldn't leave UA High and weren't one to disobey Aizawa's words, you took your phone out and sent a quick text to the blonde, asking him to meet you at the abandoned training ground where the male found you after the whole fiasco in the school cafeteria on your first day at the prestigious hero school.
'That day felt like forever ago. It's been almost half a year since I entered UA High and reunite with Katsuki-kun and Izuku-kun as well as meeting Class 1-A.' A nostalgic smile appeared on your face as the thought crossed your mind.
Pocketing your phone, you set off in the direction of the meeting - all the while humming a cheerful tune at the thought of seeing Bakugou.
Time skipped
You came to a halt upon seeing what was before you causing a soft smile to form on your lips as you gazed at a certain blonde with fondness in your eyes.
Bakugou was laying on his back on the ground with his head rested on folded arms, not caring if his clothes got dirty or not. His eyes were closed as his chest rose up and down gently, indicating he was sleeping.
Walking closer, you noticed the peaceful expression on his face without his usual scowl in sight. A quiet giggle escaped your lips as you took out your handphone and snapped a quick photo of the sleeping blonde before setting it as your lock screen wallpaper.
Keeping your phone away, you settled down cross-legged style next to Bakugou. Humming, you gently ran your fingers through his locks where his nose twitched slightly at the disturbance but it wasn't enough to wake him up.
As minutes ticked by, you sat by the blonde's side and simply enjoyed the serenity feeling of being in his presence which brought a sense of comfort and safety. It was neither an old or new feeling you felt whenever you were in Bakugou's company, even before either of you knew each other.
The sun was low on the horizon streaked in beautiful colour ribbons of orange, purple and pink with just the barely visible traces of twilight with its twinkling stars dotting the sky.
A gentle breeze blew through the air, causing the leaves on the nearby trees to rustle like wind chime on a windy day.
It was at this moment that Bakugou chose to stir from his slumber. Eyelids slowly fluttered open to reveal sleepy red rubies staring at you.
"Morning sleepy head." You chuckled lightly, (e/c) orbs glowing with happiness at the sight of the blonde awakening.
"(Name)? Since when did you get here?" Bakugou pushed himself up into a sitting position and let out a yawn as he stretched his back. "How long have I been asleep?"
You fished your phone out from your pocket to check the timing. "I texted you at about six to meet me here at school and now it's slightly past seven, so I'll say you've been asleep for about an hour or so."
The blonde turned to you with his usual expression in place where his mouth was set into that permanent scowl of his. "Why didn't you wake me up then, dipshit?"
"How many times do I've to tell that I have a name??" You whined, a pout appearing on your face. "Also, is this how you thanked me for not disturbing you while you slept on like a baby?!"
"Tch." Bakugou rolled his eyes at your childish act, but you knew there were no hard feelings behind it. "So, why did you ask me to come all the way to school even though it's summer vacation?"
(E/C) eyes lit up as your face practically glowed in delight, remembering why you had called the blonde to school in the first place. Bakugou lifted a brow at your body trembling with excitement, asking, "What the f*ck is wrong with you? You are like an overgrown excited puppy wagging its tail when being given a treat."
"That's because I am!" You squealed and did jazz hand before leaning closer to the blonde's face, not caring that you were invading his personal space.
"Get the f*ck away from me!" Bakugou growled as he pushed your face away from him. "You're annoying as hell!"
You felt like you were at the top of the world for anything to ruin your happy mood as you whistled a delightful tune that reflected your mood. Even Bakugou couldn't stay irritated at you for long, your cheerful attitude having an effect on the usual irritated boy.
His face softened as the blonde watched you plucked flowers off the ground and twisted its stems together to make a flower crown.
Turning around to face Bakugou, you carefully placed the completed flower crown on his head whose eyes widened slightly in surprise before a scowl appeared on his face.
You giggled like a schoolgirl, satisfied at the sight of a scowling blonde with colourful flowers encircling his head like a crown worthy of a king. "You look like you could be the king of the fairies, Katsuki-kun."
"Shut up!" Bakugou growled but made no move to remove the flower crown nestled comfortably on his blonde locks.
After that, neither of you said anything as both of you enjoyed being each other's presence - a comfortable silence settling between you two. The sun had already fully set by then, a half-moon glowing against the sky covered in inky blackness.
Unlike during the daytime with the summer sun heating up the earth with its scorching rays, the temperature had dropped considerably by the time it was nightfall.
You shivered, rubbing both your exposed arms up and down with your hands in hope of staying warm when suddenly a large jacket was thrown over your head. Removing the jacket, you turned towards Bakugou whose head was facing the front so you could only see his side profile with wide, questioning eyes.
"You're an idiot for not bringing a jacket along with you," Bakugou grunted, the tip of his ears reddening at his actions.
Tilting down your head so as to hide the small smile on your face, you wrapped the jacket tightly around your frame. "I guess I am."
Both of you returned to silence as the crickets living amongst nature cricked away like a familiar lullaby. Lifting your head to the sky, you watched the few visible stars to the human eyes as something came to mind.
"Katsuki-kun," You called out to the male, breaking the peaceful quietness between the two of you.
"Hmm?" Bakugou hummed in reply, showing that he was listening.
With your eyes still trained on the night sky, you asked in a quiet voice. "That day at the hospital when Class 1-A came to visit me, why did you leave so suddenly without saying a single word? Also when I tried to contact you, all my messages and calls were ignored. Did I perhaps do something wrong or upset you?"
Guilt was written in those rubies eyes of Bakugou upon hearing your words, remembering how he simply did nothing and just watched as his phone kept ringing, your name flashing across the screen.
To be honest, upon hearing about what was to become of you, Bakugou felt his world crashing as though it was made of fragile glasses - able to break at a single touch.
The one girl, who in the beginning was his one and only true friend and now, the one whom he loved, was going to be taken away from him again even though he just got her back.
Losing you the first time was hard enough and it took him years before he came to accept the fact you were gone for good, even then it still hurt him whenever your name popped up in his memory.
To lose you the second time, Bakugou knew that his heart would break for good and this time around, he would never be able to get over your loss and be the same again.
As the silence that had turned tense dragged on, Bakugou knew that he owed you an explanation no matter what. Red eyes shifted as they landed on your figure huddled in his jacket that was too big on you so it seemed like you were drowning in it.
You could feel the male's heavy gazes on you which caused you to tear your eyes away from the sky, (e/c) orbs staring intensely into ruby red as you waited patiently for him to reply you.
With eyes still fixated on you, Bakugou spoke up with his voice barely above a whisper. "The reason why I left that day without saying anything is that I'm afraid."
Your eyes widened slightly upon hearing that fear was the reason since it never did cross your mind the blonde would feel this way considering he always came across as fearless and confident.
Heck, that boy didn't even cower in fear in the presence of the League of Villains when he was kidnapped by them!
Even though you wanted to comfort Bakugou, you held yourself back and kept quiet while he continued on.
"Imagine feeling like you couldn't breathe as your world shatters upon receiving the worst news in your life. That was exactly how I felt back in that small hospital room surrounded by so many people when I was indirectly told I wouldn't be able to see you again." Bakugou smiled, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It broke me upon hearing that."
"Katsuki-kun..." You whispered his name brokenly, your heart aching at the sight of the blonde closed to tears.
Bakugou let out a bitter laugh, his eyes burning with unshed tears which he furiously wiped away with the back of his hand. "Just when I got you back after ten long years, you're going to be ripped away from me that easily that it's so unfair. Why is it so hard for both of us to be able to be together without the universe f*cking things up for us?!"
At this point, you couldn't take it anymore. Your vision became blurry and flung yourself at Bakugou, sending him onto his back.
The blonde was taken aback at your sudden action as he laid there unmoving on the ground, the night sky greeting him. Meanwhile, you were clutching the front of his shirt tightly, your fingers curled into fists as you buried your face into his chest and cried.
Neither of you moved from that position - Bakugou was too stunned to move while your cries filled the air, your tears wetting his shirt. After a heartbeat or two, Bakugou recovered from the initial shock and moved to wrap both his arms around you.
Leaning down slightly, he placed a chaste kiss to your hair and his lips stayed there, providing a comforting weight. The tears stopped flowing, minus the few sniffles that escaped here and there.
You lifted your head so that you could look at Bakugou who was smiling softly up at you, bringing up a hand to your face and gently wiping away the few stray tears still lingering on your cheeks.
Eyelids fluttered shut as you leaned into the warm touch, your face turned slightly as you nuzzled his hand and let out a pleased hum.
"Katsuki-kun," You whispered after what felt like an eternity. "I'm sorry about putting you through all these when you did nothing to deserve it. I wish you could have met someone else instead of me all those years ago."
Bakugou shook his head, disagreeing with your words. "It's not your fault, so don't go apologizing for something that wasn't within of your control. Neither of us could've predicted what was going to happen in the future when we crossed each other's path at the age of five. Besides, we were too dumb and young back then to even have such thoughts."
Bakugou smirked, causing you to let out a chuckle. It was at this moment that you remembered the future you envisioned for yourself during your conversation with All Might in the afternoon earlier on.
In that future, you were surrounded by the people you loved - your friends and teachers here at UA High, but most importantly, a certain blonde with whom you wanted to spend the rest of your life with forever.
Bakugou Katsuki was your new future.
***
That night as both of you laid together in bed wrapped up in each other's arms back at your dorm, a thought entered Bakugou's mind. He realized you still had yet to explain to him why you had asked him to meet you at school earlier on in the day.
"(Name)," He called out to you. "Are you still awake?"
"Mmmhmm," You sleepily replied, snuggling happily your head further into his chest. "What is it?"
"You never did tell me why you asked to meet me at the training ground?" The blonde asked.
"Oh."
"Oh?"
Bakugou glanced down at you with a raised brow, silently demanding an explanation. A sheepish smile appeared on your face as you moved away from the blonde and pushed yourself up into a sitting position with your back facing him.
Upon seeing how you were behaving, Bakugou became suspicious as he also moved into an upright position, his eyes boring a hole in your back.
Glancing over your shoulder, you winced at the sight of a crossed-arm blonde with his mouth set into a frown - still waiting for an overdue explanation.
You took in a deep breath before speaking up. "Promise me you won't get mad?"
Red eyes narrowed further. "No promises. Now, tell me why."
You said a quick prayer to the gods to not let you die before answering the blonde. "The reason why I wanted to meet you was that I needed to tell you something."
"Then why couldn't you do so over the phone?" Bakugou lifted a brow in question.
You flinched, knowing that the male had a good point.
"It's the kind of news that would be better told face to face," You lied, not wanting to reveal the truth which was you wanted to see the blonde.
"And what kind of news would that be?" Bakugou asked.
'Here we go. This is the part where I die by the hands of Bakugou Katsuki.' You thought bitterly before answering his question.
"And the news would be I won't be sentenced to jail?" You hesitated and the sentence came out more as a question rather than a statement.
"..."
"..."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAID SO EARLIER ON?!" Bakugou exploded, his eyes flaring up with anger as his hands begun to spark. "YOU MADE ME WORRY ABOUT YOU FOR NOTHING?!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" You squealed in fright, throwing your hands up to shield you from Bakugou's quirk before what he said sank into your mind.
The scowl deepened on his face when he saw you smirking at him, (e/c) orbs dancing with mischief. He scooted backwards when you began to crawl on all fours towards him like a predator stalking its prey, your tongue sticking out to wet your dry lips.
"Get the f*ck away from me! I'll blast your ass to space if you dare come closer!" Bakugou threatened.
You ignored the blonde's threat and let out a playful growl before pouncing onto him. Both of you rolled around in bed as neither refused to lose, getting tangled up in the blankets while doing so.
"I won," Bakugou smirked victoriously as he had both your wrists pinned to the mattress above your head, his legs straddling your body wiggling in hopes of escaping beneath him.
Realizing your escape attempt was futile, you stopped moving and gave in. "Fine, fine, you win."
"Damn right I did." The blonde puffed his chest, arrogance practically rolling off his shoulders.
You rolled your eyes at his huge ego before an idea struck you, evil cackles ricocheting throughout your mind. While Bakugou was distracted, you used all your strength and flipped the boy onto his back with you being on top of him now.
Not wasting any time, you ducked down and placed a chaste kiss on Bakugou's lips, lingering a second or two longer before pulling back. Glancing down, you were satisfied at the sight of a tomato red blonde glaring up at you after getting over the initial shock.
"I guess I've always been the winner all along." You smirked at Bakugou who growled lowly, still blushing to the roots of his hair.
"I should've killed you all those years ago." Bakugou hissed, bloodlust dancing in those red eyes of his.
"You know you love me." You winked, swooping down to place another kiss on the blonde's forehead before getting off him and making your escape while you still had the chance.
Your laughter filled the room as you ran away from Bakugou who was hot on your heels and into the bathroom where you quickly closed the door and locked it so that Bakugou wouldn't be able to get to you.
"Open the f*cking door!" Bakugou shouted, his fists banging multiple times on the door. "I'm going to turn you to ashes!"
"F*ck off!" You childishly stuck your tongue out at the door where behind stood a raging blonde still threatening you with different ways to kill you.
The entire time while Bakugou hurled threats and curses at you like no tomorrow, there was a bright grin on your face as (e/c) eyes glowed with pure joy. There was definitely never going to be a dull moment in your life with the blonde around and it was exactly what you looked forward to in the future with Bakugou.
***
A/N: I know some of you're going to ask if the story is complete and if Reader-chan and Bakugou are together as a couple. So, I'll be addressing these two questions now.
One, the story isn't completed yet. There are still a few more chapters left to go before it is finished. Second, Bakugou and Reader-chan aren't together yet as a couple but don't worry, they'll end up together in the end.