*sighs* I felt like doing an "angsty" one-shot, so here ya go!
WARNING: There will be mentions of abuse.
A Bakugou Katsuki x Reader. People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.
☝ Got that from a random Pinterest quote I saw. Enjoy!
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A harsh knock from your door made you shoot your eyes open, the sleepiness you felt already fading away as you knew who was at the door.
"(Y/N), wake your ass up and make some breakfast already!" your stepmother shouted, repeatedly knocking on the door again. You sat up, rubbing your temples. It's early in the morning, and you already felt a headache coming in.
You got out of bed with a groan, marching to the door, then swinging it open. Your stepmother glared down at you, while you did the same.
"What the hell, Michiko? Can't you just make breakfast on your own? What are you, a child?" you hissed. Even though you knew it was harsh, you didn't care. Not when you're dealing with a despicable person like her.
Michiko narrowed her eyes at you.
"You better watch your mouth," she tugged and pulled on your hair, and it took all of your willpower not to scream and jump-kick her on the spot.
"If it wasn't for your dad, I would've beat the shit out of you. Don't think I'd let that ugly attitude of yours slide." she threatened.
You groaned, grabbing her hand to try and pull it away from your hair. You felt like your scalp would rip any second now.
"You already did, though. Beat the shit out of me, that is," you muttered. You could feel Michiko snap. She harshly threw your head back, you leaning a hand on the door to keep your head from colliding to it.
"Just do as I say, you lazy brat." she turned away, stomping down the stairs.
Look who's talking. You rubbed your head, feeling the painful sting from when your hair was pulled. You clicked your tongue, slamming the door closed. Even though you wanted to just stay inside your room, you still had to go to school, so off you went to do your morning routine.
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"Hey, make sure you leave some extra for lunch," Michiko ordered as she sat casually on the kitchen island, a compact mirror on her hand. You rolled your eyes. She should've been the one doing this, but no, she's just too busy being 'beautiful'in front of my dad.
"Whatever, your majesty." you muttered, which luckily, wasn't heard by her as she was too busy checking out her face through the mirror.
You made enough breakfast for her and your dad, as well as lunch for the three of you. I refuse to eat with that woman here. You packed the two lunches, and left the extras for Michiko. Just as you had been cleaning up, your dad stepped in, fully dressed and ready for work.
"Morning, honey~" you cringed as you heard Michiko greet your father in a flirtatious manner. You had the urge to stab both of your ears as you heard her kiss him in such a dirty way, regardless of your presence right there. You kept your back faced to them, biting your bottom lip as you fought the urge not to suddenly yell out at them for their disrespect.
Finally, they stopped. Michiko giggled, you rolling your eyes again. Your dad had also noticed that you were still standing right in front of them.
"Oh, morning, (Y/N)," he greeted, you returning the gesture with a simple nod of your head. You quickly finished with your cleaning up, wiping your hands clean then taking off the apron you wore.
"I'm going ahead," you said, snatching the boxed lunch you prepared for yourself, striding away from them. Your dad turned to you as you stopped by the entryway to put on your shoes.
"Going already? Did you eat your breakfast?" he asked.
"I'm not hungry." you tapped the edge of your shoes on the floor, opening the door.
"See ya."
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You let out a yawn as you walked along the streets on your way to U.A High. You still felt pissed after everything that just happened in your house, but it wasn't like this was your first time.
It had always been this way; you being woken up by Michiko shouting and banging on your door, then she'd order you to make some food. Normally, she would've done that, considering that she was always the first one to wake up and have more free time than you, but it just so happened that she doesn't know how to cook.
Everything changed after your mother died of an illness 3 years ago. It felt like you just lost a piece of yourself the day she was gone. Since you were a child, your mother had always been in and out of the hospital. All the memories you could remember with her were mostly times where you'd visit her. She was a wonderful person, always smiling despite what she's going through. You were scared of losing her, and despite that fear, your mother did her best to show you that she's still going strong. It didn't even feel like she was slowly weakening to you. You even remembered your father telling you that your mother was so stubborn, that she'd even refuse her disease to hold her back. She was amazing, all in all.
Until time passed, and she continued to weaken and weaken. You noticed everytime that you'd visit, that she would only lay in bed, staring out the window. Still, even in her state, she still had that soft smile on her face.
The last memory you had with her, was feeling her gentle caress on your head as she said her last words:
"(Y/N), you have to promise me. No matter what happens. No matter how painful it is, you have to remain strong. Not just for the people you love, but for yourself as well. And when you can't handle the pain anymore, then it's okay to cry."
That day, your mother completely gave in to the disease.
"I love you, my strong princess."
The moment her heart monitor fell into a straight line, it was like time stopped at the moment. You remembered how you desperately called for your mother, wanting her to wake up. Your dad even had to pull you back as you yelled and yelled for her to wake up. But all that did, was hurt your throat and tire you out from all your thrashing.
Since then, it had always been you and your dad. You didn't have any relatives, as both of your parents didn't have any siblings. You locked yourself in your room for 3 weeks, refusing to eat or step out. Your father was devastated as well, but he did his best to rise up, and comfort you as he could. The day of her funeral, you couldn't even cry, as you felt like you spent all your tears back in the hospital. All you could do was stare at the ground, refusing to even look at your mother's grave.
Your life drastically changed that day. Since you started middle school, you've become a quiet person, becoming a loner in your school. You didn't have any friends. You even earned yourself the title of "ghost girl", as some of your classmates said that they couldn't even notice your presence there. Your father was informed of this by your teacher, and once again, he tried to talk to you, but all you could give him was silence.
You lost your mother. You lost your social life. And you had distanced yourself from your father as well.
When you graduated from middle school, that's when your father decided to re-marry, and Michiko came into your life. At first, you were okay with her. But then, you started to have suspicions that she was something else. You saw through her acting, as she tried to talk to you the way she knew was right. In all of her attempts, you finally snapped and told her:
"You're so fake."
This threw her back, of course. And that's when she started to show her true colors. She was lazy, a gold digger, and abusive to you. She would come to you and order you to do something she didn't feel like doing. If you'd talk back, she would slap you in the face, pull on your hair, punch you, just abuse you. She'd shout harsh words at you until you'd give in and just do what she says. You didn't even know if she cared for your dad, as you only knew that what she cared about were what kind of branded bags, shoes and clothes she could shop for the moment your dad got his paycheck.
You held it all in—all your anger for your stepmother, the urges you get for her abusive ways. All for the sake of your father. But what was unacceptable, was for him to not even notice anything. He doesn't know who was that woman he married really is, nor what she does to you. If he does suspect something, Michiko would easily sugarcoat it, thus earning her victory. As for you, if he did ask, you could only tell him you were fine.
A lot has changed, and now, you were in your dream school, U.A. Your promise with your mother wasn't forgotten, but with your life right now, you weren't sure if you could still keep it. Still, you did your best, as you did love your dad. Michiko though, you didn't know.
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Now I regret sleeping so late. Your eyes already felt heavy. You were feeling hungry already, as you left the house without even eating breakfast. You tried your best not to fall asleep in class, as there were only a few minutes remaining until lunch break. You hoped in your mind for time to move faster, until finally, the teacher dismissed you all.
You quickly fixed your things, taking out your lunch box and walking out of your classroom. To be honest, your life in U.A wasn't really that different from your life in middle school. Despite having new classmates, with no one from your former school knowing about you, you still failed to have new friends. As much as you wanted to, you felt like with your everyday routine, you didn't have any more time to make friends, so you kept it at that.
At least, that's what you did.
You stepped out onto the school rooftop, sighing in relief when you felt the fresh air blow past you. You settled yourself on the wall beside the door, opening up your lunch box. Your stomach growled at the sight of food. Just as you were going to have the first bite, the door slammed open. You jumped in surprise, almost dropping the side dish you held in your chopsticks. You looked up to the person who just came, seeing Bakugou Katsuki, one of your classmates, his eyes narrowed in irritation.
"That damn Shitty Hair. . ." he muttered, beady ruby orbs glancing down at you as he noticed your presence.
"So you're here," he said, plopping down beside you after he closed the door behind him.
"Hello to you too, Katsu," you greeted, glancing at his facial expression. "Let me guess, Kirishima was bugging you to treat him some lunch again?"
Bakugou clicked his tongue. "I just happened to forget my fucking lunch box and now he's demanding I treat him some food, the damn nerve." he grumbled. You chuckled, shaking your head. Unbeknownst to you, he shot you a glance as he heard that sound from you.
You started to eat your lunch in silence, looking up at the sky. Bakugou was the only person in the whole class you managed to become "friends" with. Well, at least you did consider. The first time you talked with each other was here in the rooftop. You tried to kick each other out, but in the end, you just agreed to shut up and stay for "fuck's sake", as quoted by him.
You weren't bothered by him, and you were pretty sure he felt the same way. You would eat your lunch there, talk with each other, and come back just before class would start. It was only this time, that you could actually forget about your harsh reality, and feel like you were in a world of your own. Bakugou, surprisingly, was decent company. His snarky attitude was inevitable, but he was a good listener. You could laugh when you're with him, do the things you couldn't even do anywhere.
But, being a perceptive person he is, Bakugou did notice your change in attitude. For the whole time while in class, you were quiet as hell, only talking to your classmates when talked to. He noticed how you distanced yourself from the others, yet, when it comes to him, it was like you were off-guard. Normally, he wouldn't give a single damn about anyone, but when it comes to you, he felt like he wanted to know more. Behind your smiles, your laugh, your eyes, it was like you were still hiding something. Still, he was aware that it wasn't that long since you two met, so he thought he wouldn't ask, but just let yourself tell him someday.
He secretly glanced at your face, trying to figure out what you'd be hiding in your mask. You already gave him an impression of an annoying, but at the same time, not that bad of a person, but he still found himself wanting to know more. Who were you really?
His gaze wasn't even noticed by you. Though, the moment his stomach started to grumble, did your ears perk up at the sound. You turned to him, Bakugou immediately looking away.
"Oh? Is Katsu feeling hungry~?" you asked in a teasing tone. Bakugou clicked his tongue.
"Mind your own damn business. That wasn't me!" he protested.
"But, it certainly wasn't me either, since I'm already eating."
The blonde boy beside you huffed, refusing to give in. You giggled, picking up a leftover egg roll from your lunch and lifting it up to him. Bakugou exchanged glances to you, and the food you held up, asking what the hell you were doing. You smiled at him, tilting your head (in a cute way) to the side.
"Come on, Katsu. Say 'aahh'~" you teased again, slightly pushing the egg roll closer to his lips. Receiving no response, you chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of your head with one hand.
"Hehe, just—" chomp.
". . . kidding." you looked at your chopsticks, noticing the absence of the egg roll. You looked up at Bakugou, now seeing him chewing as he looked away from you.
"You ate it. . ." you muttered, a relieved smile curling up your lips. You bursted into laughter, pulling back your chopsticks. Bakugou did his best not to just suddenly pinch your cheeks for laughing at him, but he was startled when you held up your lunch box.
"Go ahead," you said, handing him the leftovers you had, which honestly was too much as you actually didn't eat too much.
Bakugou huffed, snatching your lunch box and chopsticks.
"Well, since you asked 'nicely'. . ." you watched him as he started to eat, the smile still on your face. You were glad he liked your cooking. Though on the inside, your appetite was long gone which is why you barely ate what you prepared for yourself.
Bakugou gave you back the lunch box after muttering out a word of gratitude. You smiled, accepting it as you put it away. After that, you both relaxed under the cool breeze of the wind. As you looked up at the sky, only then did the grogginess you felt come back to you. You yawned, covering your mouth with your hand. Of course, the blonde male didn't fail to notice that obvious sound.
Realizing that Bakugou was still there, you straightened up.
"Ah, sorry 'bout that," you said, rubbing tiredly at your eyes. From your gestures, he immediately deducted that you were feeling tired.
Bakugou sighed, stretching out his legs then patting his lap. You noticed what he's doing, a small blush appearing on your cheeks as you knew what he meant.
"If you want to sleep, then go sleep. We still have a few minutes before the next class."
You blinked. Is he seriously. . .?
"Eh? A-Are you sure?" you asked. He clicked his tongue.
"I'm fucking sure. Now go sleep before I change my mind."
You pressed your lips together. Well, since he said so. . .
"A-Alright. Excuse me then." you lowered yourself, head resting on his lap. You turned your head to the side so you wouldn't be met with his crimson orbs when he looks down.
He was warm, and not really uncomfortable. With the gentle breeze of the wind, your eyelids immediately fluttered closed. Bakugou looked down at you, his gaze landing on your soft tresses. He found his hand unknowingly hovering over, until he was gently caressing your hair. Only, as you felt it, your eyes shot open. This feeling. . .
You sat up, Bakugou immediately retracting his hand as he saw you wake up. He moved his gaze to your eyes, hiding the fact that he was startled with what he just did and your reaction.
"Katsu, can you. . ." you spoke, a hopeful gleam in your eyes. "Can you do that again?"
"Huh? Do what?"
You pouted. "Y-You know, that!"
"If you're not gonna tell me, then how am I supposed to get a damn clue?"
I don't know if he's really clueless, or just teasing me.
"That! Um. . ." you bashfully pointed at your hair, soft pink dusting your cheeks. "W-What you did just now. . . with my hair."
Bakugou didn't want to admit it, but seeing your eyes, sparkling with hope that he'd do it, made his heart strangely skip a beat, an urge to just suddenly shout how cute you looked almost overpowering his thoughts. He pushed that aside as he groaned, ruffling his hair.
"Agh, fine! Just fucking go to sleep!" your eyes lit up with joy as you once again settled your head on his lap. The moment you felt his hand come in contact with your hair again, you felt warm.
Ba-dump. . .
Your eyes fluttered close again, the feeling of his hand, gently running through your hair sending shivers down your spine but also comforting you.
This feels like. . . Tears brimmed the corners of your eyes as they completely closed.
Like when mom. . .
As your breathing turned steady, Bakugou looked down at you to check if you really did fall asleep. His eyes widened as he saw your own, noticing the small tears on the corners. Did she cry because of me? Or. . .
He trailed his own thoughts off, as his eyes wandered over your soft features, thinking deeply to himself. While you, on the other hand, for what felt like the first time, actually slept peacefully; without a single care to the world and your reality.
A few minutes later, the bell rang and Bakugou woke you up. It was kind of short, but you still felt satisfied.
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After school was the time for you to do your part-time job. You've decided to take one, for the purpose of earning enough money so you could move out of your house and live on your own, away from that bitch of a woman you call your stepmother.
"(Y/N), help me out with these," your employer and owner of the bookstore you worked at, Mr. Manjoume (A/N: Hehe, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX reference here! >w<), said as he lifted up a stack of books. You quickly rushed to his aide, taking half of the stack he's holding.
"Are these new book releases, Manjoume-san?" you asked, reading the title of the book at the top of your stack. Mr. Manjoume told you where to put them up on display, and you did as told.
It wasn't that easy to find a part-time job at your age, but Mr. Manjoume was kind enough to offer you one. He was the only person working in the store, and he really needs some help as he was already old. That's why, even though the pay wasn't that high, you helped him out the best as you could. It doesn't really matter to you whether your pay was high or not, Mr. Manjoume was a kind man. He knew you were a problematic person, despite his lack of knowledge of your real problems. He would often give you advices, most of it are quotes from books he read. You knew how he loved to read, as it also eventually rubbed off on you too.
You knew how your mother loved to read as well. Everytime you visited the hospital before, you would see her reading a book. She would also read stories to you, even though the ones she tell weren't the usual picture books kids usually liked. You were glad you get to work in a nice place with a comforting atmosphere, and a kind owner. Mr. Manjoume somewhat reminded you of your mother, and the bookstore was like one of the place she would most likely visit if she wasn't always in the hospital.
Your part-time job ended just before dinner time in your home, the same time the bookstore is also closing. Mr. Manjoume gave you your pay of the day before going ahead. It was already dark when you walked out, but you had to stop by the supermarket first to buy stuff for dinner.
After your errands, you felt like you wanted time to stop for a while as you knew you were nearing your house. Going back home means the day of your temporary happiness would end. Your time with Bakugou, your job with Mr. Manjoume; everything would come crashing down the moment you'd step in the house and go back to your cruel reality.
It took you a few moments by the front door to gather up your composure before you stepped in. It was like you were coming inside a dark place, as you were greeted with the dreadful atmosphere of your house. From the smell of expensive cosmetics wafting through your nose, you cringed, knowing that she was there.
"I'm home," you called out, removing your shoes and placing them neatly by the side. Michiko peeked out from the living room, her hair pulled up as she was applying some kind of cosmetics on her face.
"Oh, hey, you're back," she greeted, not even meeting your eyes as she was busy with her face once again. Will there ever come a day where she'd put down that damn mirror for once?
Just as you were going to quietly go up to your room after you put all the groceries in the kitchen, you stopped as Michiko called you.
"Hey, I forgot to tell you. I borrowed your money earlier," she said. You froze as your foot was just on the first step of the stairs, eyes widening when you realized what she just said.
The money I kept in an extra wallet inside my drawer. . . My earnings. . .
". . . What. . . the fuck?" you managed to say, your blood starting to boil.
"Watch your damn language," Michiko still didn't look at you as she was now busy studying her nails. "I had to pay for my credit card bill. Your dad hasn't gotten his paycheck yet, so I took some of your money."
What the hell? What the freaking hell. . .?
You were already trembling in anger. You bit hard on your bottom lip, struggling to calm yourself down before you would snap and actually use your quirk on her in rage. The money that took me a lot of time to earn. . .
"Hey, that's no big deal. I'll pay you back soon, relax."
You dropped your bag on the ground. That's it. That's fucking it.
"You idiot. . ." you muttered, enough for her to hear. She looked at you from the couch, eyes already narrowing.
"What did you say to me?"
"You idiot," you repeated, turning to her with a menacing glare. You saw Michiko flinch from your stare alone, but she wasn't going to back down from a child. She stood up.
"What the hell makes you think I would just let you take my money like that?"
Michiko put a hand on her hip.
"What, are you gonna cry over it? I told you I'd pay you back."
"What the hell gives you the right?!" you finally snapped. "I slave over you, while you do nothing but flirt with dad, take his money and abuse me behind his back. So what in the hell makes you think you have the right to take all my hardwork?!"
"Oh, so now you're shouting at me?!" she stalked over to you, grabbing you tightly by the arm. Her long nails dug through your skin, and you were sure there'd be marks again. But still, you held your ground, glaring hard at her.
"You do nothing but just play around with dad's money. I always do the work in this house. What were you thinking?! You're a grown-ass woman! There's this thing called get a freaking job and earn your own damn money!"
Michiko was already seething with anger, her nails digging deeper into your skin. You felt like it was already bleeding.
"I said, watch your language," she hissed, raising her hand up. The next thing you knew, you were down on the ground, your cheek stinging from the slap she just gave you. You kept your head down low, refusing to let out even one single tear from the pain you were feeling right now. Not just physically, but also emotionally.
"In case you're forgetting, I am your mother!" Michiko raised her voice as she now felt like she had the upper hand. "You don't have the right to disrespect me like that just because of a small issue, you damn brat!"
No, you're not my mother.
"You never will be. . . my mother," you muttered. Michiko had enough, and gave you a kick to your side.
"Gah!" you yelled out in pain, doubling over. You felt like throwing up, but all you could feel was acid. You swallowed thickly, your throat stinging. Sharp gasps escaped your throat. I-I can't breathe. You wanted to throw up, be it blood or bile. It hurt so much.
Michiko crouched down to your level, harshly pulling you by your hair. You grit your teeth, still refusing to let out tears even though they were already stinging the corners of your eyes.
"I had enough of you acting like such a spoiled brat. Try to disrespect me again, and you won't get just a slap and kick. Next time, maybe I'd throw you out and let you die out in the streets. Got it?"
You didn't answer, still keeping the glare at her.
"Look at you. Maybe you'd be better off with your dead, real mother."
The mention of your mother made you almost actually activate your quirk on her. Sparks apeared on the tips of your fingers, vanishing quickly before Michiko could notice. She smirked triumphantly, knowing that you weren't going to put up a fight anymore. Because right before she let go of your hair, the door opened, the sound of your dad letting you know that he was home floating throughout the room.
Michiko stood up, straightening her clothes. She eyed you down like a piece of trash.
"Get your ass up. You still have to make dinner, useless brat."
Look who's fucking talking. You groaned quietly, slowly getting up. The pain on your side made you almost fall back down again. You held onto the spot where Michiko hit you, giving her one last glare before you retreated to your room.
You've got fucking guts to even mention mom. If dad hadn't come home, you should've been the one who ended up on the floor.
Before you could go into your room, you heard your dad's voice from the bottom of the stairs.
"Huh? Where's (Y/N)?"
"She's up in her room, dear. Go on and take a shower. Dinner will be ready soon~"
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Will be publishing a part two, so please wait for me! *bows*
Until the next part! Vote! Comment! Share!