27 And Counting (Adult Katsuki Bakugou MHA)

14. People So Happen To Pass Away...

Two days passed. 

Katsuki simply disappeared and it didn't look like he gave a fuck about his younger self. Thankfully, Bakugou found some cash and keys in a drawer, and bought enough food for both. 

He was hoping for his old self to come back, he was hoping they could just hug, lay down on a sofa and be strong one for another. He needed Katsuki to be strong for him. He desperately needed love and assurance from his own self, being an immature, insecure teenager trapped in a terrible situation. 

Of course, he was too proud to admit it. Young, ambitious, strong. Loud and stubborn. Impatient and arrogant. Swaying his inferiority complex under the rug of unnecessary violence and childish tantrums. 

Craving for attention and reassurance that he, like other kids, could be loved unconditionally too. 

-----

- You're still here? Shouldn't you dissolve already?! - Katsuki frowned, entering his flat, hands in pockets, chin lowered, reddish eyes. 

- Pretty responsible of you, mister adult sir, thank you very much. - Bakugou answered. 

He was laying on the sofa, rolled in blankets a la human burrito. It was pretty obvious he wasn't at his best right now, bags under his eyes, pale skin, semi-opened mouth. At first, he thought about going out and checking out what has changed since his school years. But the urge to see and talk to Katsuki, to feel his body in a tight, loving embrace was more important, so he patiently waited.
For two days. 

- Fuck off. I'm not your father. - Katsuki laid on the sofa next to his younger self, taking off shoes and a hoodie. 

There wasn't much room for him but something just pushed him to lay there squeezed next to Bakugou anyways. He glimpsed at the teen, noticing his terrible state. He really hoped he'd come back to find an empty house and a nasty feeling of guilt crept into his already worn out heart. 

- I want to see dad... - the blanket burrito whispered. At this moment, he was far from his angry, obnoxious self. He sounded... beaten. Broken. Unsecure of the world around him. And very, very lonely. Right now, he felt just like his older self.  'Shit, how did he figure this one out? I made sure to not mention dad at all...'

- C'mere, man. -  Katsuki carefully grabbed the teen, still rolled in blankets, putting his head on Kat's chest. They stayed like that for a while. 

One of them was too tired to move, stunk of alcohol, sweat and cigarettes. Probably did not change his underwear, maybe didn't even take a shower. Definitely did not eat, deducting from the rumble in his belly. 

The other one was too tired to fight. Normally, he would fight any sign of affection to avoid being seen as weak, but damn, did he feel weak as fuck in that moment. He wanted to see his parents so badly, to tell them everything would be fine! To hug his dad once more, to apologise to his mum for being a joke of a son. He leaned closer to his older self, thankful for the bare minimum of attention he was given. 

Around an hour passed before Katsuki composed himself and started speaking. 

-You can't see dad, Bakugou. He's... he's not around us, you know? But that's fine, h-he's... He's happier now. 

'FINE? HAPPIER?? DID I MISINTERPRET THE NEWS? WHAT THE FUCK???!!!' 

- What the fuck??!! Are you saying...

- Look, Bakugou. - Katsuki's voice was soft and warm. Again - so much different from what Bakugou was used to hear when speaking himself. How could this stinky bastard sound so lovely?

- Dad took our side, when we came out. Damn, it feels odd talking in the plural form... Well, I guess it's true, though. Anyways... After I brought Kiri home for a family dinner, dad seemed fine with that. He surely didn't break any plates, didn't yell. Maybe he was a little bit disappointed but he kept it to himself. He didn't stand up, didn't defend me against mum's fury but hey, you know our old man, don't you? He'd never been the one to start a fight. 

Bakugou hid his head against the older one's chest, breathing deeply. 'Yeah, dad... always so gentle, standing between me and mum... poor old man, what kind of family, what kind of life did we serve him?'

- Damn, old man, he even paid a short visit at mine and Kiri's place once, right after our wedding, with a gift! Can you imagine? I don't want to know what could have happened if mum had discovered that! He brought us that beautiful family photo album, handcraft, red hue going from orange at the bottom into black at the top, crazy stuff. He said he couldn't give us money because then mum would find out, you know, but damn, that shit was pretty...

- Do you still have it?

- No, long gone... Burn in an explosion thrown over some bullshit I don't even remember, sorry not sorry.

Anyways... dad was cool. Not the warrior type but cool. So... Just how much do you know?

- I googled you out, basically. Wedding with Kiri, dad's death, divorce, then Red Riot takes your position in the hero ranking...

Katsuki trembled and shut his eyes.

He felt terrible for two reasons: for having remembered painful moments of his pitiful existence and, what hurt him way more, for leaving the young one alone to discover all that shit on his own, not having a shoulder to cry on. Just like Katsuki had no one to rely on, just when he cursed everyone for being insensitive pieces of shit - right now, he was the most insensitive piece of shit who deserved to die.

- Did you read some mentions of... hmm... Adoption processes?

- O yeah, that too. I didn't know I'd want to change shitty diapers, eventually.

Katsuki smirked, feeling his heart melting a little. 

- I know man, I know. I remember not wanting to do all this shit. Until I just... Started to. I just kind of started wanting this more than anything else. More than becoming number one, more than anything... I felt this rush, but not in a negative way, rather I felt I wanted to give more of myself, you know? How to explain it... I don't know, it just kind of happened, is all. Anyways, that was a challenge, dad really helped us a lot from behind the scenes. It was damn tough, especially for two guys AND pro heroes, at high risk of dea... hmm... Injuries... Well, anyways. Dad knew that lady, the one with blue hair who worked in that child home in Kyoto, some sort of a school friend or so, he said he'd set up a meeting for us, for her, me and Kiri, that is. Kiri wanted it too, maybe not that much but he said 'whatever makes you happy' and well, never backed down. Until a certain point, that is.

Kat sighed. A couple of minutes passed in complete silence, as he was trying to revive old memories.
They weren't that old per se, he was only 27, not 72, but were a heavy burden to his still young but very tired heart. And having no one around to share this burden didn't help.