Slayed Hearts (Demon Slayer AU - Bakugou Katsuki x Reader)

Ch.18 - Respect

Ch.18 - Respect

(AN- I'm busy again this Saturday since I'll be going to the Women's March for Reproductive Rights! So, you lucky ducks get another early update~)

You sighed, sitting down on the steps that led into the mansion from the outside. The sun landed on your skin and you closed your eyes. Its bright rays made your skin feel warm, but your heart remained heavy and cold. Not even the sun could clear up the icy feeling that seemed to always be inside of you, no matter how hard you tried to melt it.

Your outwardly emotional state and inwardly ones often contrasted each other. You would display laughter, happiness, amicably and other warm emotions outwardly, while the ones inside of you were constantly pecking away at that outward deposition.

It wasn't that you were forcing yourself to feel happy either. There were times that you genuinely did. Times you knew were good ones and thus made you feel good. But, that outward fleeting happiness never sunk beyond the skin. You had always felt isolated, ostracized, indifferent, and misunderstood on the inside.

You couldn't understand why you felt this way either. You had a pair of parents who took care of you when you were younger, your childhood was filled with happy and fun times with the pair of boys who were inside the mansion, and even as a slayer, you felt like at times, you were even bringing some kind of peace to demons and regular people. So why didn't those positive feelings and sense of serenity sink in?

Why did you always feel like... you'd end up cold and alone like that day way back when.

The door inside started to slide open and you turned around to see what Midoriya wanted. You hoped it would be an apology for telling Bakugou what you had tried to keep hidden. So when you instead saw Bakugou starting to swing the door open you got onto your feet quickly and snagged the door before he could open it any further.

You slammed it shut and heard him let out an annoyed huff from the other side. You kept your hand on the door, not giving him the chance to slide it open. He tried a few times before you started to lose. Damn that demon strength...

"Do you have a death wish?" You screamed at him and he paused.

You could tell he let go of the door and you made sure it wouldn't move off along the track again. Your knuckles were white as you held on tightly, despite how he wasn't trying to open it any longer.

"You weren't kidding about the sunlight then?" His voice came through, slightly muffled but very understandable.

"Why would I lie about something that could get you killed?" You sighed and dropped your head and looked at your feet.

"It just sounded stupid... like the wisteria." He growled out. "Do demons seriously have the stupidest and most fucking annoying weaknesses?"

"Afraid so." You responded back.

"That's all you've got to say?"

You didn't say anything, only once more tightening your grip on the door. Small trembles came from your hand, only every so often making a gentle click from the sliding door and the track getting moved a mere centimeter. You closed your eyes, trying to control your breathing. You had so much you wanted to say to him, to tell him, to rant to him. But something blocked you.

"I get why you didn't want to say a damn thing... I'm not exactly the same me anymore, huh?" He spoke again and you could tell from the tone that he had how brows most likely furrowed.

"That's... not it." You breathed out.

"It's not? Then what fucking is it?" Bakugou asked you.

You closed your lips and pressed them into a thin line. The small ticks of sadness were once more building up within you, growing more and more until you felt the gentle sensation of tears rolling down your cheeks.