Don't Be Afraid of Shadows (BakuDeku)

◅ Chapter 1 ▻

'When you are crazy you learn to keep quiet'
Philip K. Dick

Katuski had had a shit few weeks. His sleep schedule was fucked, and he had midterms coming up next month. He was beyond tired.

Anyone would think Katsuki's tiredness was down to the activities of any typical seventeen year old; parties, late nights socialising, cramming in study time. No. Katsuki was sick and tired of the shadow in the corner of his room putting its emotional baggage onto him.

Lately, for no reason Katsuki could fathom, the shadow had become more of a hassle than usual.

It was now Friday night, and the self-titled 'Bakusquad' had all taken it upon themselves to try and cheer up their tired friend.

Katsuki slammed his textbook closed with a huff and ran his hands through his ash blond spikes as the doorbell rang.

"Brat! Your friends are here!" His mother yelled from downstairs.

"Yeah! One minute, Hag!" Katsuki called. He and his mother loved each other dearly... they just had a peculiar way of showing it.

Usually his friends would hang out downstairs with his mother for a while, trying to score free clothes and designer swag from her. Both of his parents were fashion designers, and it wasn't lost on Katsuki that other people thought this was cool as shit. All he knew was that he spent a lot of his childhood alone eating microwave meals for one.

Katsuki stood, stretched, and glanced at the corner before he wandered across his room to the door. Even after all the shitty feelings and the sleep deprivation he didn't hate the shadow. Not at all. In fact, he'd become so accustomed to having it there that he almost felt that if it were to suddenly disappear he'd feel even more disturbed.

He also had no idea why, but whenever his friends came over they just seemed to naturally avoid the shadow's corner. None of them ever noticed it at all.

He opened his door to see the Squad climbing the stairs.

"Bro! You're mom is so cool, man. She's totally ok with us having some drinks tonight if you're down?" Said the redhead at the front of the pack, holding up blue plastic bags that clinked as he raised them.

"Tch, whatever Shitty Hair." Katsuki rolled his eyes as he withdrew back into his room and slouched down onto his bed. Of course his mom was cool with it. She'd be happy with anything his friends suggested as long as it meant he was hanging out with them instead of being antisocial.

'Shitty Hair' was obviously not the redhead's real name, but Katsuki had a way with nicknames. What could he say, he really made them his own.

"She's gonna score me and Denki some swag from the upcoming spring line too!" Mina squealed, her pink curls bouncing as her golden eyes lit up against her caramel skin, "She's just who I wanna be when I grow up." She said dreamily.

"You are grown Pinky, you idiot." Katsuki scoffed as they all filed into his room.

Mina took a place on the floor.

"At least she knows what she wants to be when she grows up! I don't have a clue guys," the slim yellow haired boy moaned dramatically as he plopped down on the floor next to Mina, leaning on her shoulder.

"Denki, stop whining, you've picked a course all you gotta do it get your final grades," Sero chimed in, letting the snacks he was carrying fall into a pile on Katsuki's desk and throwing a bag of jalapenos flavour chips to the leader of their Squad. "I'm personally not even worried bro, I'm gonna be an engineer. That's always been my dream."