𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻 | Katsuki Bakugou x Male reader

Chapter 17

Oopsie

This a lil bit late but what can ya do

Enjoy

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(M/N) stood there for a second, before he clasped his hands over his mouth, realising he had said the boy's name out loud.

Idiot! (M/N) scolded himself. He waited for the woods to come alive with assailants. But then he remembered that there was almost no one left.

Katsuki, who was badly wounded, was now (M/N)'s ally. All the doubts he had about the blonde vanished, because if either of them took the other's life now, they'd be shunned upon returning to District 12. In fact, (M/N) knew if he was watching, he'd loathe any tribute that didn't immediately team up with their district partner. Plus, it just made sense to protect each other. Even more so, in (M/N)'s case - being one of the star-crossed lovers from District 12 - it was an absolute requirement if he wanted any more help from sympathetic sponsors.

The star-crossed lovers... Katsuki must have been playing that angle all along, (M/N) concluded. It was the only logical explanation as to why the Gamemakers had introduced the new rule. For two tributes to have a shot at winning, our "romance" must be so extremely popular with the audience that condemning it would jeopardise the success of the Games.

It wasn't because of (M/N) though, and he knew that. All he'd done was manage not to kill Katsuki. But whatever said boy had done in the arena, he must have convinced the audience it was to keep (M/N) alive. Shaking his head to keep (M/N) from running into the Cornucopia. Fighting Mirio to let him escape. Even teaming up with the Careers must have been a move to protect (M/N).

Katsuki, it turns out, had never been a danger to him.

The thought made (M/N) smile. He dropped his hands so the cameras could be sure to catch it.

So, who's left to be afraid of? The boy from Creati's district was dead. She was operating alone, and her strategy so far had been to evade, not attack. (M/N) didn't think that, even if she heard his voice, she'd do anything but hope someone else would kill him.

Then there was Shoji. He was definitely a threat. But (M/N) hadn't seen him once, not since the Games began. He thought back to when Creati fled the explosion site when she heard a sound. Though she didn't turn to the woods, she turned to whatever sat across from it. To the area in the arena that dropped off into (M/N) didn't know what. He now felt certain that the person she ran from was Shoji, and that was his domain. He'd never have heard (M/N) from there, and even if he did, (M/N) was too high up for someone his size to reach.

That just left Mirio and the girl from District 1, who were surely celebrating the new rule. They were the only ones left - besides (M/N) and Katsuki - who benefited from it.

(M/N) contemplated running from them, on the chance that they'd heard him call out Katsuki's name. But he decided against it, actually wanting them to show up. Right into the range of his arrows. But he knew they wouldn't. If they didn't come during daylight to his fire, they wouldn't risk what could be another trap at night. When they did show up, it would be on their own terms, not because (M/N) had let them know his whereabouts.

(M/N) wished he could start tracking Katsuki then and there, but he needed to get some sleep.

~

When morning came, (M/N) was extra cautious, thinking that while the Careers might hesitate to attack him in a tree, they were completely capable of setting an ambush for him.

(M/N) made sure to fully prepare himself for the day; eating a big breakfast, securing his pack, readying his weapons, before descending to the ground.

Today, he'd have to be very careful. The Careers would know he was trying to locate Katsuki. They could very well want to wait until he did before they moved in. If the blonde was as badly wounded as Mirio thought, (M/N) would be in the position of having to defend the both of them without any assistance.