Boku No Hero Academia One Shots [Book 1]

Katsuki Bakugou {Hanahaki AU}

Requested by: Ochako-Uraraka

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Coarse petals scratched at the bottom of your throat - a constant reminder that you were seriously ill. It happened more often around the object of your one-sided affections: Katsuki Bakugou. You honestly thought he was so incredible; he was strong (you tended to eye his muscles often), hot-tempered, breathtakingly handsome, but stylish and cool, all at the same time. You didn't have fantastic memories with him, to be honest, since you grew up together. His quirk manifested many months before yours, despite the proximity of your birthdays, and he used this as an excuse to torment you. It wasn't something you necessarily minded, but you weren't too happy when he started bullying Midoriya for the exact same thing. It was hardly his fault that he didn't have a quirk yet.

He seemed to grow enraged when you stuck up for your green-haired friend. You supposed that was your first heartbreak. Afterwards, he refused to so much as acknowledge you. Midoriya frantically apologised, not wanting to be the cause of your dispute. It didn't matter, though, because that crimson light you loved no longer shone your way. You still heard his voice - he had always been a rambunctious child, but now, it sounded foreign and distant. You would reach out a hand, give a desperate plea, but nothing worked; he always ignored you.

To him, you stopped existing. You, being so very young, weren't able to comprehend just why this was happening. He still spoke to Midoriya, even if it was in his usual, condescending manner, telling him how worthless he was without any power to his name.

That would have been so much better - you wanted to hear him shout at you for something stupid, because it meant that he still recognised you. Whenever your teachers made you pair up for an assignment, he would mutter something akin to "(L/n)? Who's that?" or "Don't know them!" or "Didn't they die or something?" He laughed like he was at a gathering with friends. He never talked about you. Soon, he stopped addressing you by name in class, despite many attempts at reconciliation by your teachers/peers.

Eventually, they began leaving him alone. They looked towards you, watched you shake your head sadly, and that was the end of it. Nobody dared mention the distinct, malicious atmosphere surrounding him when he was forced to be in your presence for upwards of two whole seconds.

Nobody questioned your divide.

Eventually, you stopped questioning it as well.

It was around that time you noticed a strange, uncomfortable, unknown sensation, like a wild animal clawing at your throat, as if it were trapped and attempting to escape. It happened in the solitude of your home, the first time, thankfully, but in the dead of night. You had been lying awake in bed, too mentally exhausted to sleep. You grabbed your neck, trying not to choke yourself, and ran into your parents' bedroom. You flung the door open so harshly that your mother bolted upright. Before she could ask what the problem was, you had clambered to her side of the bed, tears streaming down your face, yelling that you didn't understand why it was hurting so much.

Your mother implored you to remove your hands, as they were restricting your oxygen intake. The second you complied, that sickening feeling amplified, displaying itself in the form of dozens upon dozens of delicate flower petals, erupting from your mouth, in place of regular vomit.

Your mother, horrified, shook your father awake. She had no immediate answers. Neither did he. You sat on the floor, holding your mouth, not wishing for any more pain, or any more petals. You wanted whatever curse this was to recede that instant. If not, you feared it would kill you.

"(Y/n)," Your father started, reading the illuminated words on the laptop screen thoroughly. "Apparently you have the Hanahaki disease?"

He sounded incredibly uncertain - like he was seeing and comprehending the words at a sensory level, but was failing to process them. His brain just did not appear to be complying. Your mother sighed, taking the device from her husband. She read over the information carefully, then faced you.