Safe Space

Sticks and Stones

A/N: Beware of the nasty grape boy. By the way, what's your favorite bottom Baku crack pairing? Thinking of dropping another one-shot today.

Katsuki's had a long day.

Not particularly rough. Just long.

He got up at 5AM so he could go for his morning run and it was particularly humid. He forgot his water bottle, so it turned out to be a bit of a pain in the ass than motivation. But he's okay with that. At least he got to run.

They had an English test today. He didn't get to study the night before like he usually does but he does really well with English. He missed a question or two, so he didn't get as high a  score as he's used to. It upset him, but Shouto assured him that he's fine. That he doesn't have to live underneath crushing weight of his own expectations. Katsuki takes a deep breath and counts to ten. Shouto's right. What matters is that he still aced it.

He was supposed to polish up a new special move during quirk training today, but it flopped. That upset him more than anything, mostly because he doesn't understand why it failed. He worked out the calculations. He put in the training and he did the work. So why didn't it work the way it was supposed to?

He takes out his frustration during joint training and nearly kills Monoma---quite literally. It takes both Aizawa and Vlad King to pull him off; he uses his fists if he can't use his quirk. He's sent to detention that evening, still incredibly irate.

Dropping into his space comes easy.

It happens almost as soon as he steps into the common room, sliding his bag from his shoulder just before he drops to his knees. They hit the floor so hard it draws the attention of his classmates---specifically to Fumikage who is lounging on the sofa nearby. He jumps to his feet, Dark Shadow catching Katsuki before he can hit the floor.

"Katsuki? Katsuki!" The bird boy calls to him as he reaches out to pull him up by the shoulders. He sees the faraway look in his eyes, bourbon orbs glazed over and mouth slightly opened as he stares right through his savior. It takes a moment for his eyes to focus on him, a tiny smile pulling at his lips as he finally registers Fumikage and Dark Shadow's worried faces.

"Oh. Hi, Fumi."

It's almost a whisper.

"Is he okay?" Ochako appears at his side and Fumikage mutely wonders where she came from. "I think he might be going under. He's had quite a lot of triggers today." He supplies.

"Katsuki? You okay, hon?"

His gaze floats over to where Ochako is standing as his classmates begin to crowd around him. In lieu of a response, he raises his arms up towards her and wiggles his fingers a bit.

"You want up?"

He nods and she lifts him up using her quirk, allowing him to wrap his legs around her waist. She'd voice aloud how incredibly cute how he clings to her even with his larger stature and physique, but she worries that something is very much wrong and doesn't want to upset or startle him. Izuku and Eijirou aren't around to help her out, after all. She doesn't even have Iida, who has resigned himself to his dorm room to study.

"You wanna go see daddy, pumpkin?"

Another nod.

"Okay sweets, we can go upstairs. Will you all gather his things for him and put them away while I go and take him to Shouto?" She says, directing the last bit at her friends who immediately get up and gather Katsuki's books for him. Shoji briefly stops to pet Katsuki's sweat slicked hair.

"Feel better soon." Is all he says before he moves along but Katsuki seems to understand that he means well as he gives a lopsided smile, waving as Ochako turns to carry him up to the elevator.