Protecting You (Katsuki Bakugo x Reader)

Chapter 70- Swan Dive

The first night of sleeping with Katsuki was absolutely heavenly...and you felt safer than ever in his strong arms. Being pressed against his bare chest brought you into a world so much more gentle than the one you've been experiencing and just knowing he was there helped shield you from the nightmares. Although...your life within that cell kept you in tune with the outside world while your eyes were closed, and you knew there was someone lurking outside your home.

Your eyes darted open from a dead sleep, full adrenaline running through your veins. Katsuki was so peaceful with the way his lips barely parted as he silently drifted off into dreamland...it ached your heart to think of disturbing him so you elected to reach for a blade you had on display on your wall near your picture bulletin. The flat edge tanto was an elder blade of yours, but after your two katanas were destroyed in the All for One fight, you had to resort to it as your weapon of choice. The legendary blade you wielded in that fight was still locked away in a secure safe under your bed, and you didn't think there would be a time you'd have to use that again any time soon.

Bare feet padded against the dark polished wooden flooring of your room, the softness of your plush rug warming your temperature shocked toes. With the tanto in hand, you were ready to ghost through the glass of your balcony doors...

But nothing happened.

You slowly opened it with a sweating grip on the handle, only to smell that familiar scent of musk and ash mixed with the evening Autumn air. With a burst of energy, you quickly placed the tanto on your small outdoor table on the balcony and leaned against the railing just to see Touya with his hands in his pockets about to leave.

"Touya? What are you doing here?" You questioned him with loud whispering voice, if you could even call it that. Dabi paused mid stride and looked up at you as you leaned against the railing, sleeves covering up scars like him. He couldn't help but notice the similarity...yet he knew the largest difference was that your scars showed your victimhood and suffering of brutality. Dabi marked himself to show the world what he was capable of...that he was the monster that lurked within the shadows of villainy. For you...you could heal one day...you should press forward and walk whichever path you wanted to.

For Dabi there was only one path ahead of him, as he burned all the other bridges that once laid in his wake. There was no way to rebuild them...and he never once even considered it. Yet...

...hearing you in that cell call out his name as if he were an angel destined to save you from all your pain and suffering...it was enough to make him wish he could have gone back in time for just a day. Just enough where he was no longer the reason why you were the only survivor of the Shini Mountain Village.

"I don't know...I guess I just..." He didn't know how to respond to your question. Why am I here? What did I even fucking come here for?  "I don't really know." Seeing your face that once contorted with so much hate and resentment transform into one of utter beauty in his eyes was confusing enough for him to admit. The truth was that deep down inside he had to make sure you actually made it home this time...that Endeavor didn't fail you twice in a row. He'd never admit those worries out loud, but a part of him recognized they were there.

"How did you know where I live? That's a little creepy..." You teased the villain. His spiked jet black hair was lit with a deep sapphire hue from the first quarter moon. The sharp curve of his perfect jaw drew a shadow over his sculpted collar bones but allowed his face to be shown in pure light. Dabi made his way closer to you until he was right next to that overgrown hedge you swore you were going to chop into pieces.

"I like to keep tabs on my toys you know. Never know when I might wanna play," He admitted with a small smile that he tried to force into a smirk. "And you are always just so fun to play with."